Loved this fictional tale about a real life WWII heroine. Though I 'm always worried about reading fictional books about real heroes and heroines because I'm always worried that author won't do these real heroes justice. I didn't have to worry with this one. I now want to read more books by this author.

This is the story of an Australian, Nancy Wake who is working as a reporter in Paris during the beginning of Hitler's rise to power. She sees the beginnings of the atrocities being done to Jewish citizens living there. She marries a wealthy playboy, Henri Fiocca and then the Germans invade and occupy Paris. She can't sit around and do nothing. This story is told in four storylines from her four code names used during the war: Lucienne, the White Mouse, Helene, and Madam Andre. This is the story about how one woman sacrifices basically everything and puts her life on the line to help defeat the Nazis and Hitler.

I have been on a real Historical Fiction kick and this book has been one of my favorites. I laughed, cried, got angry... basically felt all of the emotions. And I know there was some artistic license involved, but knowing this woman lived and breathed and did what she did is just amazing and humbling. If you are a Historical Fiction kick, specifically WW2, you have to read this. I'd even recommend you give it a chance if you don't normally read this genre. The character development and writing was phenomenoal. I have heard of this author but definitely intend to pick up I Was Anastasia in the very near future. Four out of five stars for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Anchor publishing for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love books like this and this one has me staying up late waiting to finish and to experience all of this! I can’t imagine dealing with what they have been through and being so courageous and risking so much. Such a beautiful story with such an elegant prose. Loved the historical touches. Very thought provoking and lovely.

This was a beautifully written historical fiction book. I love the way the story was told from different time periods. Lawhon cleverly this tale together and managed to capture the hearts of the reader!

I'll just go ahead and say it. I loved this book! It is so well written and deserves the hype. Nancy's character is a snarky, bold, badass hero and the best part is? She was real. This historical fiction tells her story, the story of how she became one of the most successful operatives in WWII and hunted by the Nazi regime. I was on the edge of my seat and holding my breath the whole book. Her spunk and ability to show little fear and get the job done us inspiring. She killed a high ranking Gestapo with one hand in an elevator! One hand! I would have loved to have met her in real life but this book does a great job of making you feel like you did meet her and loved every minute. I found myself cheering and laughing and cursing right along with her. I highly recommend this for historical fiction lovers and historical reads in general.

I read a lot of World War II historical fiction, and I'm always intrigued when I read about a part of the war I haven't heard much about. Nancy Wake sounded like an extremely fascinating person, and I'm glad this novel let me get to know her. I definitely spent a long time on Google after finishing the book reading more about Nancy and the other characters in this novel. That said, this book had quite a few problems for me. First, I think it could have used a lot more editing. I wasn't really interested in a detailed description of the face of each person Nancy met. A large portion of this book was devoted to how Nancy Wake met and fell in love with Henri Fiocca, and that part was honestly pretty boring. Also, I hated the way the book jumped all over the place. I get that there was a reason it wasn't told in chronological order, but it really felt disjointed at times. This especially felt off at the end of the book for me. I wish the last few chapters focused on the end of the war and didn't go back to the beginning. Also, I've read a lot of war books but there were two instances when the descriptions of the horrors was so intense I wanted to vomit. I did really like learning about such a fascinating woman, and I think the author did a good job showing who she was.

Having read Lawhon before in "I was Anastasia", I was ready to read Lawhon's prose again. Lawhon has the ability to write character prose and get readers pulled into a story.

Nancy Wake is a young Australian woman with a big frame and an even bigger personality. While living in Paris, she meets Henri Fiocca and quickly falls in love with him. They marry not long after and move to Marseilles. During this time, the second World War has started and so has Nancy's work with the French Resistance. She quickly gathers different identities with her work, as she assists individuals escaping the country. Her work is never one that escapes the attention of the Vichy or the Gestapo. But it also seems that even with the danger, Nancy can't seem to stay out of the fight.

I think this creation of Nancy's multiple identities for her resistance work was one of the best boons of this story. It honestly allowed Lawhon to tell the war from multiple viewpoints within France through one character, which is incredibly rare. Between her early work helping people escape from the country, to her work as the Madame near the end of the war, I was really just surprised to see everything the book was able to cover. I will say though, I feel as if we needed what was near the end of the book, the introduction to her work as Helene/Madame earlier. I was seriously confused about the timeline of when was when for so long because I couldn't figure out, okay when is she doing this work as Lucienne and when is she doing this work as Madame. Because in reality if you know the history of the war, she could have been doing Lucienne or Madame's work for the most of the war. So having the back and forth without the groundwork of some steady chronology was confusing.

I did really appreciate the chapter's with Henri as well. I know Henri is more of a supporting character, but it's a good foil to help us as reader's kind of fill in blanks without having to info dump at some point. You see that a lot in movies, where you have these great reveals from the villains. With these side chapters, you learn some of the things that are leading to Nancy getting pulled aside by the Vichy and other little moments that we wouldn't have understood without these chapters.

I overall felt this was a great perspective to have an Australian doing war work. I think I would have appreciated this a little more if she were actually in Australia. We get so few books from the Pacific front of the war. But, that's just general observation. Other than this, I feel the tail end of the book did a lot of work that it really did not need to. I mean the last 50-75 pages just had so much jammed into it. Where the reveals of her being led into the work Helene and the Madame could have built up just as her actual work was. Instead it was all in those last pages. It was a bit much.

This character had a great voice, which I loved. It just felt like this book needed some real structural re-thinking. Thank you for the book.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was on the 2021 shortlist. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2021/02/2021-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Just when I thought I’d read every angle of WW2 historical fiction, this book blew me away. Nancy Wake was an incredible woman, and I’m disappointed I had never heard of her contributions to the war effort before reading this book. Beautifully written, and even more enjoyable knowing it’s a true story

I really wanted to make this a 5 star book review. All the elements of a great novel are here, but the structure and timeline of the book almost make it unreadable. Every time I picked up the book, it would start getting really intersting and the build up was coming, but then the next chapter would switch gears, switch timelines, switch plot lines. I would usually put the book down again for awhile because it was getting to.hard to follow or stay interested. I'm really not sure why this novel couldn't be told in a more straightfoward timeline, and in my humble opinion, would have been much more readable and enjoyable. Very interested in the life of Helene, but will have to read something else to get a better feel for her life.

I love WW2 lady spy novels, but this one really did not hit for me. I'm not sure why, as it has many of my favorite elements. I did like I Was Anastasia, so I am going to assume this was a one off and will continue reading future Lawhon books.

4.5 Stars, rounded down.

I've read many WWII-focused books about women's roles in the War, but none were as affecting as this. Lawhon is an incredible storyteller who constructs an incredible story about the real-life character Nancy Wake.

Nancy is a heroine of the war, but I had never heard of her. She is strong, resilient, persuasive, a talented navigator of tense situations, and took on Nazis with her bare hands. She was unstoppable and her efforts should be remembered as the heroism they were. I found the balance between Nancy's heroism and her femininity strong and well-delivered. Wake was a badass woman soldier who was vital to the French resistance, but she was also a wife and lover. She was often met with sexual harassment from the men she worked alongside, and she handled it with a zero-tolerance attitude.

The pacing of this novel was very strong because once I was sucked in, I couldn't stop reading. Told in alternating timelines, readers meet the various identities Wake assumed throughout the war effort, examining her impact on the War's trajectory of the German effort to find "the white mouse," the nickname Wake received. The level of detail is extensive, with thorough descriptions of Nancy's encounters with different people throughout her story. Many come back and I found the level of detail helpful for distinguishing people. The beginning of the story moves more slowly than the second half, but I think this is intentional. Lawhon had a lot of ground to cover and she sets the stage methodically before diving into the story.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. I think it's excellent historical fiction and while some may find the beginning a bit slow, I think the end more than makes up for any moments of slowness.

Nancy Wake is a true unknown hero of World War II brought to life in this thrilling tale woven by Ariel Lawthon. Australian by birth, Nancy is introduced as a Paris resident, working as a reporter while enjoying all the city offers. She’s independent and self sufficient, traits that will serve her well throughout her adventures. As she meets and marries Henri Fiocca, war looms on the horizon. She and her husband are tucked safely away along the coast, or so she thinks.

When her husband is taken away by the Germans, she takes on a new role as resistance fighter and spy. Throughout the story her persona adapts to the challenges she must meet, code names and nicknames attached. Throughout it all her trademark red lipstick, ability to go toe to toe with any many, and determination to find her husband carries her through. No spoilers here, but reading this book is highly recommended.

In a crowded field of World War II historical fiction with intrepid female protagonists, this one stands out for the bravery and determination of Nancy Wake and the writer’s ability to make the reader feel present in the danger and excitement of the events.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide the review.

What is in a name? Does your name reflect who you are and what if you change your name or use an alias? Does that help you achieve anonymity, does it help you create a new persona?

During World War II, as the Germans invaded France, many Frenchmen became part of the resistance. Partisans who hid in the woods and learned to fight with guns air dropped for their use against the Germans.

Code Name Helene written by is really historical fiction but it can almost feel at times like a thriller.

Written by Ariel Lawhon, this is an intriguing novel based on the real life heroine, Nancy Wake, who during the war took on four different names and identities. It is 1936 and young Nancy Wake has traveled from Australia to the glamorous city, Paris after talking her way into a journalist position reporting for the Hearst newspaper. As she captures the hearts of the young men around her, the war is picking up and her first hand experiences are disturbing. Romantically she swept off her feet by the handsome businessman, Henri Fiocca and just as she becomes his wife with her first name change she gets caught up in the war and takes on a code name, Lucienne Carlier, her cover, an oblivious mistress, as she carries papers, documents and smuggles people across the border. She becomes known as the White Mouse and there is a bounty on her head, so she joins special forces and becomes Helene learning from the Special Operations Executives, then she is airdropped into the woods of France to lead the Resistance army of bedraggled men as she directs missions and orders air dropped weapons and other needs to help them win the war.

All this is done with the alias, Madame Andre. Wearing her signature red lipstick creates for her the powerful image she wants to portray. This is a complicated story but so powerful and amazing that it makes you wonder if you would have the stamina and courage to be anything like her in a time of crisis.

With some red lipstick and the proper name can a woman change the world?

Code Name Helene tells the story of Nancy Wake, who sacrificed and fought in the French Resistance during WWII. If you are looking for a heroine to root for and a fight that is all consuming, Code Name Helene will deliver. Through a series of flashbacks, we learn her story and the sacrifices that she and her loved ones made.

Nancy is determined, creative and courageous and the risks she takes are breathtaking. It is hard to believe that the stories are real, but for the many medals that she won for her courage and her actions. With her beauty, Liz Arden's bright red lipstick, and iron will, Nancy dares much and saves countless lives.

This book is based on the life of Nancy Wake, an Australian expat who worked as a reporter for Hearst in Paris just before WWII and later as a spy for the British. Lawhon throws readers into the middle of the action, as Nancy, under the alias Hélène, prepares to parachute from an RAF plane into France to help the Resistance in 1944, carrying in her head memorized lists of vital data, including bridges targeted for destruction and safe house addresses.

Author # Ariel Lawhon has a just wonderful novel 'Code Name Helene' is a wonderful way to start the stay at home we all are still experiencing. This full review can be found on my blog on Instagram at Maddie_approves_book_reviews please.

Fantastic, action packed, and inspiring read about a real life person, Nancy Wake. She was an Australian who worked as a journalist and later became a member of the French Resistance during WWII. She had an enormous amount of gumption and made a huge contribution with her work in France. I really loved this one - so very interesting.

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I have absolutely loved all of Ariel Lawhon's previous novels and I am lucky enough to have chatted with her a few times at book signings and events. I kept "saving" Code Name Hélène to read and somehow it kept getting pushed back on my reading list. I have finally gotten to it and dare I say...it's her best work yet! I mean, reading about her research experience (included at the end of the book) was as exciting as the novel itself. Yes, Nancy Wake is a legendary and fascinating person but the sheer talent required to present her story so vividly is absolutely mind-boggling.

Australian expat Nancy Wake lied her way into a freelance journalism position with Hearst in Paris and one of her first assignments was to interview the new German chancellor, Adolf Hitler. Shocking? Yes, but that is really just a tiny blip on the radar for Nancy Wake's eye-popping life story. After Germany invades France, Nancy goes on to become a female British operative who obtained weapons and supplies from England for the Maquis, an anti-Nazi outlaw group. She jumped out of planes into enemy occupied countryside, performed insane feats of human endurance, and lead dozens of nail-biting missions. In short...she was badass!

Additional note: Lawhon gives Nancy one of my favorite quotes of all time: "Mine is level of fury that requires two coats of lipstick and a fully loaded revolver." Like, I said...badass.

This is a WWII historical fiction book about a real life heroine.

This book provides a glimpse into her fascinating life and WWII. Unfortunately at times the writing is long winded and distracts from the flow and the storyline but overall it is a good read.