Pam Jenoff continues her expertise in Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust. This time the setting is in Slovakia and Poland. Based on real life incidents, this historical fiction is filled with suspense and adventure. Hannah is discovered creating satirical cartoons in her lover's underground newspaper. Her lover was killed while she hid, though losing a child. She tried to escape to the US via Cuba but the ship was not allowed to dock in Havena and she was sent to Brussels where her cousin, Lily, lived. Lily her husband and young son lived a life in denial of the reality of the war, thinking that as Belgians they would not be arrested by the Nazis. While living with Lily, Hannah becomes secretly ensconced in a resistance network, the Sapphire Line, that smuggled downed Allied pilots and their crew to safe territroy. Micheline headed this resistance with her brother Matteo who unbeknownst to Hannah had a relationship with Lily in the past. The rest of the book describes the adventures, betrayals and pitfalls that happened during the resistance efforts. There is also a love triangle that will appeal to those who need a little romance in their novels to spice things up. The first half of the book went more slowly for me but then the pace and tension picked up dramatically. Strong portrayals of loyalty, family and courage dot the landscape of this easy to read prose. This will be a good choice for fans of Beatriz Williams.

Three women's lives are fatefully entwined in WWII Belgium: Micheline, a young charismatic leader of the "Sapphire" resistance line charged with smuggling Allied airmen out of Europe; Hannah, a Jewish artist heartbroken by tragedy who is desperate to get out of Europe that she will risk everything; and Lily, Hannah's cousin and wife of an upperclass Jewish doctor who takes her cousin in but is in denial that the Nazi regime will soon threaten everything she holds dear. Hannah, enamored by Micheline's brother Matteo, becomes involved with the Sapphire line as a means to an escape and, as an unforeseen cost, Lily and her family pay the price. Desperate save them from a death train bound for Auschwitz, Hannah enlists the help of the siblings and Micheline reluctantly agrees, if only because Matteo has motivation of his own to save Lily and her young son. They hope, but doubt, that they will all come out alive.
.
A subtle page-turning story about the strength of women in WWII and the length we will go to to save the one's we love, as well the bitterness of unexpected costs of our decisions. While this tale mostly centers on the diametric cousins, I was immediately enthralled by our true heroine, Micheline and wished I had more of her story to explore. It is somewhat of a slow burn, and then halfway through, it is difficult to put down. You may feel real agony, betrayal, and disbelief as you read. The twist at the end was crushing, because you know the cost, but there is still hope for redemption.
.
My first Pam Jenoff, and probably not my last! I love this era of history and the untold stories of women when the history books are dominated by those of men. My only critique is that I felt like a lot of the character's epiphanies, secrets, and motivating emotions are bluntly spelled out for you in an unnatural way, rather than allowing for some interpretation or wonder.
.
"'No one person is the sun'... They were a constellation of stars, basking in the collective glow."

Most of this novel is set in 1942 in Brussels, during the Nazi occupation. Hannah Martel, a German Jew, had been trying to escape Nazi Germany and left on a ship bound for the Americas, but the ship was turned back. (Jenoff states in an Afterword that she modeled this incident after the infamous case of the St. Louis, which sailed from Germany in 1939. Passengers were denied the right to disembark in either Cuba or the US. Around a third of the 900 Jewish passengers forced to return to Europe were subsequently murdered by the Nazis.)

Hannah had nowhere to go but to the Brussels home of her cousin Lily Abels, with whom she was once very close. Lily now had a husband, Nik and a son, Georgi. Hannah almost immediately joined with the local resistance in an attempt to try to escape once again. Lily believed that Belgian Jews would never be in danger, and that it was safest just to keep her head down and stay out of trouble. She objected to Hannah’s activities.

So Hannah started meeting with a local resistance group in secret she found through a man named Matteo she saw hiding a message. Matteo’s sister Micheline, a young woman around Hannah’s age, ran the Sapphire Line, a network formed to get downed British airman out of the country. Micheline reluctantly agreed to help Hannah if Hannah helped them with the network while Micheline looked into options for her.

In Hannah’s eagerness to help and avoid arrest herself, she committed a breach of trust that caused Lily and her family to be arrested. Hannah, wracked by guilt, was determined to save them from certain evacuation to the Auschwitz death camp.

Evaluation: Pam Jenoff is an excellent writer, and especially excels at bringing a horrific time in history alive with her novels set during the Nazi Holocaust. The courage of the characters in spite of their dire circumstances and the poignancy of their stories will grab hold of your heart and shake up your conception of what is possible - both in terms of horrific actions people are capable of taking against each other, and how some managed to survive it in spite of everything.

Fans of Pam Jenoff's work will be delighted with Code Name Sapphire, finding strong female characters thrust into situations they would never have imagined for themselves outside of wartime. The premise is based on a true situation - a famous escape - which Jenoff brings to life through fictional characters. Jenoff challenges readers to question what they would do in the name of love, family, and safety when thrust into the uncertainty of war time Europe. Readers of historical fiction will want this on their shelves.

Pam Jenoff is one of my favorite authors so I was really excited to get an early release copy of Code Name Sapphire. This is an amazing story based on the true accounts of an underground network to aid downed British airman traveling through France seeking safer territories. The three main female characters Micheline, Hannah and Lily come to life on the pages. You feel their struggles, danger and hardships as you read this wonderful WW2 story.
I highly recommend this engaging novel. Thank you Netgallery for my ARC.

Hannah escaped once, but was returned to Europe because no one would take Europeans fleeing the continent. 

She called on her cousin Lily to help her because no one was allowed back into Europe without someone to vouch for them.

Hannah and Lily were close as children, and it was easy to stay with her until Hannah again became desperate to get out of Europe.

Trying to get herself out of Europe for the second time, Hannah joined an underground network called The Sapphire Line that said they would help her.

A mistake on her part caused her cousin and her family to be arrested, sent to a work camp, and then on a train to Auschwitz.

It was all Hannah's fault and she HAD to save her cousin, but how.

Ms. Jenoff has given us another marvelous, heartbreaking, well-researched read based on a true event (the train rescue) that keeps the tension high as we follow Hannah, Lily, and Micheline as they navigate the way of life taking risks in similar but different ways and through the horrors they had to endure.

Ms. Jenoff keeps you close to and empathizing with the characters through everything and suffering along with them.

Another Pam Jenoff masterpiece.

Don't miss this one!! 5/5

This book was given to me by the author for an honest review.

I want to thank Harlequin Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Code Name Sapphire by author Pam Jenoff She has written several excellent books including The Orphan’s Tale and The Woman With the Blue Star.
Ms Jenoff writes in her epilogue, “What remains unchanged is the heroism of the volunteers who rescued airmen and those who attempted to liberate the train, as well as the.bravery of the people whom they tried to save and the countless other victims.”
Code Name Sapphire tells the story of The Sapphire Line in Belgium during WWII and the people risking their lives. The Jewish family is fictitious but they represent some of what was happening.
Can they survive the restrictions and possible deportation? Is there a traitor we never suspected?
Code Name Sapphire sheds new light on what happened to ordinary families and how the resistance set out to make things right.
This is another book to remind us all to “Never Forget”
This book will publish 02/07/2023.

Code Name Sapphire
By: Pam Jenoff
Review Score: 4 1/2 Stars

Five Key Feels
-This book was intense and engaging from the start.

-Hannah’s life is so sad, it’s amazing to watch her emerge as such a strong woman.

-It was so interesting to see how the Sapphire Line worked.

-There were so many good twists and turns in this story!

-There was a plot twist at the end that I did not see coming.

———

Code Name Sapphire was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing. Thank you for allowing me to read this wonderful book!

Release Date: 2/7/23

Wow. This was such a good Historical Fiction book. Intense and engaging, I was on the edge of my seat as I moved through this story.

Jenoff does such an amazing job of building characters, you really feel what they go through as the story progresses.

Code Name Sapphire was such a great read. I highly recommend it!

Code Name Sapphire is a thrilling story that follows three characters, Hannah, Lily, and Micheline during World War II. In 1942, when Hannah’s ship bound for America is turned away, she finds herself in Brussels at her cousin Lily’s house. Hannah soon meets resistance workers, Micheline and her brother Mateo. However, a grave mistake leaves Hannah torn between her loyalties.

Jenoff does a wonderful job creating an inspirational story of resistance during World War II. Code Name Sapphire had me turning the pages to the very end. This book is an easy 4 stars. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction.

I received a free advanced copy and all opinions are my own. I would like to offer my sincerest gratitude to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

A phenomenal book. This writer never disappoints. The story of the bravery of sooo many people that helped to liberate thousands of people! The train rescue was horrifying! This story will not be forgotten by me for a very long time

WWII, Belgium, spies and intrigue!
Code Name Sapphire
Pam Jenoff

Fleeing into Belgium and reconnecting with her cousin, Hannah is drawn into helping a resistance group led by a woman in order to continue to America.
Through a series of circumstances, her family is jailed and she and her friends must try to help them escape before they board "the" trains to the gas chambers! Meanwhile the network has been compromised and Nazis are killing and rounding up the team!

Enjoyed the viewpoint of the resistance group members, strong women and the tension kept me engaged!

An incredible read loosely based on fact. This is the story of Hannah, a Jewish artist in Germany who escapes the Nazis and takes shelter in Brussels with her cousin; Lily, the cousin who just wants to keep her family safe; and Micheline, the leader of the Sapphire Resistance line. It is a story of courage, strength, family and survival over overwhelming odds. Lovers of historical fiction will thoroughly enjoy this one.
#CodeNameSapphire#NetGalley#ParkRowBooks

Pam Jenoff always writes amazing historical fictions, and this one was no different! The way she writes the scenes is always great, I felt like I was seeing everything in real time right along with the characters.

3.5 rounded up.

Pam Jenoff has written a solid World War II woman-focused spy tale that lots of readers are going to love. It’s set in Belgium, which is an unusual setting, and the story makes the most of the relative freedom Jews had in Brussels in the early part of the war and uses this to kick the story off.

Hannah has escaped Germany aboard the St. Louis, the ship filled with Jewish refugees that was turned back to Europe after attempting to land in Cuba. Hannah knows what’s happening to Jews in Europe, and when she disembarks in Belgium, she reaches out to her cousin Lily, the only person she knows there.

Lily does not believe that Belgian Jews are in danger, but she finds out soon enough. Hannah easily finds her way into the Belgian resistance where her experience is very useful.

There are some terrific action scenes, romance, danger. Setting the story in Brussels rather than Paris gives readers the opportunity to see how different oppression and resistance were in the two countries and adds spark. Again Pam Jenoff writes a compelling story of women’s courage in war.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy, and review this novel!

Book review of Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love her books and she doesn't disappoint in this one. Thank you to @netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read this early release of Code Name Sapphire.
This was such a great story, with some wonderfully rich women characters. Hannah and Lily are cousins and Hannah has to flee Germany after her fiance and unborn baby are killed. She is on her way to America but the ship is turned away, so she ends up with her cousin Lily in Belgium. Hannah meets members of the resistance helping to move English airmen shot down back to England so they can fight again. This proves to be the undoing for her cousin Lily , who ends up arrested and in a camp. This story is based off the story of a train liberated that was on the way to Auschwitz. It has many twists and turns and I read a ton of historical fiction but Pam Jenoff always shows me a side of WW2 I didn't know about!
Loved this one and recommend you get it on February 7. 2023. You will love it..
#netgalley
#crazybooknerd
#codenamesapphire
#pamjenoff

Thank you for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a historical fiction novel set in. WWII in Belgium told through the eyes of 3 different women. This story moved well and has me reading late into the night. I enjoyed the unique perspective of the Auschwitz train being stopped as I hadn't read that. I lived how the author highlighted women and their role in the escape lines. A fantastic read and one I would highly recommend for historical fiction lovers!!!!

This is a book that grabs readers from the very first page. Yet again, Pam Jenoff presented a well-written story that resonates with family stories of some of us. Definitely a good read.

Book Title: Code Name Sapphire
Author: Pam Jenoff
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing ~ Park Row
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pub Date: February 7, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars

This is my fourth Pam Jenoff novel.
I really am not a WWII fan as they typically are such depressing stories.
I read "The Orphan’s Tale" which was a different take on WWII... I give very few 5 star rating but this was a wonderful story. I also really liked "The Woman with a Blue Star".

This is the story of three women during WWII and is set in 1942-Belgium
<i>Micheline </i> is the leader of the Resistance, who helps bring British airmen from occupied zones to safety.
<i> Hannah </i> escapes from the Nazi and boards a ship to flee to Brussels to her cousin Lily’s.
<i>Lily</i> with her son is trying to avoid the Nazis; however they are found and are to be deported to Auschwitz.
Hannah feels responsible for their capture and wants to save them before they get on that train and joins the “Sapphire Line”, a secret resistance that had a single purpose: ferrying British airmen from Dutch and/or German borders across Belgium and occupies French to freedom.

This story is great but what is even better is the Author’s Note. Ms. Jenoff tells us of her inspiration for this story as well as the many volume of research ~ in fact, she list many many reference books one may want to read. She also tells us what history is really and what parts she bended a bit typically dates!
In her Acknowledgements she thanks many contributors.
I always love reading the author’s note and Acknowledgements,
Additionally there is also a list of thoughtful questions that will help with your enjoyment of the story as well as ones that might be used in a book club discussion.

“Code Name Sapphire” is based on the true story of a liberated train on its way to Auschwitz
.

Want to thank NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing ~ Park Row for this early uncorrected proof.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 7, 2023

Unfortunately I couldn't read the book as the file does not work, and I have no option but to leave this note in order to not ruin my feedback ratio,

Pam Jenoff has done it again. This is a great book if you love the stories of the Second World War and all the twists and turns that happen when one country invades another. Hannah, Lily, Matteo and Michelina are caught up in the web of resisting what they know is evil. Helping the "other" side though when you are entrenched in the remains of an overturned country has it's perils and woes.
Who can you trust to help you? That's a question that needs answering many times through the pages of this book.. I loved the changes in mindset that happens as the Germans take more and more away from the countries they invade. Ordinary good people are called upon to help in this time of trial and the stakes are very high.


I just reviewed Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff. #CodeNameSapphire #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]