Absolutely amazing. I enjoyed The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly from start to finish. I had some minor confusion when the story line changed between times but that was on me. Enjoyed the unique perspective of post WWII.

4.5 rounded up to 5 ⭐️

I’m a big fan of WWII historical fiction and this was one I couldn’t put down. I appreciated that most of the story was post WWII with flashbacks to 1944 and loved both of the main characters, Arlette and Josie.

This story hooked me from the beginning but got a tad convoluted at the very end. Still a great story from start to finish and I highly recommend reading this one!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

For me, Martha Hall Kelly can do no wrong. Where so many novels of WW2 are cut short at VE Day she pushes beyond that to give us a deeper and fuller story. In The Golden Doves, she has delved into the secret world of espionage with two agents Josie, whose father was a diplomat, and Arlette who grew up with her Hitler-loving abusive aunt. Both want to do their part in resisting the Nazis but that ultimately costs them more than they could have ever known.

In 1952, Josie and Arlette are on a new mission. Josie is on the hunt for an escaped infamous doctor of the Reich, Dr. Snow. Dr. Snow was infamous at Ravensbruck for experimenting on the women and children - many of them ended up dead. As part of Operation Paperclip, when Nazi scientists were brought to America to work for the government in exchange for immunity from their war crimes, America now wants Doctor Snow.

To say Josie and Arlette have mixed feelings about bringing Doctor Snow in is an understatement since both women were at Ravensbruck during the dear Doctor's tenure.

The Golden Doves intersected my reading path at a time when I was ready for it. A lot of the WW2 novels seem to read the same but Golden Doves gives us a glimpse into Post-WW2 for Nazis - and I have to say it is pretty despicable.

Although I knew of Operation Paperclip prior, this novel makes me want to read more about Operation Paperclip and I appreciate the author offering companion materials in her author note.

this is a story of two women in a concentration camp during world war 2, the book has some parts that are hard to read, but I enjoyed the story.

The Golden Doves; Two brave women who worked for the resistance after WWII to find the Dr. who had the secrets, the Nazi's held. Josephine was and American and Arlette was French. They met when the were punished working for the resistance and trying to take the Nazi's down. They were caught and severely punished! They survived but at a great cost! The story is about bravery and how these women went to great lengths to get redemption . I highly recommend this book and kudos to the Author! It kept my interest throughout the story.

The Golden Doves tell the story of Josie and Arlette during World War II in Paris and in the early 1950s as they continue on their quest to right the wrongs of the past. Josie and Arlette met through their work with the French Resistance with the task of hearing and transcribing radio conversations they picked up that could help the Allies. Arlette was brought into the Resistance by Therese after Therese helped her escape a Lebensborn house after the birth of her son, Willie. After a series of events, including attempting to help a street urchin they named Fleur, Josie and Arlette end up at Ravensbruck. While at Ravensbruck, Arlette’s son, Willie disappears one day which lead to the 1952 portion of the story.

Arlette is lured to French Guyana with information that her son may be there. All it would take is the approval of a blood test and she could take him home. At the same time, Josie is on a quest to find and take into custody Dr. Snow, the mysterious doctor that performed experiments on women at Ravensbruck and was also responsible for Josie’s mother’s death. As each woman is on her journey to find closure on what happened to them, their lives become more complicated with the new people who cross their paths. Is the boy who brings her to French Guyana her son? Will Josie be able to find and detain Dr. Snow without the temptation of shooting the doctor herself for her own trauma?

Since reading her debut novel, Lilac Girls, I know how much Martha Hall Kelly puts into her research. So within the first three chapters of this book, I was angry. Angry at what Josie was going through in her quest for justice of the horrors of the past. Angry at what our government was doing (or not doing) to former high ranking Nazi scientists after the War. (Here’s a clue: they weren’t turning them over to face trials because it was all about beating Russia to new scientific discoveries.) As the story grew, I realized how little I knew about what happened with the Nazis after the war. Yes, I knew many were granted asylum in Argentina and other South American countries, but the magnitude of the facts if frustrating, heartbreaking, and unjust. I took my time reading this book to savor and digest all the information Kelly presents. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. Publication date April 18, 2023 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #arc #thegoldendoves #marthahallkelly #randomhouse

“The Golden Doves” is by far the strongest of Martha Hall Kelly’s novels, grappling with one of the most disturbing aspects of the post WWII world—the recruitment of Nazi doctors and scientists by both the US and Russia.

The novel is set in 1952 as well as during the war. Arlette LaRue and Josie Anderson meet in the Resistance, roles neither of them had ever intended to take. Arlette is French, raised by a nasty aunt and pregnant at 17 by a German soldier. Her aunt sends her to a hospital where pure Aryan children are taken from their mothers to be raised by Nazi families. Josie’s mother is French and her father a US diplomat. He was unable to arrange for both his Jewish wife and her mother to be repatriated to the US, and so the three women wait in increasing poverty and fear for him to come through. Josie and Arlette turn out to have the magic touch—two teens able to gather a remarkable amount of information and pass it along to London, earning the nickname the Golden Doves.

In 1952, a physically and emotionally damaged Arlette works in a cafe with other survivors of Ravenbruck concentration camp.Her child disappeared, but she holds hope that he is still alive. Josie is in Texas, part of a good ol’ boy CIA unit, which is competing Russia to recruit Nazi doctors and scientists. She’s given the opportunity to return to Europe to bring back Dr. Snow, a physician who experimented on women at Ravensbruck. It’s her chance to show she’s part of the team if she brings the doctor back as opposed to committing murder.

So, they’re searching for Arlette’s son and someone they’d prefer to kill rather than bring to the US. Arlette gets a lead of where her son might be and follows that lead to French Guiana. Kelly explores the ratline, elaborate schemes to get Nazis to safety in other countries, usually in South America.

The stakes could not be higher—a missing child and a mass murderer. Arlette and Josie are deep and well-drawn characters you will root for and worry about. Kelly has done her research, especially about the ratline and how mass killers found safety and comfort all over the world. A few storylines are lost but that’s okay, you’ll hardly notice in all the exciting stuff going on.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this novel for review purposes. It is really great!

To start Martha Hall Kelly is one of my favorite authors. I liked Lilac Girls very much and I enjoyed The Golden Doves as well. The book tells the stories of two young women in France, Josie and Arlette who are thrown together working for the resistance in WWII. They were known as "The Golden Doves. Unfortunately they do end up in a concentration camp. The chapters toggle between the 1940s and 1950s.. The end was very exciting with many twists and turns. If you liked the Lilac Girls you will like "The Golden Doves.
The characters are based on actual people - so be sure to read "about the book at the end" I believe this book will be on many book clubs lists in 2023.
Be sure to read other books by this author - she does not disappoint.
I received this book as an ARC digital copy for a unbiased review.

The story is not for the faint hearted but then any book set with the concentration camps as a background for
some of the novel cannot be. Josie and Arlette have been incarcerated and have since been free - the story of
their life has been a very difficult one even to read. They both however want to pursue a Nazi doctor who was
cruel, inhumane and who did the most violent experiments on human beings.

Both women were known as the Golden Doves and were renowned for their daring and successful infiltration of
Nazi intelligence and conveying it to Britain. They were responsible for many acts which were infuriating to the
Nazis. Decades later Arlette gets news that the son who was forcibly taken from her may be still alive and Josie working
with US intelligence is on the tracks of the infamous doctor.

The story crossing time lines and countries also highlights that in the espionage business everyone is expendable and
even both women who have sacrificed immensely may be disposable for US greed for supremacy over Russia in their pursuit of medical intelligence or anything that would benefit one country against another. That hit hard. That these very same Nazis were brought to America free to pursue their academic interests and live a very comfortable life after all what
they had done.

Detailed and authentic this is not an easy read. This period of history never was. We should not forget the atrocities
committed because sadly history repeats itself.

Martha Hall Kelly has written a riveting, well researched, and often chilling story of two women resistance agents just before, during and after World War II. Josie and Arlette are two undercover agents, working in Paris to provide radio transmissions with information on the Nazis to the Allies, and keep Arlette's infant son safe. The book alternates timelines, as it recounts both the early lives of the two women, their time as agents, and later at Ravensbruk, as well as their efforts after the war to ensure Nazi criminals are brought to justice. The two characters the author has created are wonderful, memorable representatives of all of the brave resistance fighters who carried on with their work even after the war was over. It is an amazing book that kept me turning pages late into the night. The book has so much history that I was never aware of, not only during the war, but in the time period after, as Nazi war criminals sought to escape punishment for their crimes. The author notes at the end of the book are definitely a must-read part of this book. This is my third book by Martha Hall Kelly, and have one yet to read, and have loved them all. I did receive an advance copy of this book, and this is my honest review. Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my copy.

I loved The Golden Doves, and Martha Kelly is one of my fave authors. The Golden Dove doesn't disappoint. I loved that it is based in real people, and real situations. I'd never heard of Operation Paperclip, although I knew that America had held its nose and taken in some very unsavory characters in order to further it's nuclear aims. I had no idea just how far that had gone! I also had no idea that there were American citizen's at Ravensbruck, or just how terrible the programs there were, the damage wreaked on vulnerable, helpless people and babies!

Arlette (a Frenchwoman) and Josie (an American) both end up in the resistance in Paris during the Nazi occupation. Eventually their exploits earn them the sobriquet "The Golden Doves". Life in the resistance is tentative and often short. Arlette (and her baby Willie) and Josie are running out of time.

Years later, as Arlette searches for Willie, she gets a call from someone who can help her find her baby. She's had these calls before, but this time it seems for real. Josie is working for the US government vetting former Nazi scientists who can be useful to the American rocket program. It is a job she sometimes hates, as she watches people she knows have committed atrocities against multitudes of innocent people, get a free pass to the US or Venezuela, and live in comfort while their victims are still suffering or worse. When Josie gets a call for help from Arlette, she drops everything to save her friend.

Josie and Arlette are interesting characters and their stories are fascinating. Learning the inner workings off Operation Paperclip is enlightening. If you liked The Lost Girls of Paris you will like the Golden Doves.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly featuring dual timelines, suspense, and a mystery twist featuring main characters Arlene and Josie set in World War II and the present day. The Golden Doves ties together resistance work during World War II, a stay at Ravensbruck concentration camp, and the post war hunt for justice. The story was well researched and inspired by real people. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Three words: Martha Hall Kelly! Once again she has brought to life the women of war, the horrors they experienced and the strength they have to overcome the things that continue to haunt them as they try to move forward. The Golden Doves ties together resistance work during WWII, a stay at a concentration camp and the post war hunt for justice. With unforgettable characters and a story line that hooks you from the get go…The Golden Doves is a must read!!

Arlette and Josie are just teenagers when they team up during WWII as resistance workers who listen to, transcribe and deliver radio transmissions from the Germans to the Allies in an effort to thwart the enemy’s plans. They both enter the partnership with a bit of baggage, Arlette having escaped a Lebensborn home with her infant son and Josie being the daughter of a US diplomat and a French Jewess. They work discreetly but efficiently until a young girl accidentally leads the Gestapo right to them when she’s on the run for stealing. They are arrested and sent to Ravensbruck where experiments are performed and children are stolen.

Flash forward to 1952, Arlette is desperately trying to find the son that was taken from her and Josie is working with the US Army, interrogating former Nazi scientists that can be used to the army’s advantage when it comes to science. But she also has another goal, to bring the Nazis that tortured her, Arlette and killed Josie’s mother to justice. She knows that many escaped to South America and there’s one in particular that she’s after. Josie is sent on a wild goose chase across Europe for a killer doctor and as it turns out, her former partner Arlette finds herself right where Josie needs to be in order to bring in the target. The Golden Doves team up once again to bring about justice.

This story is suspenseful, thrilling and at times nail biting as you read on to find out what happens next. While fictional, many Nazi’s did find their way to South America. Some even attempted to continue the evil work of the Reich. There were many investigators hot on their trail to round them up and make them pay for their crimes against humanity. I highly recommend this gripping story for those who enjoy WWII historical fiction!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine and Martha Hall Kelly for an advanced copy! It was excellent!!

You’ve got to love a good Nazi-Hunters story, and it was another interesting look into seldom-discussed Operation Paperclip.

I enjoyed the mystery/spy aspect of both hunting down a Nazi as well as trying to find a lost child after he was stolen following the concentration camp. There were so many families trying to find each other post-ww2 and being split as an infant or toddler had to be even more daunting without all the DNA testing they have today. I also loved the familiarity of the recurring characters from the Lilac Girls.

There were, however, odd inconsistencies I couldn’t get past in the book.

There was almost zero emotional or reactionary description - actually describing what the characters felt or how they were responding. You had to infer into the conversation or scenario what emotions were being expressed or how they were feeling. The dialogue would bounce back and forth and then state verbally to there being high emotions - one character telling another to calm down, relax, not be mad, stating happiness, etc - but never actually painting that picture in a way that you’d ever know outside of dialogue. It gave it a somewhat two dimensional feel to the story and made it seem mechanical or insincere.

There were also weird gaps in the dialogue and storyline - the characters would be talking and all of the sudden switch topics. Or move scenes and you had no idea what happened in between, as there would be no explanation. I found myself reading over sections trying to figure out what I missed only to confirm it legitimately wasn’t there. The recruiting of both women also was a little bizarre and rushed without context or explanation.

I did feel oddly confused by both Josie and Arlette - for being in the resistance, recruited out of the blue, and with the training and experience they had - they were strangely naive and childish. It just felt, again, inconsistent with the necessary criteria for someone in their roles as spies or resisters.

Overall I liked it, but it just felt a little like it didn’t come together or flesh out like it could have.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishers for the advanced copy of this book. All opinions are solely

Incredible, amazing, intricate, tear jerking, heart felt and every other adjective you can think of. I loved this story (and the books the author referenced at the end.). Im not a huge fan of dual timelines but this one is different as the timelines are both historical - 1940's and 1950's. The subject matter isnt pretty, the terror the female prisoners endured at RAVENSBRÜCK concentration camp. I didn't think it was a mystery as such - I guessed the plot but it didnt matter. The story of the two women, Arlene and Josie, their respective backgrounds, the historical details, the ratlines, the involvement of all the different spy agencies in the race after the war to recover assets (former Nazis!) was gripping and difficult to read. I think this is a very important story to show that the war didnt end when peace came, Many horrific criminals escaped Justice despite the best efforts of Simon Wiesenthal and others like him, Mossad etc.

Five stars highly recommended.

I was so looking forward to reading this new title from Martha Hall Kelly.
It took me a little way into the book before I became engaged with the story but once I did I loved it.
Two young women an American with Jewish heritage, Josie Anderson and Arlette LaRue, a French mother of a young baby Willie are thrown together during the Nazi invasion of Paris. They are both working for the resistance and are so successful in their endeavours they become known as the Golden Doves. The Nazis are determined to find them as they are relaying vital information to the English. Both women, and Willie end up in Ravensbruck detention camp. The horrors of the camp along with the medical trials and experimentation is shocking.
Once the war is over the search for Nazi’s is not. Josie is working for American intelligence and can’t believe that the American army are allowing the ‘recruitment’ of German doctors into the American science program. It is a race between the Russians and the Americans as to who can get the best of the Nazi intelligence before the other. The search for the notorious Nazi Dr Snow who was well known at Ravensbruck is on and Josie becomes involved.
Meanwhile Arlette has information that her son Willie is in an orphan camp in French Guinea. She travels to the camp but all is not as it seems and she is trying to piece together what is going on. It isn’t long before Josie arrives to help Arlette and the Golden Doves are together again fighting for what is right.
The chapters of the book alternate between Josie and Arlette in 1952 and ‘before’ during the war period in 1944. This alternating of chapters gives a background to the lives of the women and current hunt for the Nazis that should be brought to trial.
There is intrigue, mystery, drama and the strength and courage of those that lived through the horror of a concentration camp and losing those that they love.
Another engaging historical fiction which is well researched and inspired by real people from Martha Hall Kelly.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! A book written by Martha Hall Kelly- As soon as I received this book it went to the top of my list!!!
Fantastic story!!! I plowed through this book in a couple of days, it was hard to put down. The alternate pov between Josie and Arlene the two Golden Doves. Also , alternate time lines. Told from when they were in Ravensbruck and their current time. Anyone that enjoyed Lilac Girls will love this story as well!!! I will be recommending this book!!!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Wow!! The Golden Doves is amazing!! This is truly a story of good triumphing over evil. I love that Ms. Kelly continues with the story of survivors of Ravensbruck. This book will keep you hooked right to the explosive finish!

Martha Hall Kelly is an amazing storyteller. The Golden Doves tells of Josie and Arlette with two alternating time lines. They met in Paris while intercepting radio messages from a nearby Nazi office. They end up in Ravensbruck and so the story goes of strength, resilience, love and so much more. If you loved Lilac Girls, do not miss the fabulous book.
Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

The Golden Dove’s by Martha Hall Kelly follows two young women, one American, Josie and one Parisian, Arlette.
They worked for the French listening to short wave radio messages for Nazi secrets and became known as the Golden Doves for their actions and hunted by the Gestapo.
The Golden Doves lived lives as quietly and under the radar as possible, but there are always complications and intrigue when you are involved in a war at home and in your personal life.
This book is extremely well developed and even with multiple characters, it kept my attention and I have a greater appreciation for all WII Golden Doves.
#TheGoldenDoves
#MarthaHallKelly