Pam Jenoff is the queen of historical fiction! I have loved all of her books and this one is no exception! Another wonderful book set during WW2. This book is told by 3 incredibly brave women, Hannah, Lily, and Micheline. I truly loved the characters in the book and the descriptions have you in WW2 Germany with the women. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

As a bonafide fan of Pam Jenoff, I feel I must say that I haven’t found a book by her I don’t like. It’s quite possible I am not slightly biased because I fully expect every book to be just as good. With that said, this book was just as good.


What I love about this book is the absolute reality of the situation. Nothing is sugar coated in Jenoff’s books and Code Name Sapphire is no different. From the first page, the seriousness of the jobs being done and what is at stake is shown in the pages. You feel that intensity, the stress building as people are moved through cities that would easily turn them over to be sent to a concentration camp. I think that is what I loved the most about this book. It’s an incredibly sad story and time in our history, but the way Jenoff doesn’t lessen that severity in her writing while other authors sometimes try and lessen the blow to the reader. I think we need to read that harshness of the world back then. The writing in this book is real, raw, and dark.

With that I also really like the characters in this book. I love reading about people who did heroic things without much of a possibility of a reward in the end. There was far more chance of being caught, tortured, or killed for helping people trying to escape Hitler’s reign. The characters in this book risk it all for little reward. It’s fascinating to know real people like these people exist and I appreciate being able to read such stories.

As usual Jenoff’s writing is flawless and the story flowed nicely while keeping me on the edge of my seat. I was extremely stressed out most of it, but in the most delicious book-reading way. As usual, Jenoff has delivered yet another heart stopping, heartbreaking, hopeful book that kept me interested until the very end. You do not have to ask me twice. I will be reading every book Jenoff writes with high expectations.

Another incredible historical fiction book by Pam Jenoff. The strong female characters, the heartbreaking story, the very clear and well researched topic. Jenoff does an amazing job at sucking you into the story from page one and disappointing you when the book ends. Anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, especially when the main characters are strong, powerful women, I would highly recommend this book!

Hannah escaped Nazi Germany after her husband was killed. Her ship bound for the USA was turned away, she went to her cousin Lily in Brussels. Desperate to leave occupied Europe, Hannah finds herself a part of the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a woman named Micheline and her brother Mateo. When a mistake leads her family to be deported to Auschwitz, Hannah finds herself torn between her loyalties and making sacrifices for those she loves.

PUB DAY: February 7, 2023

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy

Once again Pam Jenoff has illuminated a lesser known event of WWII through her historical fiction. As usual, Jenoff does not shy away from honestly describing the brutalities inflicted by the Nazis, and this book can be very sobering in that. Strong characters and a quick plot make this a page turner.

Code Name Sapphire is Pam Jenoff’s new historical novel. The enthralling plot begins in 1942 and revolves around three young women who risk their lives to help others. Micheline directs the Sapphire Line, a busy Belgian segment of an underground resistance group that leads downed British airmen across Belgium and occupied France to freedom. Her brother Matteo is also an integral part of the group.
As a Jewish artist living in Berlin Hannah and her partner Isaac waged their own war against the Nazis. Hannah drew popular anti-fascist cartoons using a pseudonym and Isaac printed and distributed the underground newspapers they appeared in. After Isaac is killed for his resistance activities Hannah flees on a ship to Cuba. Tragically her boat is turned away from Havana Harbor, but Belgium agrees to accept those passengers with local relatives. Hannah is saved by her dear cousin Lily who welcomes Hannah into the beautiful home she shares with her husband and son. Lily is ignorant of Hannah’s former activities, but Hannah knows that her presence is a serious threat to her cousin’s family. A chance meeting with Matteo leads Hannah to Micheline and the women reach an agreement. Micheline will help Hannah escape if she initially works for the Sapphire Line. Lily is shocked when she sees Matteo, the true love she left behind, with Hannah. She is also angry when she learns of Hannah’s dangerous past and the risky work she is doing for Micheline’s group. Hannah steals Lily’s identification card to use as cover when delivering messages for the Sapphire Line. When Hannah loses the card, she knows the consequences could be devastating for Lily and her family. Would Hannah be able to rescue them if needed? Shockingly, as the Sapphire Line’s success quickly plummets, Micheline is convinced there is a betrayer at the highest level of her group.
Code Name Sapphire’s fascinating characters and thrilling plot are what make this novel a true gem.

A well written book about something we all wonder-why didn't more people stand up and fight the Nazis? The futility of trying is very real but the hope that one person can really make a difference is the struggle portrayed by the characters. Can we live with ourselves if we do not try to make a difference in the world when we see injustice?

Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff is a moving historical fiction set during WWII.

Inspired by true stories, this novel follows three woman, Micheline, Hannah and Lily and Resistance efforts to liberate a train of people on the way to Auschwitz.

An amazing story of courage.

What a powerful story about women in the resistance and the resiliency of people faced with the most dire circumstances during WWII. I’m this novel we follow three women, Hannah, Lily, and Micheline and the chapters give us a look into their thoughts with their point-of-views throughout. The Sapphire Line is inspired by real-life networks that were part of the resistance and I found their work to be so inspiring and courageous. They sacrificed so much to save the lives of many while putting themselves in danger. The storylines were great and engaging, I felt they did a good job reflecting what times were like in 1942 during the Nazi takeover. I think I connected the most with Micheline’s storyline the most, but found the later events that Hannah and Lily went through to be heart-pounding and kept me wanting to read more to see where their journey ends. Supporting characters were great and the descriptions of the different settings were well done!

As WWII was escalating, Hannah Martel, living in Berlin, Germany, together with her lover Isaac, were members of the resistance. Once Isaac was murdered, Hannah tried to escape by ship to Havana. When foreigners were unable to disembark and the United States refused to let the ship continue on, the passengers were forced to return to Europe. Hannah found refuge with a cousin who lived in Belgium. She is welcomed with open arms and Hannah moves in with her cousin Lily, her husband and young son in Brussels. Lily naively believes that she and the Jewish residents of Brussels are safe. As Hannah is a known member of the resistance, she fears for her life and seeks help to leave the country, which is now under German occupation. Hannah connects with a local resistance group known as the Sapphire Line, headed by Micheline, a brave young woman aided by her brother Matteo. Hannah agrees to help the group in exchange for a means to escape. Hannah gets involved in their efforts to rescue airmen as well as a unique plan to rescue Lily and her family on a train bound for Auschwitz after they are arrested.

Pam Jenoff has written a collection of compelling WWII-era books that are inspired by real-life occurrences and true heroes. In Code Name Sapphire, Jenoff found her inspiration for the Sapphire Line in the Comet Line, a resistance organization in the 1940's as well as the actual attack by the Belgian Resistance which freed over 100 prisoners from a train heading to Auschwitz in 1943. The women in this fast-paced book were complex, brave and fierce. They were not always likeable and did not always make the right decisions, which made them more realistic. As many books in this genre, this is a story of strength and resilience during the worst of times. These stories need to continue to be told.

As with all Jenoff's books, they set the reader down a path to learning more about the actual events, which I always appreciate.

In 1942, Hannah Martel has escaped Nazi Germany on a ship bound for America, after her fiance' was killed. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, Hannah has nowhere left to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Desperate to get out of the country, she has no choice, except to return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind. Seeking help, Hannah joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a mysterious woman named Micheline and her enigmatic brother Matteo. But when a grave mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and slated for deportation to Auschwitz, Hannah finds herself torn between her loyalties. How much is Hannah willing. to sacrifice to save the people she loves?

This book was inspired by a true story. It was equally fascinating and horrifying. The author did an excellent job of drawing you into that world and making you feel like you were really there watching it all unfold. If you are a fan of historical fiction, then you definitely want to read this one. I highly recommend it.

🚉 BOOK / REVIEW 🚉

Another emotionally charged book by the infamous @pamjenoff 🥺 I will never stop loving her writing and #codenamesapphire was such a treasure to read.

I will admit this book took me a lot longer than I wanted to finish. You can't casually pick this up because you will need to cancel all of your plans. This is long, very emotional and quite a rollercoaster of action and then quiet. There is a very interesting love triangle in this book and it had me at odds with which characters I wanted to be together. Also, there was so much hurt and forgiveness in this book that you feel deeply connected to the story and people.

I would love to see a part 2! Thank you @netgalley and @parkrowbooks for my #ARC - this one publishes 2/7/23. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Code Name Sapphire is the newest WWII historical fiction from Pam Jenoff, and once again, I found myself enthralled. This story is told from three perspectives - Micheline, Hannah, and Lily. Each woman had their own distinct voice, with their thoughts, wants, and fears, all relevant to who they are and what they were fighting for. I really liked this tale that was loosely based on real resistance work and a real break from a Nazi train heading to Auschwitz. It was heart-pounding, and I needed to know who betrayed the network, if Lily would survive, and if Hannah could rescue her cousin. I appreciated this look into resistance work and how difficult it must have been to know who to trust and how to help.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the e-ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book releases on Tuesday, Feb. 7.

Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff is a story about 2 women in Belgium in WWII and their involvement/leadership in a resistance movement designed to bring British airmen, downed in enemy territory, back to England.

Unfortunately, I found this book very slow and hard to get through. By the midway point, I was still waiting for the story to develop. The characters were not always likeable and, despite it being based on a true story, I found that the character egos sometimes seemed to interfere with the safety and security of others, a feature which I had a hard time delineating as fact or literary license.

Furthermore, the long-lost-lover trope seemed trite and unnecessary compared to the real life dangers of participating in the resistance movement and the risks that were taken to save hundreds of people's lives. Overall I found the flow of the book disappointing.

I truly thank Net Galley for providing me with this ARC but would not recommend it to book clubs interested in WWII resistance literature.

Thank you to NetGalley, HTP and Pam Jenoff for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.


I will start with what worked for me. First this was an easy read, and I loved that this book was based on two true stories. (You can see the authors notes for info on this). I love historical fiction novels that are based on historical fact. While I did enjoy the book, there are a couple of things that did not work for me.

1) This book was based in Belgium. I loved that this was a book about WWII that was not in France, England or Germany. But, there really wasn't any information or descriptions about Belgium, its people or what it was like during the war. For me descriptions like this make a book more interesting.

2) This was a book with women at the forefront. I loved that!!! But the characters of Hannah and Lily were not very likable. Yes, Lily started to grow by the end of the book, but for me it was too little too late. Hannah, was impulsive, critical of everyone who did not think like her and when they didn't do what she thought they should inevitably she would do something that would cause catastrophic results. I never believed her sincerity and thought she was just out for herself.

3) I loved Micheline. She was strong. She knew what should be done and how to do it. She was the one redeeming character in this book.

Ultimately this was an ok read for me. And it won't stop me for reading more of this authors books. 3⭐

Pam Jenoff writes some of the best WWII Historical Fiction and her newest - Code Name Sapphire out next Tuesday, February 7th is one I recommend you check out.

Set in Belgium, Code Name Sapphire is about two cousins and the choices they make. When one volunteers for a secret resistance network and unknowingly sets up her cousin and family in harms way. This is a powerful novel about love, family and the unshakable resilience of women in even the hardest of times.

I'm pretty picky about my WWII Resistance books and I like that it was based on real Comet Resistance line and that the train rescue was also based on a true story. @PamJenoff has a way with words and telling stories that you don't want to put her books down. This story felt unique and I love how much research goes into it and the author's note was exactly what I needed when I finished reading.

With this novel, Jenoff has delivered an engaging story set during World War II highlighting the role women played in the role of the Resistance. Hannah and Lily are cousins that are both dealing with the War in two very different ways. Lily is living her life relatively untouched by the war, while Hannah is very much involved in Resistance efforts. But when Hannah finds herself in trouble, Lily does come to her rescue. But what happens when her continued efforts put Lily and her family in danger?
Based on real events, this story pulled me in from the first page. While there is no shortage of World War II fiction to choose from, this one still managed to keep me engaged and left me a little surprised with the twist as well.

Hannah flees Germany only to be turned back from Cuba to Belgium. Her cousin Lily takes her into her house but Hannah wants so badly to get out of occupied Europe that she joins the Resistance—Sapphire. Very tense read including arrests, prison camps, escapes, and traitors.

This book lived up to everything I thought it would deliver and much more.
I knew next to nothing about partisan activity and resistance through Belgium during WWII. Jenoff does an incredible job of describing the situations so meticulously.
I liked how she intertwined Hannah’s and Lily’s stories as well as their intersections with Micheline and Matteo.
The ending had me reeling with shock. I already had contempt for once of the main characters for her careless action that led to more danger and then to find her duplicity was a punch in the gut.
The heroic actions of all the resistance during WWII should always be honored.

Pam Jenoff is one of my favorite authors and I have loved each of her books. Code Name Sapphire swept me in with suspense and historical facts that were sprinkled throughout. I loved that the book is focused on one of the resistance lines getting airman out of Brussels and back to their home countries. The ways in which the men were moved and the effort within the resistance was astounding. There were parts of the book where I hesitated and could not wrap my head around how they did not get caught.

Hannah is a young woman who just lost her husband and unborn child in Germany due to their activity in the resistance, she draws anti-fascist political cartoons. She must get out of the country before it is too late. She boards a ship going to Cuba, the ship is turned back, and all of the passengers are brought back to Europe. The only family she has left is her cousin Lily, in Brussels. Lily takes in Hannah into her stately home that she has built with her husband Nik and their son Georgi. Hannah finds herself struggling and wanting to get back into resistance work. She meets a handsome man, Matteo, who is deeply entrenched in the Sapphire Line. Hannah quickly immerses herself into this group, hoping they will find a way for her to get out of Brussels. Will her desire to get out of the county place Lily and her family in harm's way?

This is a quick read, which keeps your eyes focused on the page. I had a tough time connecting with the characters. I wish there was more background given. I feel like I am missing out on Hannah's cartoons in Germany and Micheline's background with the resistance. There is a love triangle that weaves its way throughout the story. That brings twinges of jealousy between the between Lily and Hannah. The ending is shocking, and I must say I did not see it coming. My jaw hit the floor and my eyes closed in shock. Thank you to Pam Jenoff, Park Row Books, and TLC Book Tours for this fast action read.

WWII holocaust fiction⁣
-resistance elements⁣
-love triangle ⁣
-unexpected betrayal
Characters that make you feel all of the emotions.