I really enjoyed The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly.

In the Golden Doves the point of view alternates between Arlette and Josie. The two met while working for the underground during the French occupation in WWII. They were then captured and taken to Ravensbrück. Seven years later the two reunite when Josie is assigned to find one of the Nazi's who worked at the camp during the war.

This book is filled with action, mystery, and danger that kept the book moving at a stead and enjoyable pace. I liked both characters and their respect for each other despite their differences.

I would absolutely recommend this book and this author to fans of historical fiction!

Told from two POVs and two timelines this book keeps you turning the pages until the very dramatic ending.

This author did a great job of holding my interest all the way with this book. It's long but a fairly quick read. It takes you into the heart of what two very different young ladies go through. Both working for the resistance. Families gone missing or killed.

It's a good vs evil story with a few twists and turns. I enjoyed this book and it's so hard to write this without giving something away. No spoilers here.

The title is perfect. The writing style was wonderful. The emotion had me by the heartstrings. Tears flowed for sure.

Thank you #NetGalley #MarthaHallKelly #RandomHousePublishingGroup/Ballantine

Desperate to locate her son Willie, Arlette LaRue was following every available lead. Willie, and all the other children in the Kinderzimmer at Ravensbruck, were moved with no notice one day while their mothers were at work. Arlette and Josie Anderson, the daughter of an American diplomat to Paris, were incarcerated for their work in the French Resistance, intercepting and translating German radio messages and then relaying those messages to their superior officer. The two young women were known as the Golden Doves during World War II, and were both celebrated and hunted.

After liberation, Josie joined the United States Army, specializing in intelligence, and when she finally was awarded the opportunity to hunt for a Dr. Snow, who had been at Ravensbruck at the same time and who had ordered some of the most horrific experiments performed there. Leaving her home in Texas, Josie met up with Arlette in Paris, and then headed into Germany in search of Dr. Snow. When Arlette has a chance to meet with a man called Luc Minau, who runs an orphanage in French Guiana for German boys, she hopes that she has finally found Willie, and agrees to a visit. Josie’s mission seems on the verge of collapse, until she manages to weave together some small but extremely important clues that lead her to the orphanage where Arlette is staying. The Golden Doves are reunited, and ready to continue their resistance work.

Told from the viewpoints of both Arlette and Josie, and in alternating time periods, The Golden Doves is a fascinating book that shows clearly what life in Paris was like while occupied by Germany. Josie and Arlette are strong and courageous women who did their part to help the Allies win the war, and then they aided the search for those Nazis involved in the camps. Excellent book, well written, and I really appreciate the amount of research on this. I consider The Golden Doves to be historical fiction at its finest.

The Golden Doves was a good story, yet it seemed all over the place. I honestly didn't like it as well as I liked her other books.

I enjoyed this latest novel from this author a favorite of mine for historical fiction. I enjoyed reading about the 2 doves, Josie and Arlette. The story starts with “Operation Paperclip” when Russia and the US were trying to get all the nazi scientists before they other. Some of whom Josie who is now working for the army recognizes from her time at Ravensbruck. Time then goes back to midwar in occupied Paris, when Josie and Arlette are working with the resistance.

This is WW2 historical fiction done well. If you like this genre you’ll like this book.

While I love historical fiction, they can become tedious. Luckily, this one did not. I loved learning how the storylines wove together and the Easter eggs from Lilac Girls.

Josie and Arlette are two former female spies who were infamously known as “the Golden Doves” during WWII. It’s been 10 years since they were arrested and suffered the horrors of Ravensbruck, an all female concentration camp. Their individual paths have crossed again and they are working together to track down a Nazi doctor, who did unspeakable things to the prisoners at Ravensbruck, including Josie’s mother.

This was my first book by Martha Hall Kelly and I was utterly captivated. You can tell that she puts tons of time and effort into research for her stories. The historical events that are represented in this book are shocking and gut wrenching. This book sheds light on what women specifically went through during WWII and is told in a beautiful and compelling way. If you are a fan of historical fiction, this is a must read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House- Ballantine for my ARC. All the thoughts and opinions in my review are being provided honestly and voluntarily.

Absolutely amazing story! I love Martha Hall Kelly so much!! If I am ever in need of a historical fiction novel, I will always pick one of hers! This was so good! Highly recommend!

*Thank you so much @randomhouse for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This fascinating story was a pleasure to read. I was drawn into the world of Paris during WWII and points beyond.

Josie,an American, and Arlette,, a Frenchwoman, were part of the Resistance during the war. They were so successful at stealing Nazi secrets that they were nicknamed The Golden Doves. Unfortunately, they were captured and sent to Ravensbruck, where they witnessed many atrocities committed by a Nazi doctor, but they managed to survive. Arlette’s son is taken away, and disappears.

After the war, Josie is working for American Intelligence and gets an assignment to find to find the mysterious doctor, who disappeared after the war. At the same time, Arlette is contacted by a man who says he knows where her son is. The two Doves go on a journey to find them both.

I loved this book and would highly recommend it to fans of historical fiction.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed as in this review are completely my own.

This was a TOME, not for the faint of heart or a new historical fiction reader. Martha Hall Kelly was ambitious in writing The Golden Doves. In pretty common historical fiction fashion, we have multiple points of view, we have a dual storyline, and we have some mysterious cat and mouse happening. I thought this was an interesting read, and you'll especially enjoy it if you enjoy WWII and immediately following as a setting, but there were some aspects of the book that felt a bit familiar, or some strings that didn't end up being woven all the way into the narrative--like there was a bit too much going on at times. If you love historical fiction, go for it. If you're new to the genre, I think there are easier starting places.

3.5*
Martha Hall Kelly has added to her list of outstanding historical novels with this new book about two women who were spies during WWII. Josie is an American living in France with her family because her father was a diplomat and Arlette is French. They work together to steal German intelligence and pass it on to the Allies. Eventually, they are caught and sent to a prison camp where they are separated from their families. Ten years later, in a separate timeline, Josie is recruited once again to help intelligence locate once of the German doctors who escaped capture after the war.

Arletta has also been motivated to revisit her past when she is told her long-lost son is alive and in South America. He had been taken from her at Ravensbruck and she is desperate to find out if he is still alive. During the war the Germans had given the two girls the moniker of Golden Doves as they searched for the female pair who were disrupting their war efforts. Now, the Doves will work together again to find answers about the German doctor and Arletta’s son.

Though not as powerful as her earlier books, it’s still an engaging read. The two women are brave and determined. The presence of Nazis in South America is not surprising, but the role of the Church and the network that helped the Germans escape to safety is jarring. It’s the second storyline that gets bogged down in complexity and is a little over-the-top. But there is a lot of factual background for the treatment of prisoners and children at the camp, and the involvement of many powerful entities that allowed and even promoted the escape of many Germans.

Thank you Random House ​and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.
Martha Hall Kelly's "The Golden Doves" revisits WWII with a focus on the post-war hunt for German scientists, creating a race between the US and Russia to secure them. Josie Anderson, a former resistance worker, and Arlette LaRue, a survivor of Ravensbruck, play significant roles in the story. In 1952, Josie, now with US Army Intelligence, searches for Dr. Snow, a Ravensbruck experimenter, while Arlette learns about her missing son from a lawyer.

The book left me with mixed feelings, as some parts felt contrived and unrealistic. I longed for more historical facts on Operation Paperclip and the Vatican-Nazi connections. The plot alternates between the two women's perspectives and timelines, revealing predictable outcomes, except for one twist. Overall, I expected more historical accuracy but found the book leaning towards a thrilling and fantastical style.

I had very high hopes for this one given I've loved Martha's previous work. However, I had a difficult time getting into this story. Three different characters across two time periods, it was hard to keep track of. Definitely will give this one a shot again!

If you love historical fiction then this post-WWII book / female spy novel will be right up your alley. From the best-selling author of The Lilac Girls comes a story based on the lives of "The Doves". These former spies for the French resistance accept an assignment a decade after the war to find the infamous Nazi doctor who committed heinous atrocities during the war.

This long book was definitely worth the read. Do not let the size scare you off, this book is very readable and I felt compelled to find out how the story ended. Thank you for my gifted copy.

Arlette and Josie were spies during WWII. They were caught and placed at Ravensbruck. Seven years after their liberation, Josie is sent back to Europe in order to locate a Ravensbruck doctor who performed horrific experiments on Ravensbruck prisoners. At the same time, Arlette discovers that her son Willie could possibly still be alive at an orphanage in French Guiana. Both women go on people hunts that will change their lives forever. As the book switches back between different time periods and points of view, you discover that the two women's lives will intertwine once again.

I usually enjoy any book written by Martha Hall Kelly because of the way she weaves true facts into satisfying historical fiction. This book, however, was a little bit harder for me to get into than the other books I have read by this author. Parts of the plot seemed unrealistic to me especially the ending and many of the other events happening in the French Guiana part of the story. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if certain events had seemed more plausible. Despite some of the plot feeling unfeasible, the book was entertaining to read. I will continue to look out for future works by this author to read.

This book was beautifully written. Martha Kelly Hall weaves storylines together so seamlessly. I have loved each of her novels because the characters are always so richly developed. As a mother, this story will stay in my heart for a long time.

TITLE: The Golden Doves
AUTHOR: Martha Hall Kelly
PUB DATE: 4.18.2023 Now Available
Synopsis: Swipe Above

Two spies, Josie and Arlette, known as the Golden Doves find their way to amend past atrocities by hunting down a doctor who escapes Germany avoiding prosecution. Through dual narratives and point of views, the reader is immersed into the story of vengeance to find justice. I found this read, along with the authors’ notes on the depth of research, an incredible read that surpassed my expectations of another WWII fiction. I enjoyed the themes, the characters, and another look at this unexpected historical fiction read.

Historical fiction author Martha Hall Kelly has set aside her Woolsey-Ferriday series to return to the horrors of World War II in her latest novel, The Golden Doves. With two protagonists and alternating time periods during and after the war, the book veers into some unexpected directions and brings up questions on entangling fact and fiction about such an important time period.

For the rest of the review, click on the link below.

This review is not going to summarize the plot. There are plenty of others that will tell you what the book is about. I’m going to focus on the writing which to be honest was a journey from agonizingly slow and boring to wonderful.
I find it painful to give Martha Hall Kelly a 3.5 star review on The Golden Doves because I loved Lilac Girls and truly feel Ms Kelly is a far better author than exhibited in the first half of her latest offering. For me, The Golden Doves is all over the place trying to tackle too many issues, places and events and as a result it struggles to get off the ground. It’s not that the storylines don’t have potential but the first 40% of it felt disconnected within itself and it took that long to begin to get interesting. Had there been less clutter of unimportant detail that seemed to serve no or very limited purpose, it would have been much better. The second half was quite different. It was exciting, emotional, compelling, well paced and exactly what I expected from Martha Kelly.
The 3.5 stars is because it took far too long to get into and as much as I like the author I can’t ignore a significant part of the book that was just meh. It was very very close to a DNF which is why my review is late after publication. I do feel the final 40% redeemed it and because of that I do recommend it.
Thank you to the author, the publisher Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC. I eagerly look forward to Ms. Kelly’s next book.

The year is 1952 and two former WWII spies known as the Golden Doves, Arlette and Josie, are back together. During the war they worked in the French Resistance and stole German secrets. Eventually, however, they were caught and sent to the Ravensbruck concentration, enduring horrible acts. After the war they are reunited on a mission to find Arlette's son and seek justice for those who were tortured and killed in the Nazi concentration camps. I'm impressed by the research that must have go into this story. The epilogue alone tells an amazing story. I am not a fan of multiple time lines, especially when so many characters are involved. It took some getting used, but so worth effort. Any fan of Kristen Hannah will love this story. I recommend it. I received the ARC in exchange for my opinion about the book which was published April 18, 2023. Thank you, NetGalley!