I am a huge Martha Hall Kelly fan and I was very excited to dive into this book! Thank you for allowing me to review it!

I really enjoyed this story. It was easy to visualize the scenes and characters. The idea was great.
The beginning of the book was a bit confusing. I feel like it should have been a sequel or there should have been a book between The Golden Doves and Lilac Girls. The flashbacks helped but I felt we should have had more backstory at the beginning. I thought I had forgotten characters from her other stories.
Once the flashbacks started it all started to come together and the story was amazing. I enjoyed the closure of the ending until the very end. I love a good cliffhanger but Kelly hasn't really written a series before so I am concerned that she will leave it without another book.
Please give us more!!

Pub date: 4/18/23
Genre: historical fiction
Quick summary: American Josie and French Arlette found themselves in Ravensbruck concentration camp after their work in the French Resistance work was discovered. Years later, these "Golden Doves" are in French Guiana, trying to track down a Nazi doctor and Arlette's lost son.

Martha Hall Kelly writes beautiful historical fiction that sheds light on untold stories, and I'm so glad she introduced me to the Golden Doves. Josie and Arlette were each so inspiring, and I enjoyed both the WWII and post-WWII timelines. The concept of Nazis hiding out in South America is familiar, but I hadn't heard about French Guiana. The Nazi hunt storyline kept the plot moving along well and provided plenty of suspense. I did not predict the ending!

I had both the audio and text versions of this book, and I highly recommend the audio. Narrators Jeremy Carlisle Parker and Saskia Maarleveld brought the doves to life, and it was such a pleasure to listen to their story. 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

Thank you to Ballantine Books for my e-ARC and PRHAudio for my complimentary audiobook.

Another Martha Hall Kelly 5 star read. Wow, great research and well told story. Each chapter opens with the year and who is speaking, this really helped out since the story switches back and forth from 1952 to the 1940’s. I liked both of the main characters and each had their story to tell, Arlette and Josie. They both show the bravery that so many showed during this time, I doubt in this day and age this bravery and sacrifice exists. I read this in just a few days, it was hard to put down.

I have read many WWII books but this is the first one that has gone so deep in the testing they did upon children. Horrendous is the only way to describe it, and then to have some of them escape and live a normal life adds to the injustice.

The explanation of the facts of the story at the end was a great addition to the book, it is always great to have this added on. Thank you, Ms. Kelly.


Received an ARC from Random House Publishing and NetGalley for my unbiased review – This one comes in with 5 stars.

Two young women spies, American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue, partner together in the French Resistance during WWII. A dynamic team, they create a lot of havoc for the Third Reich, become known throughout France as The Golden Doves, and are on the Gestapo's most wanted list. Eventually, they are arrested and sent (with their loved ones) to the Ravensbruck concentration camp. There, they will each lose everything dear to them.

Now, ten years later, they find themselves working together again in a dual mission. Josie, working for U.S. Army intelligence, is assigned to find the Nazi doctor responsible for the horrific acts done to her mother in Ravensbruck. A mysterious man claims to have found Arlette's son, stolen from her as an infant in Ravensbruck. Josie and Arlette cross Europe and follow a complex network of secrets to French Guiana. Can they get justice while protecting their loved ones and themselves?

The novel The Golden Doves, told in two POV's each in two different timeframes, shows the same depth of research and ability to make things come alive for the reader as The Lilac Girls. This is a good historical fiction read, though I found it a bit drawn out and not as good as The Lilac Girls. Nevertheless, I will continue to look forward to reading more from Martha Hall Kelly.

My thanks to Ballantine Books for granting me access to a DRC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are given freely. The novel is to be published on 4/18/23.

A gripping story about two women who worked for the French Resistance and ended up in the Nazi concentration camp Ravensbruck. The story travels from during the war to 1952 where Josie is in Texas working for the government as a Nazi hunter while in Paris Arlette cannot move on as she continues to morn for the little boy taken from her. The author who brought us the amazing “Lilac Girls” has done it again and do read the author’s note on what prompted her to write “Golden Doves.”

I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. The storyline was fantastic and I really enjoyed the complexity of the characters. I would read books by this author again. Highly recommend.

Another well researched and eye opening read from Martha Hall Kelly. I am glad that I read all of her other books and wonder if a new reader would be a little lost with some of the references to recurring characters and situations.

This book drew me in and didn't let go, from the first page all the way through the Author's Notes, I was page turning for answers.
What a great job the author did bringing this story alive, and yes, the story is fictional, but with many truths woven in.
I came away feeling that justice sure wasn't served, and I have been sitting in the dark all these years.
The story is full of surprises, danger, fear, and yes, we do know what was going on at that time, but this read brings to light those that gave everything to thwart the evil that was spreading at that period of time in Europe! This complete disregard for human life, no matter the age.
This book does focus on the evil that was perpetrated on the children, while hunting those responsible.
I'll be looking for more books by this author!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Ballentine Books, and was not required to give a positive review.

A poignant page-turner! Martha Hall Kelly’s The Golden Doves is a well researched, beautifully told story in two interwoven timelines of two courageous, strong female WWII resistance members, French Arlette and American Josie. The book is jam packed with both horrific and fascinating details of their lives and surroundings both during the war and about a decade later, and Kelly once again makes plain the horrors of the Holocaust, the Nazi white supremacist ideology and the failure to hold accountable many of those responsible for reigning terror. She also develops a strong sense of place, whether in Texas, Paris or French Guiana. I do think the novel would be more powerful if certain storylines (e.g., Fleur, Arlette’s male cafe co-worker) had been eliminated and the tale had been streamlined a bit. Fans of Kelly’s Ferriday trilogy, however, will not want to miss her latest.

Many thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a complimentary ARC. Opinions are my own.

I have enjoyed all of Martha Hall Kelly’s WWII historical fiction books. This book focuses on two teenage girls who join the resistance during the war and then there is a time jump to the early 1950’s when they rejoin forces again in an effort to bring Natzi war criminals to justice .
I was surprised to learn that the US government protected and sheltered German scientists and brought them back to the states in order to tap into their research. The Vatican also hid and relocated many Natzi war criminals. The story of these two brave young ladies was suspenseful and typical of the author’s ability to keep me reading. The Author’s note at the end of the book was very interesting. She discusses the true life events and the heroes that the book was based on.

This is the story of two women who helped the Resistance in France during WW2. They had been captured and sent to one of the camps and then liberated.

Historical thriller set in two time frames, the 1940s France and 1952, Texas and Europe and Guiana. Josie, the daughter of an American diplomat and a French mother, is living in France. Arlette, a Frenchwoman with a baby fathered by her husband-to-be, a German soldier. The two young women join forces to try to outwit the Germans as they become spies known as the Golden Doves. Their spy ring comes crashing down and they are sent to Ravensbruck camp. They are the lucky ones - they make it out alive. Arlette's young son is taken from her to be adopted by a good German couple. Josie's mother dies at the camp.

Fast forward to 1952, the United States is in a tight race with Russia to develop the next round of high-tech weaponry. Josie goes to search for a famous Nazi doctor, Dr. Snow, who is also being courted by the Russians. Josie and Arlette meet up, and each of the young women ends up playing a vital role in bringing war crimes to light. There are spies, double agents, people who may or may not be the friends the young women are looking for.

The amount of research done by Martha Hall Kelly is astounding, and the way she pulls it all together makes for a wonderful read.

At the end of WWII, several Nazi leaders escaped Germany, avoiding prosecution. Many of these, most notably, were scientists and doctors. Other countries turned a blind eye to the deeds of these men in order to obtain their skill and knowledge, especially in the tools of war. One country in particular, America, harbored these fugitives with little or no remorse.
Josie and Arlette are both survivors of the war. Their bitter memories include torture, hunger, and the death of their loved ones. Flash forward 10 years, and these two women may be able to use their skill and knowledge to help locate and detain one particularly unscrupulous doctor. Together their mission takes them across Europe and into French Guiana. They both have their personal reasons for finding this monster, but the driving force within each is the desire to finally get some form of vengeance and justice for the sins of the Nazis. Fast-paced with colorful (especially Josie) characters, you’ll feel the highs and lows right along with these survivors as they seek revenge and answers.
Thanks to Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The publishing date is April 18, 2023.

No matter how many photos we've looked at, movies we've watched, or books we've read-images of the Holocaust always feel as raw and horrific as the first time. Although The Golden Doves does not focus on as many of the actual atrocities committed by the Nazi's at Ravensbruck and other camps as Martha Kelly's previous novel The Lilac Girls, what happened is always simmering on the surface, and sets the stage for future events. What The Golden Doves does highlight so poignantly are some of the heroes-in this case Josie and Arlette-who tried to save others even if it meant sacrificing themselves. Mere teenagers, this duo, nicknamed "The Golden Doves" for their work intercepting Nazi communications to prevent or forestall an attack-shine light and hope in the face of unspeakable terror. Years after the fall of Nazi Germany Josie is living in the US and working with the military to capture one of the more elusive and brutal doctors at Ravensbruck-Dr. Snow (based on an actual Ravensbruck "doctor"). Although the identify of Dr. Snow is not revealed until the end of The Golden Doves, like the barbaric "experiments" Snow and others performed on young women and children at Ravensbruck, you'll know in your heart who it is without being told. But if you don't want to know the identity of Dr. Snow, read the Author's Notes last, as the person Snow is based on is named there. It seems wrong to call The Golden Doves beautiful when it is about such ugly events, but it is beautiful, and leaves you feeling uplifted and blessed. The writing is stellar, and the characters-especially the very determined Josie, who is a rare woman in the military in the early 1950's-reach deep into your soul. The Golden Doves is Martha Kelly's fourth novel about the Holocaust and the aftermath-a Ravensbruck guard and others are briefly mentioned. A few may think this is too much, but for the millions of victims, survivors, and heros like Josie and Arlette, it will never be enough.

Another Martha Hall Kelly classic! An engaging story, enthralling characters, and a world which I was transported to. I love all of her books and this was no different!

With The Golden Doves, Martha Hall Kelly returns to a WWII theme. This time, it’s the hunt for German scientists after the war has been won. It’s a race with Russia to see which country can get their hands on them.
Josie Anderson was an American working in the French resistance during the war. She had been partnered with Parisian Arlette LaRue. When they were caught, they and their families were shipped to Ravensbruck. Both survived, although their relatives were either killed or went missing.
Now, it’s 1952 and Josie works for the US Army Intelligence vetting those scientists. She’s asked to head back to Europe to find Dr. Snow, who experimented on the prisoners at Ravensbruck. Meanwhile, Arlette is working at a cafe with other survivors. A lawyer comes to her saying he knows where her young son is.
I found the book uneven. There were too many parts that felt contrived and unrealistic. I was curious to get to the Author’s Note to discover which parts were based on actual history. I like my historic fiction filled with facts , so I would have liked a little more info on Operation Paperclip and the Vatican-Nazi connection, the “ratlines”. Instead, Kelly seems determined to go for a more thriller feel. It’s got a faint hint of The Boys from Brazil in it.
The story flips between the two women’s POVs and back and forth between the war period and 1952. It doesn’t take long to figure out where Kelly is going with the plot. There was one plot twist at the end I didn’t see coming but otherwise it was way too obvious.
I am an outlier but I felt misled - expecting historical fiction and getting something more fantastical.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House- Ballantine for an advance copy of this book.

The Golden Doves is another well crafted and well researched historical novel by Martha Hall Kelly. The book alternates between telling the story of two young women during and after WWII. Survival, losses, friendships and revenge are all explored. This is an interesting and compelling read.

An amazing historical fiction story of two women involved in espionage during world Ward II and then their follow-up post war. Arlette is a young French woman, ¾ German, and finds herself pregnant by her German boyfriend. Being raised by her overbearing Nazi-loving aunt, she strives to raise her son away from her aunt who turned her in and wanted her to five up her son for the betterment of Germany. Angry Hitler and her aunt, Arlette is recruited to work in the French Resistance once she escapes the home with her son. Josie, daughter of an American diplomat, is an American living in France with her Jewish mother and grandmother. Unbeknownst to her mother, she is working in the French Underground. Josie and Arlette are paired up and become the infamous Golden Doves whom the Germans detest. Unfortunately, they are captured one day and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp where Josie’s mother is also a prisoner. While both Josie and Arlette survive the camp, Josie’s mother does not. Seven years later, Josie is now working for the US Army in a program meant to bring Nazi scientists to be brought to America to help in their silent fight against the Russians. But she is also consumed with revenge to bring justice for her mother’s death, to find Dr. Snow who preformed experimental medical procedures on women in the camp. Arlette is living in France working in a coffee shop, continuing to search for her son, taken from her in the camp. Arlette meets a Luc, who says he can help her find her son and runs a home for orphaned children in South America. When visiting the camp in French New Guinea, to meet the son she things is hers, Arlette stumbles across some nefarious activity. Suddenly, the Golden Doves need to be back in action to help these children in jeopardy and hopefully bring people to justice. I found this book spellbinding and kept me fairly engaged throughout the book. A bit slow in the middle, I found it hard to believe that Luc was so easily swayed by Arlette and gullible. Based on true stories of people during WWII, this bring to light history that I wasn’t aware of but needs to be told. Not everyone involved in the atrocities of the crimes against the Jewish people were brought to justice but were allowed to escape and enabled to do so to Italy, South America, and the United States. Hard to fathom. How terrifying that Hitler’s ideology and goal did not stop with the end of his demise. Lots of twists and turns, as the reader, you want to almost shout out “look at the man behind the curtain!” Well researched and well written, this is signature of Martha Hall Kelly’s books. I felt that the characters were very humanized, complex, and well developed. Josie and Arlette were strong women, especially Josie living in a man’s world. Surprises come at the end, so keep in reading. The author's notes that follow at the end are worth reading. A 4.5/5 stars.

Many thanks to #netgalley #thegoldendoves #marthahallkelly # randomhouse for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This story is told from two POVs in two different timelines, going from Josie to Arlette shifting from 1952 back to 1943 and in various countries. Both are young women who are working for the French resistance during WWII. Their paths cross in France and they begin working together and become known as the Golden Doves. I did enjoy this book very much but I felt it was a little too long and drawn out. It was a slow starter for me and it had so many different storylines and characters it seemed repetitive at times. Overall, it was a very good read.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the ARC of this very interesting and suspenseful story.

From Fort Bliss, Texas, to Paris, France. From Paris to northern Germany. Eventually Rome, French Guiana, and home again. 1952 back to 1943. Martha Hall Kelly takes her readers around the world with two women, an American named Josie Anderson and a Parisian girl, Arlette LaRue, in her newest World War II historical fiction thriller, The Golden Doves. Arlette works for the US Army at Fort Bliss, where she helps track down ex-Nazis who are extradited to the Fort to assist in scientific research and experiments because the Americans are in a race to beat the Russians to anything and everything involving worldwide security and scientific advancement. Arlette works at a small café in Paris, along with several other former captives from the infamous women’s concentration camp, Ravensbrück.

Josie had was living with her mother and grandmother in Paris during the early years of the war. Her mother and grandmother were Jewish; her father, an American diplomat who was unable to return to Paris, was Gentile. Arlette, who is half German, has a small son by a German soldier. She and Josie are introduced by their recruiter while working for the underground movement. They share an apartment and become a formidable team, whose job is intercepting and translating radio transmissions and delivering them to the Allies. When an escape plan goes terribly wrong and then another fluke event occurs, the two teenagers are captured and are taken to Ravensbrück.

Ms. Kelly’s description of events, individuals, and relationships at the camp is excellent. But the entire book alternates chapters between Josie’s and Arlette’s point of view, each in first person. The timelines alternate, as well, between past and present. Because the chapters are quite short, this felt confusing at times. I found it difficult at first to tell Josie apart from Arlette, often confusing one for the other because their voices were difficult to distinguish. I would have preferred longer chapters to make the story feel more fluid. As the book goes on, however, it got easier to understand how each character was motivated.

When Josie is offered a chance to go after an infamous doctor from Ravensbrück, she willingly dusts off her Dove persona and hops on a plane. She spends a night in Paris catching up with her old pal, Arlette, and heads off in search of her prey. She’ll learn that things are not the same as they were back on the streets of Paris. Meanwhile, Josie has met someone who promises he can help her find her son, who was taken from her at the camp. Josie, the Army Captain, wants justice, or perhaps revenge, for the death of her mother. Arlette, the mom, wants her son back. Before it’s all over, the Golden Doves may have to join forces. Each seems unable to overcome impulsiveness at times, and it may land them in deep trouble. But this time they have plenty of help.

I did not expect so many red herrings, and I certainly did not expect the outcome. Well done, Martha Hall Kelly!

I wish to thank NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and the author for an ARC digital copy of The Golden Doves in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars