It’s only late January and I already read one of the best books of the year! Pam Jenoff is one of my favorite authors and I had very high hopes for newest book, 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲! I’m happy to report it exceeded my expectations. ⁣
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Code Name Sapphire tells the story of two cousins. Hannah and Lily were as close as sisters when they were little and they lost touch over the years. When Hannah needs a place to go after fleeing Nazi Germany, she turns to Lily’s family in Belgium. Lily welcomes her in, but she doesn’t like that Hannah helps with the resistance. With her efforts, Hannah has met Micheline and her brother Matteo who help with a secret resistance network, helping soldiers get back to the battlefield. While volunteering, she gains attention to her family and brings them to the forefront without knowing what her actions have caused. The second half of the book gets very grim, but that’s to be expected with this genre. ⁣
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In a genre that’s very saturated with content, I found the book to be refreshing and brought to light another angle to WWII fiction. Micheline is a woman the world needs to know more about. She was a rebel leader that truly believed in her cause and was willing to put her whole life into it. I loved Hannah in the beginning and I loved Lily more as the book went on. The relationship between the two woman especially as it relates to Matteo was truly fascinating. I am always fascinated to read books based on true stories and it’s very clear that Pam did an extensive amount of research. ⁣
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Thank you so much to @pamjenoff @parkrowbooks and @htpbooks for my gifted copy. Much like The Woman with Blue Star, this book will stay with me for a long time. Code Name Sapphire will be released on February 7th. ⁣
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#codenamesapphire #pamjenoff #favoriteauthor #parkrowbooks #htpbooks #htpinsiders #historicalfiction #wwII #wwIIfiction #belgium #sapphirenetwork #bryantparkbooks #bookstagram

Pam Jenoff has been writing historical fiction about WWII for some time now. Those who have read her earlier novels will undoubtedly want to give this one a look.

The novel’s protagonist, Hannah Martell, has not had an easy time of it. She had been living in 1942 Berlin at a moment when the Nazis were a real and threatening presence; they, in fact, murdered someone close to Hannah.

Hannah recognizes that she must leave Berlin but getting away from the evils in the world is not easy. Her ship is turned away by the Cubans and the Americans are no help either. Hannah ends up back in Europe where she takes up her life in Brussels.

From this point, the book is about Hannah, her cousin and a woman who runs a resistance effort. To the strife of the period and its espionage, the author also adds a strand of romance when Hannah is attracted to the brother of one of the characters. How will each of these people fare, what daring act will they try to pull of, and how will their lives intersect and change? Keep turning the pages to find out.

This is a decent novel about its difficult time period. That said,there is not anything that makes this title stand out from the many other books set in the same time period. Still, those who cannot get enough of WWII fiction may want to add this title to their reading lists.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Hannah, who is part of the resistance during WW2, is desperate to get out of Europe that is overun by Nazi's. After being on a boat and turned away in Cuba, she decides to live with her cousin Lily and her family in Brussels. Hannah knows it's futile that she gets out of Europe so she joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance that helps get people out of Nazi occupied countries in hopes that she too will be able to escape. One bad decision leads to Lily's entire family being captured and she will do anything to get them out .

I am going to start my review by saying if you like Pam Jenoff's other novels then you will like this one because it is on par with her other books. While I enjoyed the story for the most part, I also felt like something was missing, which is how I felt about some of her other novels I've read. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and I felt like there were a few plot holes which I won't share what they are because of it being spoilers. I do like when historical fiction authors draw on real experiences and Jenoff's Sapphire Line was inspired by Comet Line, a resistance organization in the 1940's. That being said, a majority of the focus was on the MC's family and not about the Sapphire Line. Overall this one was just ok for me but I do think many will enjoy it.

Told by 3 different women - a Brussels Jewish homemaker, a resistance leader and a escaped Jewish German whose lives are forever changed once they meet. Lily is pretending that her life will go on as usual, Michelle is working to rescue downed British airmen and Hannah wants only to escape to America. A compelling story!

Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff follows Hannah as she flees Germany following the death of her husband. After fleeing, she joins a resistance movement in Belgium. Along with Hannah's perspective, there are also chapters from the perspective of Hannah's cousin Lily and the head of the resistance movement Micheline.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me at 21%, which is a huge disappointment for me. I had heard amazing things about Pam Jenoff, and this was my first foray into her books. I really couldn't connect with the characters and found the writing style wasn't working for me. I felt reluctant to pick up the book and thought it was just me until I picked up another historical fiction and was immediately drawn in. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what wasn't working for me in this one, and, again, it is a huge disappointment for me.

I think I'll try some of Jenoff's backlist. I think this was a me problem and not a book problem. Perhaps I'll give this one another try in the future to see if it was just a mood or timing issue.

Thank you to Harelequin and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I've read several books by Pam Jenoff and this one did not disappoint.

This was a really well written story - a lot of difficult topics in this book, but well worth the read.

The story is about a German Jew, Hannah who attempts to flee to America after trying to fight against the Nazi's in WW2 , but is unable to disembark the boat in Cuba, and is returned to Belgium, where she stays with her cousin. Her goal is to only stay there temporarily until she can attempt to flee again, but she ends up working with the resistance. There are tough decisions that need to be made, and the characters don't always make the right ones. This story shows the love of family but also very real consequences of decisions.

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and so glad I was able to read this book.

Based on events in WWII, Micheline runs the Sapphire Line, rescuing downed British flyers and helping them escape from Brussels. Hannah is a Jewish woman on the run from Germany where she drew anti Nazi political cartoons. She seeks out her cousin Lily in Brussels where she hopes she can escape to America. Lily is married to a doctor and has a young son. They are trying to simply survive without drawing attention to themselves.

This is a solid entry into the WWII historical fiction canon. There are plenty of twists to keep you reading. The choices made by each of the women impact them all. There is tragedy and hope, love and loss, loyalty and sacrifice. I appreciated the book but would have loved it more with less of the love story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Code Name Sapphire is the compelling story of three brave women who are part of the Resistance movement in Belgium during WWII. I was intrigued by the setting of the story, as I hadn’t previously read any books set in Belgium during the war. As usual, author Pam Jenoff does an excellent job bringing the setting and the characters to life.

In addition to being an American best-selling author of historical fiction ("The Lost Girls of Paris", "The Woman With the Blue Star" etc.), Jenoff has worked for the Pentagon and the Foreign Service. She is now a lawyer who teaches at Rutgers. This new book is loosely inspired by 'The Comet Line' which was a real resistance organization in Belgium that helped downed airmen return home. Jenoff was also inspired by the 1943 attack on a train heading to Auschwitz by the Belgian Resistance that freed 118 prisoners. In this book we meet Hannah, who escaped Germany after her husband was killed, was turned away in Cuba and ends up with her cousin Lily in Belgium. She joins the resistance movement there to try and find a way to get to freedom. This is a good recommendation for fans of WWII fiction. I enjoyed it.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC. I am leaving an 100% honest review.

I will start off by saying WWII Historical fiction has become a favorite of my mine.

I rather enjoyed Code Name Sapphire once I got passed the pace of the book. I felt as though certain parts were rather slow and took me a minute to get into the story again. Other then that the book was wonderful and realistic in how the character personalities were. At time they seemed cold, but when in their situations they had to be

I am a huge historical fiction fan and was excited when I got the an ARC from Netgalley.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I stayed up till 3am finishing it. I actually did not like a couple of the main characters (personal opinion not the writing) which normally turns me off a book but in this case it only made me want to finish it and see what happens to them.

I read a lot of historical fictions and sometimes one blends into another. In this case it did not. The story was unique and I did not feel like I was rereading a past read. It was well paced and I did not want to put this one down.

There’s books about WWII, then there’s Pam Jenoff’s books about WWII. They are on a whole other ball game. They are heart wrenching, educational and really well written. I love that this took place in Belgium! Highly recommend this one for fans of HF!!

This novel will tug at your heart. The writing is excellent, even better than the Lost Girls of Paris, and that book is impressive. In 'Code Name Sapphire' we follow Hannah around Europe as she tries to escape it during WWII only to heartbreakingly see her fail. As you read and experience Hannah's new reality, you can't help but feel that you —the reader—is the only friend in the world she has. Until she meets the other ladies risking everything int he Sapphire Line.
A well-paced, emotional tale, about how you can help others in order to help yourself.

Thank you to Park Row Books and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book! I finished this in basically one sitting and I was floored. Pam Jenoff does historical fiction so well and this book completely blew me away. I loved the character's and the alternating points of view. Hannah, Lily and Micheline were all complex and so fiercely strong. The story was so intense at points that I was on the edge of my seat, but there was also an edge of hope to it. Jenoff approaches Jewish representation so well even though the backdrop is WWII and I love the fight and determination her characters have. There were some twists and turns that truly had me shocked. The book was fast paced and I was invested. It also brought out some tears. I thought the story was unique and full of heart and I'm always excited to see what she'll do next. Absolute must-read for me!

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for the copy of this ARC.

Code Name Sapphire started off with quite the shocking scene, taking me right into the brutality present in WWII. A story told between the POV of two cousins, Hannah (actively involved with the Sapphire Line resistance network) and Lily (complacent Belgian citizen). They are each dragged into the War in various ways and are forced to make tough choices for themselves and their families. I always enjoy a story about women in the resistance in WWII and this had the different, interesting angle of being set in Belgium.

Read if you like:
- learning about WWII Resistance networks
- love triangles
- exploring a new angle of WWII (Belgium!)

I started reading Pam Jenoff's novels in 2015 and have enjoyed all of her recent ones (if "enjoy" is the right word for the subject matter at hand). Her latest, Code Name Sapphire, really packs a punch and is full of complex emotions throughout.

This was a harrowing story that provided an adrenaline kick. I couldn't help but worry about Hannah, Lily, and Micheline the entire time. It was hard not to be mad at Hannah after what she did to Lily. I'm impressed that Lily even wanted to look at her, much less speak to her. I liked Micheline a lot, even though she had her guard up. Her role in the operative mission had to have been so stressful. This novel also really put the horrors of the Holocaust front and center.

My only concern is that some things felt far-fetched, like it was too easy for the characters to pull off the stunt that they did. Especially given all the obstacles they had to get around to make it happen. So I appreciated when a really big wrench was thrown into the plan, as much as I wanted them to pull it off. It just made things more realistic. The shared connection two of the characters had with another character also seemed a bit too coincidental. The story had a lot of surprising moments and never became predictable, so I give Pam kudos on that front.

Overall, it was really engaging and kept me on my toes. It's helpful to read the author's note at the end, in order to get some background information. Code Name Sapphire releases in early February, so be sure to get your hands on a copy!

I had a difficult time coming up with casting ideas, so I decided just to cast the three leads:
Lily: Pauline Chalamet
Hannah: Flora Cross
Micheline: Sonia Ammar

Jenoff is usually a reliably excellent writer of historical fiction, but she eases off a bit in Code Name Sapphire. Much more interesting than the Sapphire “line” itself, which aided downed Allied airmen, is the attempted and semi-successful liberation of prisoners on their way to Auschwitz in cattle cars. This courageous action is based on a real incident (which took place later in the war than Jenoff places it, for reasons she explains in the Afterword). Her version is a bit light on the details as are many of the incidents and settings she includes. For example, while she describes the inhumane conditions in the prison in which the three-person family of Lily’s, one of the main characters, she doesn’t evoke them so vividly that readers can experience them. Code Name Sapphire is as much, if not more, about the twisted romantic lives of cousins Lily and Hannah as it is about this shameful period of world history or about the millions of people they represent. Jenoff’s fans will be excited to read this novel and fans of historical fiction who savor romance will be ecstatic. Others fans of historic fiction will find this a worthwhile read.

Propulsive, well paced and expertly researched and crafted, Pam Jenoff’s latest World War II themed novel, set primarily in Belgium, features a trio of courageous, resilient women who grapple with heart wrenching choices and enormous sacrifices while endeavoring to save themselves and the people they love most in appalling circumstances. Various characters are also committed to rescuing or healing perfect strangers for the Allied cause, including as leaders of the Belgian Resistance (whose fictional “Sapphire” line lends its name to the title).

For me, the story didn’t distinguish itself among the deluge of WW II fiction, and I found myself musing over how the plot might have been enhanced by one character making more expansive and creative uses of her artistic skills and more details illustrating the operations and accomplishments of the Sapphire line. But I found I did not much mind, as the tale kept me swiftly turning pages. And, far more importantly, Jenoff’s reminders of the unspeakably horrifying consequences of fascism, antisemitism (and in this book, prejudice against the Romani or gypsy people) are all too relevant and critical in the present day.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row, for the complimentary ARC. Opinions are entirely my own.

So often when one, or at least when I, think about WWII or especially the Holocaust, I think of the 1000s of people and overlook the single people that rose up to defend what they believed, how they truly felt under the oppression Hitler inflicted upon all of the people of Europe. It is a beautiful thing when an author is able to take you behind the scenes and really begin to empathize with the ones, the individuals who sought to do what they could for those they could help with a variety of ways they could help, both overt but also, and often mostly, covert.

Watching Ms. Jenoff expertly weave together all of these storylines was truly awe inspiring and I would love to be a fly on the wall to see exactly how she pieced this all together to come into one absolutely beautiful work of art, one that made me pause and reflect on those who, under the worst possible human conditions, did what they could to make it a little easier for those around them.

This book truly belongs upon the list of forever recommended historical fiction titles along greats like The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, The Things We Couldn't Say by Kelly Rimmer and, not as spoken about but equally fantastic in my mind, Daughter of the Reich by Louise Fein.

CODE NAME SAPPHIRE by Pam Jenoff is a beautifully-written and powerful work of historical fiction that I could not put down. Set in Belgium in 1942 during the German Occupation, it tells the heart-wrenching story of courageous women whose bravery and sacrifice saved many lives despite the risk to their own safety. It is based on a true event where resistance members attempted a remarkable liberation of a train bound for Auschwitz, but the author has crafted a brilliant tale around that event. After the tragic loss of her fiancé, Hannah escapes Nazi Germany only to have her ship turned around. Forced to return to occupied Europe, she seeks refuge at the home of her cousin, Lily and her family in Brussels. Hannah soon joins the “Sapphire Line” resistance group who are helping move British airmen from the war zone to safety, but Hannah makes a huge error that causes Lily and her family to be arrested and slated for transport to Auschwitz. The story is told from the points of view of Hannah, Lily and Micheline, the leader of the resistance. I was completely engrossed in this fast-paced and emotional story. The extensive research required to write this book is obvious and I love learning about lesser-known events and the people involved in them. Pam Jenoff is a master of this genre and I can’t wait for whatever she writes next. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review and early copy.