The Ravensbruk concentration camp in WWII and Operation Paperclip, a US intelligence program after the war, are the historical background for this book. Given the depicted history of Josie Anderson and Arlette LaRue, The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly should be moving and emotional. Unfortunately, this book does not compel the way that Lilac Girls did. Given that it is the same author and the same historical context, the comparison is unescapable throughout the book.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2024/11/the-golden-doves.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.

This was an amazing book. I love Marth Hall Kelly's books and how well researched they are. This was a thrilling story that was so, so good and I learned things I didn't know about. Highly recommend.

In this extraordinary novel inspired by true events, two former female spies, bound together by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II.

From a historical perspective, I learned a new fact in the very first chapter. I wasn’t aware that Hitler attempted to get rid of the Nobel peace prize and replace it with the Art and Science Award. That was an interesting piece of history of which I wasn’t aware.

A central theme of this story was what happened with the orphaned children after the war, and there was a particular comment that struck me — the fact that people didn’t want to adopt the German children because of the association with Hitler and Germany.

It’s worth mentioning that I listened to the audio of this story while following along with the print copy. I really enjoyed the narration for Arlette, but I didn’t enjoy Josie’s POV as much.

There is so much more to say, but the main point is that if you enjoy historical fiction set during the WWII era, then you’ll be fascinated by this one too.

This is the second novel I’ve ready by Martha Hall Kelley, and I will absolutely continue to read through her backlist and any future stories she writes.

I love reading historical fiction! This one is no exception. It’s a great book to curl up with and lose yourself in for the day. Which is exactly what I did! Thank you Martha for a fantastic book!

Yet another amazing Martha Hall Kelly historical fiction novel centered on WWII and the strong, tenacious women who survived it. I highly recommend this book if you like this genre, and the characters are based on real people. Thank you for my review copy!

I love historical fiction for many reasons, but one of them is that I learn so much about people and/or times in history that I didn't know about and sometimes have never heard of. This was one of those times, and I can say that I am floored by what I learned. I am so sad to think that Americans, Italy, and the Vatican all contributed to supporting the Nazis after the war. The fact that the same Nazis "doctors" and "scientists" who experimented on the prisoners during the Holocaust were able to ride the "rat line" all the way to other countries with all of our help is sickening. One of the physicians that was mentioned went to jail for less than 3 years, and was released to continue practicing as a physician! I feel appalled and disturbed on a level I can't explain in words. It's just another reason I lose faith in our country every single day. It makes me so ashamed. I don't care what their reasons were, they all should have been killed or at the very least, spent the rest of their natural lives in jail. It's sickening!
This book follows two women who were eventually nicknamed the Golden Doves for their work with the resistance during World War II, Josie and Arlette. The book follows them from the time of the war, throughout their time in the concentration camp and after as Arlette trys to find her son that was taken away at one of the camps. As the girls try to get Arlette's son back they stumble upon additional information that puts them all in danger, and they find that even some of the people they trust the most are really the enemy. It's all a bit challenging to say the least, but nothing that the doves can't handle! Definitely a good book for anyone that enjoys learning about World War II.

A beautifully written story about two unlikely spies during WWII, their time in Ravensbrück, and their lives after the war,

A must read for any fans of historical fiction and strong female characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beautifully written with compelling characters! As always with this author, she weaves heartwarming and heartbreaking events in an intricate way. The characters were strong, unique, and complex. I enjoyed the plot and found the writing to be exquisite. The plot moves along a bit slow in paces and I struggled to stay invested. Overall, a wonderful read that was deeply researched by the author and it shows.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

Martha Kelly never fails to disappoint! Absolutely loved this! Beautifully written and researched (as always) WWII historical fiction is what MHK does best.

A beautiful story of two women working in the resistance during World War 2. I was enthralled. A great read!!

There’s a reason why Martha Hall Kelly is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. Her writing is amazing and it pulls you in. You become submerged in the plot. It’s obvious how much research she does and it certainly pays off. I love that Martha Hall Kelly writes about WWII subjects that aren’t as heard of. She really highlights all of the atrocities of WWII while keeping a human element in tact. I love how there’s still an underlying theme of friendship and love even with so much evil. You’ll quickly fail in love with the two main characters, Josie and Arlette. I highly recommend!

As a huge fan of The Lilac Girls, I was looking forward to reading this new release by Martha Hall Kelly. And as a fan of historical fiction ... especially that which occurs during WWII ... I thought it would be a perfect selection for my bookshelf. Unfortunately, I was not as thrilled with the book as many other reviewers. I typically do not mind dual timelines and multiple points of view when reading a book, but this one did not work well for me. It took a lot of concentration to keep up with the time period and whether it was Josie or Arletta “speaking.” Also, while touted as historical fiction, it ended up being more of a thriller.

The primary characters, Josie and Arletta, were well developed and their backstories were interesting. Their naivety was a little shocking to think that they were actually able to survive and evade the Gestapo. I was not convinced it was real and kept thinking that there’s no way that could happen. The “reveal” at the end of the book took me by surprise. I was pleased to learn about Operation Paperclip, something I was not familiar with before reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Martha Hall Kelly is an incredible storyteller and The Golden Doves is full of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end. From Nazi occupied Paris, to the atrocities of Ravensbruck Concentration Camp, to Cold War era America and a secret program to bring former Nazis to the United States for their science knowledge, this story was full of heartache and intrigue. The two main characters Josie and Arlette, are drawn into a struggle to right the wrongs of the past, but their quest is more dangerous than they realized. The only fault I had with the story is of course the ending. It felt too convenient and a bit contrived. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction.

I requested this one because I was obsessed with this authors book Lilac Girls. WWII is my favorite part of history to read in historical fiction, so I was interested in this book.

Josie and Arlette were the Golden Doves, part of the Nazi resistance in France in the 1940s. They ended up at Ravensbruck but were luckily liberated. Josie now works for the US government, tracking Nazi doctors and scientists who may be able to work on projects for the US. Arlette is still on a search for her son who was taken during their stay at Ravensbruck. The book is told in a non-linear timeline, with flashbacks to the 1940s interspersed in order to make plot points make sense as the reader goes through the story.

I don't know exactly why, but I never got super invested in this book. On the surface, the blurb sounded like something I would really enjoy, but I never really cared for either of the characters very much.

I also felt like this book was extremely long and didn't need to be quite such a chore to get through. The hardback is over 500 pages, which is a lot to read. I don't feel like it all was necessary to keep the plot moving forward.

I thought this one was fine. Not my favorite historical novel, and I don't see myself wanting to read this one again.

I love this authors previous books as she puts so much research and personal touch to her historical fiction inspired by true events. This one I found challenging to piece together the stories with the alternative times from different POV in different time lines. It starts in 1952 Fort Bliss, TX and Paris, France back to past events in 1943.

Josie Anderson from Fort Bliss, Texas and Arlette LaRue from Paris, France work undercover during the war for the French Resistance stealing Nazi secrets and would eventually be discovered by the Gestapo. The Nazis arrested them and were imprisoned in the Ravensbruck concentration camp with their families where they endured unspeakable crimes.

A decade after WWII, the two former female spies are contacted to risk their lives once more to help track down an infamous Nazi doctor who performed dangerous experiments on people. Both woman also want to avenge the pain the Nazis had inflicted on their families during the war.
Lieutenant Josie Anderson working for the US Army intelligence learns about how certain Nazi scientists were given refuge if they agreed to work with the US government. In doing so they could avoid imprisonment in Germany for war crimes. There was one doctor in particular who remained a risk as he was being sought by the Russians who wanted to lure the talented scientist. Dr Snow was an elusive, virologist and gynecologist who performed inhumane experiments during the war on humans. This is where Josie and Arlette come in as they have their own personal reasons for wanting to see Dr Snow behind bars.

This is a story about trust, survival and resilience.

I feel the author may wanted to include too much information into the novel that some parts didn't feel authentic. I am rounding up my review as I know the author does extensive research from her other spectacular historic novels.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary reviewer copy of this novel. My review is my unbiased honest opinion.

I am amazed that this book is inspired by true events. The content could be from a sci-fi story. Sadly, doctors, nurses, soldiers, and other individuals collaborated to severely abuse and experiment on women and children in the concentration camp Ravensbruck and elsewhere. In this book, two women take steps to stop the evil and save as many lives as possible. Along the way, Josie and Arlette learn rudimentary espionage techniques, participate in clandestine activities, meet double agents, and try to save themselves.
While I appreciated the content of this book, I gave it only three stars. It started slow, and by 25%, I wondered if I could even finish. I didn't care for the chapters moving between characters and how the content mentioned an important plot point but didn't explain it until a chapter or more later. However, the book picked up speed by the second half, and I devoured the end.
I also felt annoyed at the naivete of the Golden Doves. I had to keep reminding myself that they were novice spies. However, even after training, they both make rookie mistakes.
The theme of forgiveness is present throughout. Ultimately, we each get to decide how we'll act in the face of diversity, abuse or other trauma.

I have loved Martha Hall Kelly's other books so I don't know WHY but this book I just couldn't get into. I feel like I missed a whole book at the beginning but I didn't? Maybe it's the whole thing that infuriates me about the nazis getting off to help the US... I don't know but at 25% in I DNF'd.

I loved the Lilac Girls and was so excited to see a new book by Martha Hall Kelly!

The story starts in 1952 at Fort Bliss, Texas, where Josie, the daughter of an American diplomat, spends her days sorting through photos of German soldiers. She's trying to identify scientists useful to their program. Arlette, Josie's friend, joins her in resisting the Nazis in Vichy France. They work together as part of The Golden Doves, a resistance group.

Their efforts are crucial, but they end up in Ravensbrück concentration camp, where Arlette is separated from her son Willie. After their release, Arlette is determined to find him. The story jumps between WWII, life in the camp, and the post-war search for loved ones. Different perspectives and time periods add depth to the narrative. Arlette's journey to find her son years later highlights the impact of the war on families and the quest for justice.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read The Golden Doves!

LOVED this story! Fans of the Lilac Girls (my all time favorite book) will absolutely love this story of a group of women working in the resistance. True to form, women save the world as usual.