Wow! Another fabulous book by Martha Hall Kelly. The Golden Doves is the story of two women who decide, when all feels lost, that it is time for them to do something about the war and become spies. The story follows two friends, now former spies, who hunt down a former Doctor after WWII. The same Doctor, who changed both of these women's lives in unimaginable ways. It's a story of faith, love, hope, and friendship. I couldn't put it down.

I'd heard about how America, following WWII, sought out various Nazi doctors and scientists to have as their own before the Russians snatched them up. These were Nazis who escaped prosecution in Germany and might otherwise have fled to Argentina. Not all of them should have been allowed to go free as their horrible crimes are detailed, what they did to the women of the Ravensbruck concentration camp.

Josie and Arlette, The Golden Doves espionage duo and then residents themselves of Ravensbruck, had firsthand knowledge of the doctors and in 1952 are trying to locate one in particular, Dr. Snow.

I found this captivating for the most part but it did seem drawn out toward the end as things come to a head. I do recommend it for those who enjoy strong female protagonists and also Nazis being taken down. It just could have been a hundred pages shorter in my opinion.

I was offered an early ebook by the publisher through NetGalley, but due to the length of it I chose to listen to the audio version. Nicely done.

Told in dual timelines during and after WW2, Arlette and Josie tell their intertwined tales as they became The Golden Doves in the French Resistance circuit. Women in service in WW2 is one of my favorite genres and this book does not disappoint, giving us another tale of women who overcame dire circumstances to fight against tyranny both in the war and in their personal lives. Arlette is a headstrong American, while Josie is a more reserved French woman, and their chemistry working together is inspiring. The atrocities these women persevered through is astounding. What I enjoyed was this book is equal parts survival story and spy tale, with lots of twists and turns. If you enjoy WW2 fiction you’ll definitely love The Golden Doves.

I have now read all of Martha Hall Kelly's books, and The Golden Doves story did not disappoint. I love how her characters all intertwin, but have totally different perspectives and life experiences. Be ready for hard hitting history and devastating reality. MHH's books show the ugly truth in history, but always makes a way to end in beauty.

This is the best book of 2023 for me. Martha Hall Kelly doesn't miss. I will read anything she writes because its digestible, informative, and entertaining.

Review: The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly 4.25

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.

Martha Hall Kelly does well researched historical fiction stories with strong females really well and The Golden Doves is no exception. The story starts off slower, with detailed backstories of the women's' lives during the war and how they became the infamous 'Golden Doves' spies. The book switches back and forth through time and in the 1950s storyline, we see how the war shaped each woman and their search for what the war took from them.

Read if you like:
- Dual POV and Dual Timeline
- Well researched WWII with lesser known events including the ratline, Operation Paperclip, and Lebensborn program
- Strong female characters looking for revenge

I would highly recommend The Golden Doves for seasoned historical fiction readers who like Kate Quinn and want a twisty WWII spy story.

Two heroic characters. Two survivors of Ravensbruck , the women’s concentration camp. Two women who were so good at passing information they were deemed The Golden Doves. Josie Anderson lived with French nationalist Arlette La Rue in Paris. Arlette has a young son. Working for the Allies they are captured and sent to Ravenbruck, here there is some historical information that maybe hard for some readers. The bulk of the story happens after they are liberated. Each has chosen a different path post war. Yet each is still dealing with the aftermath of the war. It’s a look into how moving beyond a horrible moment doesn’t mean forgetting what happened.

A wild roller coaster ride! Heart pounding excitement! Fast paced! This is the absolute best from Martha Kelly yet. I could not put this book down! Nazis, Operation Paperclip, Nazi death camps, CIA, Mossad, the Ratline of Nazis escaping after the war to various parts of the world including South America to continue their evil ways. Evil Cardinals coordinating right from the Vatican.

4.5 out of 5, Really a fantastic story, well worth the dive.

The Golden Doves is set between WWII-ravaged Europe and 1952 Europe and US. Arlette and Josie are French survivors of the war and Ravensbruck camp. In 1952, the two team up once again, Arlette to locate her half-German son, who was taken from her during the war and Josie to hunt down Dr. Snow, a war criminal desired by the US government as a scientist. I really appreciate how this book digs deep into the emotional and mental trials of returning to "normal life" after surviving a war. I especially liked Josie's story, as you watch the US sweep aside international criminal records to capitalize on the Nazi professionals trying to avoid life sentences and death.

The one problem that I had with this story is that the pacing was off. The story drags in parts and charges forward in others. Sometimes it delves deep into research, like the Lebensborn Program, and then glazed over the history in others, such as the Vatican-Nazi connection. Plus, it is difficult to follow the split timeline/flashbacks. Some of these chapters feel like a split timeline, then the character will come to the "present moment" in 1952. Other times it seems to be its own chapter. It can be difficult to follow.

Besides the pacing issue, this is a phenomenal book, both research-wise and in storytelling. I would highly suggest you read this book.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Martha Hall Kelly's other novels and I was so looking forward to this one!
Unfortunately, it missed the mark for me. While I found the plot interesting and the dual timelines, both of the female leads seemed immature with their lust after men they interact with and they made rash decisions for being spies. This made the story seem less believable and engaging.
The author's note was really the highlight of the book and the resources related to the themes in the book.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of "The Golden Doves" and to interview its author, Martha Hall Kelly, for the Storytime in Paris podcast. Here is what I said:

"My guest this week is New York Times Bestelling author Martha Hall Kelly. In fact, Martha’s debut novel Lilac Girls, became a New York Times bestseller the week it was published. It then went on to sell over two million copies and be published in 50 countries. She followed that book with two more in the series. Martha’s latest book, The Golden Doves, is a standalone work of historical fiction set just in the aftermath of WWII. It features two former female spies - one hunting down an infamous Nazi doctor, and one searching for a son who may or may not still be alive.

In our conversation, Martha shares her research process, where she finds the inspirations for her characters, how she crafts characters who stay linked despite their differences, and so much more. Then, she treats us to a reading from her book."

You can listen to the full episode on the Paris Underground Radio website, on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, YouTube, Spotify and anywhere else you listen to podcasts.

3.5 stars rounded up

I love WWII historical fiction. I also enjoy Martha Hall Kelly's books I have read almost all of them. They are going back to Europe but this time we are searching for German Scientists who are in hiding after the war is over.

Josie Anderson is an American who was working for the French resistance and has been partnered with Arlette LaRue who is a Parisian They were caught and sent to Ravensbruck.

The story goes between the two women's points of view as well as the timeline hopping between the war and 1952. I figured out the plot pretty fast though I was thrown for a little loop at the end.

It didn't feel particularly historical fictional but a little more like historical fantasy, unfortunately..

Thanks, Netgalley and Random House-Ballantine for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I loved Lilac Girls and its sequels chronicling the brave women fighting to survive during WWII. When I heard there was a new book in the series, I eagerly awaited reading it. Sadly this one didn't have as much heart as the author's previous books.

I enjoyed reconnecting with the characters but the story felt disjointed. I kept waiting for that moment where I was fully immersed in the novel and it never happened. There were a few surprises revealed at the end but it wasn't enough to save the story.

Instead of revisiting the characters, this book would have done better with new characters. Trying to fit Arlette and Josie into this suspenseful storyline didn't work. As others have stated, it felt like it was written for a movie rather than a continued story with beloved characters.

This is the third book I’ve read by Martha Hall Kelly and unfortunately my least favorite. While The Golden Doves is full of historical references and the author has clearly done her research, the book suffers from too many storylines: The Golden Doves being sent to Ravensbruck, hunting down the Nazi doctors, Operation Paperclip, searching for a lost son, as well as romance subplots. If you’ve read a lot of WWII books, you’re most likely familiar with these topics.

The Golden Doves would be an excellent book for anyone interested in WWII history but also enjoys the fictional aspect and doesn’t mind romance added into their books.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballentine Books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am an avid reader of Historical Fiction and this story had me entranced!!! And also a fan of this author. I am always in awe and so impressed with how the women that lived through both world wars survived and persevered!

This was a fascinating read about a war I thought I already knew so much about. I really enjoyed following these two characters and all of the trials and tribulations they faced. These characters were pretty hard to like and root for sometimes and the pacing was off but overall a very enjoyable historical fiction read!

Omg what a heartbreaking and amazing story. These “golden doves” were so brave and talented. They persevered through so much heartache and pain. I was enraptured by the story. I loved getting the dual timelines as well as the dual POV. I was left on the edge of my seat through parts of the story. It was just wonderful.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Ballentine Books for this e-ARC of The Golden Doves. I am a huge fan of historical fiction and Martha Hall Kelly, so I was thrilled to read this one.

Hall Kelly was able to tell yet another lesser-known story of strong women during WWII that needed to be told. This was excellently written and definitely worthy of a 5 star rating.

2.5 ⭐️

This is a difficult to review to write.
Martha Hall Kelly was given the worst advice by her editors. She wrote a linear story then was told to write it in flashbacks contrasting the present. I read it took the author more than a year to rewrite her story and it fails in every way.

5/5 Historical Research
3/5 Writing
1/5 Plot
2/5 Execution of Plot

What I Liked:

The Golden Doves sheds light on atrocities of WWII that are seldom spoken of or written about. France itself didn’t acknowledge its War Children until 2010!!

This book covers (even if just a mention) the following historical acts of barbarity:

• Ravenbrück, an all female concentration camp comprised of more than Jewish women

• The Rabbits, the women at the camp used as scientific experiments (prosthetics etc)

• The Lebensborn Program, where unwed mothers gave birth if they could produce an child to fit the Aryan race

• Operation Paperclip, where the US obtained Nazi scientists before the Russians in the Cold War

• The Vatican’s underground to aid Nazi war criminals escape Justice by sending them to Argentina

Some of these I knew of and others I didn’t. I roused my curiosity to research to learn more of what I didn’t know.

The BEST part is this book is the Author’s Note. 💯 credit to her research and for continually sharing surviror’s stories and spreading awareness.

What I Didn’t Like;

1. How modern the dialogue and many themes were presented.

2. Too many themes detracted from the storylines.

3. The choppy chapters that cut off the flow of each story.

4. The first person narrative of both MC. Their voices sounded exactly alike which shouldn’t be since one was French and the other American.

5. The absurd storylines of Josie & Arlette. Some of it was cringeworthy (“it must be hard to meet a man in a concentration camp” or “The Maroon kids and the German kids mix well together. Brought up as color-blind”) and the French Guiana segment was completely contrived.

6. If Josie & Arlette were such good spies then how come they were weak, whiny and made incredibly stupid decisions?

7. ALL TELL AND NO SHOW.

I truly believed going into this novel (and why I requested it) I would read about two strong female spies, their journey through it and the aftermath after surviving the horrors of the Holocaust.

This book spent more time mentioning what happened and less time developing its characters. I couldn’t connect with either of them nor at any time did I come to understand what they’d been through during the war.


I would skip this book and pick up The Lilac Girls. Every time I picked up The Golden Doves, I put it down again and it took me three months to finish because it could not keep my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Golden Doves in return for an honest review. All onions are mine alone.

*4.5

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly blew me away and Lost Roses was wonderful as well. I have yet to read Sunflower Sisters, but it is moving up on my TBR after this!

As in her previous novels, readers are fully immersed into history, this time learning about Operation Paperclip, the Nazi "ratline," more about Ravensbruck concentration camp, and female spies during and after WW2. This action-packed story was almost cinematic in nature, clearly providing me with mental images of scenes, characters, and dialogue that I did not want to stop. Josie and Arlette were fascinating characters to follow and I enjoyed both of their storylines! The mystery was done most intriguingly and I did not guess the twist ending! That ending scene is making me curious if there will be a continuation?

I urge you to please read the author's note as well! She adds many of the true life examples that this book was inspired by including some scenes that were taken straight from history. Some facts are horrifying to read, but history is never clean. I loved reading her experience with a Ravensbruck survivor who inspired this story. May this history never be forgotten.

I read an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.