I always like learning new things. I knew that some Germans had been interned in the U.S. during WWII but I didn't know about their schemes to take over the movie industry and to work against the Jews here. There was a strong message of standing up for what is right even when it's hard or uncomfortable. It felt like a timely message.

This was the first novel I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. It was well researched and written well. I felt the characters were believable. I enjoyed trying to figure out who Agent 13 was before he was revealed. It was all a bit mysterious. Parts of the novel were slow paced but things were quite urgent and desperate towards the end. It sets up future books nicely and I'll definitely add them to my reading list.

Thank you to Tyndale House for providing me with a free e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Code Name Edelweiss shines a spotlight on American anti-semitism in the years prior to WWII and brings attention to some little-known history in the fight against fascism in America.

Summer 1933: Liesl Weiss is the second generation of her family employed by MGM. The huge movie lots and sound stages of the massive studio have always been less a place of wonder to her than a symbol of security until an executive decides to do more than just give her random pats and pinches and tries to steal a kiss. She treats him like she would any thief, with the end result of a pink slip landing on her desk. The sole support of her mother, her two children, and her erstwhile brother, Liesl is desperate for work, but in spite of her stellar reputation and the fact that she was the top student at her secretarial school, there is no job to be found. While in yet another employment office, begging for any position no matter how menial, Leisl’s eyes chance upon a work order looking for a secretary with a strong knowledge of the German language. She is the daughter of immigrants who taught her to be fluent in the language of their homeland. When the recruiter steps away from her desk, Liesl snatches the paper and heads over to the offices of Leon Lewis, Attorney at Law.

Leon has watched Adolf Hitler’s rise to power with concern, has been seemingly one of the few who has listened to what the man says, and reads the propaganda the Nazis so eagerly churn out. He has also been paying close attention to the rising tide of anti-semitism in America; he’s heard the speeches of organized groups like the KKK and the angry whispers of the unemployed men on the streets who feel Jewish business owners aren’t giving them a fair break. Yet all the conversations he has had with the powerful people in public office or major businesses have left him frustrated. None of them see fascism and racism as threats to national security the way he does. Determined not to let this problem go unattended until it is too late to do anything about it, he begins to form his own spy network. And while Liesl might not be the perfect secretary for his law practice, she will be the perfect person to infiltrate The Friends of New Germany. A charity/social club in the heart of Los Angeles’, they, along with the Aryan Bookstore, are the hub for spreading support for Hitler and the National Socialist brand of fascism in the U.S.

Liesl is originally very skeptical about Leon’s proposition because she doubts there are genuine Nazi operatives in her own neighborhood. However, she desperately needs the salary he can provide. She accepts his offer, volunteers her secretarial services to Friends, and is shocked to discover that Leon is right.

Thirteen, a former Pinkerton agent, has infiltrated radical groups before. As a veteran of the Great War, he appreciates the chance Leon has given him to work on the front lines of what is happening and hopes that maybe this time, America can enter the battle ahead more prepared. Or perhaps avoid entering at all. The latter seems unlikely, however, given what he is discovering about The Friends of New Germany. Both he and Leon are concerned at how easy it has been for the Nazis to get a foothold in the U.S., especially since Thirteen regularly meets SS officers and other German officials who are sponsoring/aiding the group.

When Thirteen encounters the beautiful new secretary of the club, he is saddened that such a lovely woman supports such ugly ideals. But as he gets to know her, he begins to wonder if maybe there is more to her than he first suspected.

This book is one of the most richly detailed historical novels I have read. Leon Lewis and his operatives were real and although this is a fictional account, the author has based her story on things they actually did and events that actually happened. The financial concerns of the times are expertly explored, and the very real fears and responses that people living on the edge faced are beautifully depicted.

The characters are also authentic. Liesl, whose husband vanished into thin air one night, struggles with insecurity. Her father had died during the Great War, which left her, her mother and her brother homeless for a period. This history has left her with a very narrow world, her only concerns being whether or not she’s a good mother and making her desperate to keep a roof over her family’s head. Her first experiences with anti-semitism come from authority figures – her daughter’s elementary school teacher complains about the girl’s behaviors and essentially demands that Liesl attends a parenting group in which Liesl hears disparaging comments about Jews. A guest and already intimidated by the teacher’s complaints, Liesl stays silent. When she sees a beloved Jewish neighbor belittled and bullied at the local grocers, she stays silent then too, all too aware of her own store account – which is overdue – and the fact that she needs to stay on the owner’s good side to take home any food that day. It isn’t until she is working for Lewis that she realizes her silence allows bigotry to flourish. Once enlightened, she risks her life to get the lawyer the information he needs and begins to perform other quiet acts of resistance. I loved the character growth we see and also the look at how society was at a turning point in this moment. Most people didn’t understand tribalism or anti-semitism, and it was only through courageous souls working tirelessly to patiently teach them that the national attitude made a slow change.

As a white man, Thirteen also hadn’t been aware of the dark underbelly of racism in the country and just what that meant for the people suffering from it. His admiration for Lewis has him learning about the effects and dangers of anti-semitism and being willing to put his life on the line to challenge it.

The author also does a nice job of capturing how propaganda works on the weak and willing. Liesl’s brother, young and impressionable, is proud to join the police force and doesn’t recognize initially that a strong thread of racism underlies much of what his boss does. He comes to a slow awareness of how wrong that is and why through Liesl.

My only quibble with the book is with some of the language used, such as the term “Indian” to describe an actor dressed to portray a character in a Cowboy/Western film, Thirteen describing the food at a Chinese grocer’s as unappealing (he later tastes it and loves it), and the endless use of the word dirty to describe Jews by the villains. All of this would have been accurate for the time but is jarring for a twenty-first-century reader.

Code Name Edelweiss takes a new look at WWII and highlights problems the U.S. had then which we still struggle with today. I recommend it to readers who like the history of this time period.

A very intense, high octane novel that brings all the horrors of WWII into our country, to our neighborhoods, our homes. Showing how noone was truly safe from the horror that could and was inflicted by Nazism.Also proving that by simply doing nothing in the face of oppression is as good as being the oppressors yourself.
This is the story of Fascism in America, how in the early 1930s it was running rampant thru Los Angeles and Hollywood, and how a group of amateur spies discover Hitler's plans to overtake Hollywood. Liesl is a German American in Hollywood who is offered a job to spy on her community by a lawyer, a Jewish lawyer who believes the people in the community are Nazis sympathizers planning against America.
There is a bit of everything in this novel which is based on real events, spies, mystery and intrigue abound. This is a very interesting account of little known events leading up to WWII and eventually America's role in the war.
I give 5 stars and recommend highly, this is one not to be missed.
Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem
Liesl Weiss is a secretary just trying to keep her family together after the disappearance of her husband. Her mother, younger brother and 2 young children depend upon her to provide for them. When she is let go from her job at MGM studios, she is desperately seeking employment and finds it in a most unlikely position as a spy for a Jewish lawyer.
This story had lots to enjoy. The characters were well written and complex. The historical setting was enlightening. The plot had enough intrigue to keep me reading and wondering what would happen next. It seemed that the author set up the ending to lead into a sequel, which I look forward to reading.
I received a complimentary copy of this advance reader copy in return for this, my honest review.

I am a big fan of World War II era historical Christian fiction, and Code Name Edelweiss is one of the best books that I have read in this category. The plot is very original being based on the work of attorney Leon Lewis and his undercover agents in Los Angeles, focusing on the beginnings of Lewis' work to get authorities to recognize the threat posed by Adolf Hitler. The release date, while possibly unintentional, coincided with this year's celebration of Purim from the book of Esther in the Bible. Liesl Weiss must decide between her personal safety and that of her family and becoming one of Leon Lewis' operatives, working undercover for the Friends of New Germany. Ultimately it comes down to deciding if not her, then who; if not now, then when. In other words, might she have been born for such a time as this? A question Queen Esther had to face, and one we might also need to respond to.

Code Name Edelweiss also examines the reasons people might join a group whose beliefs and methods might in truth be contrary to their own. Otto Wilhelm's work with the boys of the Silver Shirts, including Liesl's brother, shines a spotlight on this theme which may also bear examining in our current culture. As such, I recommend this book to both male and female readers.

I am very grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Code Name Edelweiss from Tyndale House Publishers via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

A fascinating look at a little known piece of World War II history

The setting is 1933 Los Angeles. Liesl Weiss desperately needs a job to support her family…and Jewish lawyer Leon Lewis desperately needs a spy. Though Liesl doubts Lewis stories of a growing Nazi movement in her own backyard, she reluctantly agrees to spy for him. But soon Liesl discovers that not only are Leon’s fear true, they are much worse than he’d feared. With the lives of herself and her family at stake, Liesl must figure out a way to stop the Nazi’s deadly plot—with or without the help of the mysterious Agent Thirteen.

Landsem’s characters are multi-layered and complex, and the plot—fast-paced and eye-opening—is rich with history and kept me turning pages long after it was time to return to my own work. I highly recommend!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem is an amazing historical fiction novel set in the period of the Great Depression and WW1, based on true events and a character cast that is attractive to the readers. At the MGM studios, in 1933, 21-year-old single mother Liesl Weiss is fired from her Stenographer job by her boss Gary Perl due to Bankruptcy. This just meant to Liesl that nobody is safe from the unemployment line. After three weeks without a paycheck and security, Liesl was feeling insecure with her two children, mother, and brother Fritz to support. Now, her only option is to work with Leon Lewis and Mysterious Agent Thirteen to spy on her friends and neighbors in her German American Community for thirty dollars a week. Mrs. Weiss is a Christian, Courageous, and had Morals and Integrity - and she is a Spy!
In this novel, the Jewish lawyer Leon Lewis, who had served in the great war, and was part of a secret intelligence operation, returned to Chicago to start his law firm and moved to Los Angeles. People worried about unemployment, rising rent, and the new German Chancellor - Adolf Hitler. It was a bad situation in Germany. Leon believed that, during this period in time 1929- 1933, there were also the War relief efforts, the Spanish flu, and the collapse of Germany where the country was called to pay loans to bankers in New York, as America lent the money it needed to rebuild the country. The author has captured very well in the novel events that have happened. The Germans started to listen to Adolf Hitler as they were angry, hungry, and desperate. Lewis wanted to bring the ugly truth behind the Nationalist Socialists openly.

Weiss was left with questions not knowing what to believe that the Nazis are coming from Germany to Los Angeles? Is it true? Are they taking over America? Whether the German government was sending their people to Los Angeles to set up Hitler's cell? In a German town? Her own Neighborhood? This is not going to stop here -------- The read gets interesting when Mrs, Leisl Weiss volunteers a position at the New Friends of Germany office- for a woman named Thekla Schwinn and her husband.

A must-read if you are a historical fiction book lover. Thanks to Stephanie Landsem, Netgalley, and Tyndale House Publishers for an advance copy for my honest review.

Code Name Edelweiss is a must-read for fans of historical fiction. Landsem's writing is professional and engaging, and the story is informative and entertaining. Whether you're a history buff or simply looking for a good read, this novel is sure to satisfy.

“Silence is oppression in itself…” Liesl Weiss, after being fired from her job as an MGM Studios stenographer, is confronted with a choice. Take a job as a spy and infiltrate the Nazi organization that has come to her town of Los Angeles or stay silent and ignore the antisemitic movement that seems to be sweeping the Nation. Struggling to support herself and her family after her husband walked out and never returned, Liesl realizes that as a woman during the Great Depression, her job choices are nearly nonexistent. She decides to work for the famous lawyer Leon Lewis, not really understanding what it is he is asking her to do. Mr. Lewis knows something is coming and is perhaps already here, and he is determined to stop it. Liesl is an ordinary citizen asked to do something extraordinary. However, it will all come with a cost. The deeper that Liesl goes into her new secretary job at the Friends of New Germany, the more she realizes that things are not as they seem. Danger is lurking around every corner, lies and gossip are being spread like wildfire, and love will come from the most unexpected place. She begins to realize that true courage is speaking out even when fear tells you to be silent. Long hidden secrets come to light that could destroy her and her family. When tragedy strikes those that she loves, Liesl realizes she must do all she can to wipe out the evil that has spread through her German community before it swallows the whole Nation. I honestly had no idea that a group of amateur spies, were able to root out a Nazi organization that had hopes of taking over America! I was enthralled by this story and did research after finishing the book. That is the mark of a great story- when the author writes something so vividly and in detail, that the reader wants to learn more. The internal conflict of Liesl as she tries to make sense of what is happening around her, was mesmerizing to watch unfold. She has a deep faith in God, family, and country and is conflicted on what she sees and what she believes to be true. I love historical fiction and this book did not disappoint. Historically accurate, the detailed descriptions of time, place, and characters, had me reading long into the night. From the mansions of Hollywood’s elite, and backlots of MGM Studios, to the tents of Hooverville, “Code Name Edelweiss” will have readers cheering for a group of unlikely Americans that work together to stop the Nazi war machine. I thank NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for the ARC of this book. I am not required to leave a positive review. All opinions in this review are my own.

All the glamour of the Hollywood movie scene in the 1930’s; who knew what evil was lurking? An ocean away, Adolf Hitler was trying to reach his message to unsuspecting Americans by taking over the Hollywood Studio system. The idea is chilling, but to find out this story is based on true events and real people is just amazing. Leon Lewis was the spymaster, trying to thwart the takeover by hiring spies of his own to infiltrate the German-American social clubs. Liesl Weiss is hired to work as a secretary/spy at the New Germany headquarters. At first, she is skeptical; however, the evidence keeps mounting that all is not what it seems. She is also hesitant to get involved until she begins noticing the evil and hate that is mounting against her Jewish friends and neighbors. The theme of this book was “If not me, who? If not now, when? A good reminder in today’s turbulent times. Hoping there will be a sequel to the story of Leon Lewis, Liesl Weiss and Otto Wilhelm. The story was very compelling, and I enjoyed learning about little known history.

My thanks to the author and Tyndale House Publishers for an early copy of this book. The opinions here are entirely my own.

Questions. That is what inundates Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem. So many questions, sent out in many different directions. Within a world where Nazis are doing everything they can to infiltrate Hollywood with their anti-semitic propaganda, the biggest question that comes to light is, “Who can you trust?”

When Liesl Weiss lost her job at MGM Studios despite being the best at what she did, she desperately searched for a new job where she could continue to support her family. That desperate search led her to Leon Lewis. But as Leon explained what was going on in her own backyard, Liesl wasn’t completely buying it. It was the offer of a steady income that finally led her to accept the position.

When she volunteered for the Friends of New Germany, she questioned Leon even more. Those people had shown her nothing but kindness, and they wanted to create a better America. Who could’ve blamed them for that? Were they truly as bad as Liesl had been led to believe?

And then she realized the truth, and the next question arose: “Why would God let this happen?” Liesl questioned God throughout the story, yet she had to answer her own question when it was asked by her daughter, Tess. The answer? God can use evil for good. Another of Leon’s operatives, Thirteen, had also pondered this question. What he realized was that God could use good people to end the evil.

Silence was also prominent in this story. When to be silent, and when to speak up. Liesl regretted remaining silent when she could have spoken up for her friend, Miriam, a Jewish woman who lived next door with her husband and daughter. But when she worked under the guise of Edelweiss, silence was key. Say nothing that would bring suspicion to your true intentions. Anything else could have cost Liesl her life and the lives of her family.

I loved this story and did not want it to end. I wanted more and even wished for this book to be turned into a series as opposed to a stand-alone. Honestly, I’m still wishing that now and have every intention to revisit this book multiple times.

Landsem created a riveting world of fiction based on history that actually happened. The Jewish lawyer who employed spies was real. The Nazis did try to infiltrate Hollywood with their propaganda. Landsem took that and brought us on an emotional roller coaster filled with highs and lows. She did not disappoint. And she weaved God into the story beautifully, showing His true character despite all the confusion and questions the two main characters struggled with throughout.

If you love WWII-era novels with flawed characters who want to do the right thing, read this book. It will not disappoint.

Code Name Edelweiss piqued my interest from the moment I saw it was coming out; I couldn't put it down! Liesl's determination to press on and navigate the blurry line between truth and falsehood in spite of uncertainties and loss was admirable. Each chapter seemed to reveal a missing piece of the story while simultaneously bringing more questions to light. Amid high-stakes intrigue and the glamour of Hollywood, who do you trust?

The main story finished out very well; I sure hope there's a sequel, though!

I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley. A positive review was not required; all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The author whisks readers into a time when everyone in our country was hurting, because of the great depression in 1933. When Hollywood and movie moguls were in their prime. Main character, Liesi worked at the movie studios for years, and then she didn’t. Her husband went to work one day and never came back. What was she going to do?

Liesl Weiss, is an American with a German heritage. She is fluent in speaking and writing German as well as English. She is responsible for her mother, two children and a brother. Not only that, but she also needs a job. Furthermore, she interviews with a Jewish Lawyer, Leon Lewis. Liesl can’t believe that Mr. Lewis has just asked her to be a spy. She thought it was crazy, but how else was she going to pay the bills. Thirty dollars a week was an amazing salary. Leon Lewis knew, Hitler had his eyes set on taking over Hollywood. He needed her help to prove it.

The story is well written, intense, and powerful given the times pre-WW2 when Hitler first was gaining power, popularity, and visibility in Germany as their leader. The organization called, The New Friends of Germany claimed to be friends of All Germans living in America, they were there to protect them as the motherland would, but in reality, they were driven by the same agenda Hitler pushed. This was news to me. I found it interesting that the story was based on an actual spy ring who uncovered plots and successfully derailed them.

I liked the author’s writing style and how she used the spy’s code names throughout most of the story, not revealing their identity to the reader and the main characters in the novel, until the end. Likewise I was intrigued at how the author showed real life trauma of the time and how negative and painful events influenced people’s abilities to trust others.

What’s not to love about this novel full of glamor, intrigue, relatable characters, with a splash of romance and mystery.

I enjoyed the natural spiritual thread that was genuine and real. I was sucked into this story hook, line, and sinker. Wow. It’s a book I couldn’t put down. This is a story you don’t’ want to miss.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book by the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

I love learning about new periods in history! In Germany, Hitler is chancellor of Germany. In Los Angeles in the 1930s, the Friends of New Germany is spreading anti-Semitic propaganda and planning something nefarious in Hollywood. Based on a true story, Jewish lawyer Leon Lewis employs ordinary people as spies to help take down the Friends and stop the spread of anti-Semitism in the United States. A great historical fiction book full of family, mystery, friendship, and faith.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Liesl sees and hates the anti-Jew sentiment that has thrust a wedge between her and her former best friend, but she has a family to care for and doesn't want to get involved. But when an attempt to get a secretary job sees her recruited to secretly spy on a supposedly Nazi organisation, she begins to see what this might all lead to. Though sceptical at first, the evidence becomes inescapable and points to even more than she'd ever imagined possible in her worst nightmares. Can she and the man who recruited her, plus a fellow spy in the organisation, manage to uncover and foil their plans in time?

I'd love to know how much or little of this story was true - it seems incredible and yet is described as based on a true story. I was disappointed not to find a historical note with more details (it seemed that sort of book), but that was my only disappointment. The author was new to me, but I definitely hope to read more by her in future. The characters and their struggles felt real, the setting was well done, the suspense kept me eagerly reading, and the ending was satisfying - despite strongly suggesting a lead into the next book (I don't think it's just wishful thinking!). It was also a thought-provoking read at times, as characters have to decide what to do in the face of evil - as well as showing how easily evil can take over if we just listen to the popular rhetoric rather than having a basis for our beliefs. All in all, highly recommended.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

I was really intrigued by this story when I first read the summary. It is set in LA in the early 1930s and talks about how a lawyer enlisted some everyday Americans to work undercover helping him find proof that the Nazi’s are trying to take over Hollywood. The story opens with introducing readers to Leisl and we learn that she has a lot of responsibilities with caring for her two young kids, her mother and brother. I quickly felt for her and the stress she was under. However I felt the story progressed really slow and I struggled to get into it. There are two points of views being told, Leisl and Agent 13. We don’t know much about Agent 13 and what his real identity is for most of the story, however I was able to figure it out long before it was revealed. Leisl needed to decide if she would stand up for what she believed was right. Could they stop the evil happening? The story had wonderful potential especially knowing that it was based on true events, however with the pacing and flow I struggled to get invested in the story and really debated about putting it down at the 40% mark, but I continued with hopes it would pick up. It did get a bit better with Leisl beginning to realize how the Jews around her were being treated just because they were Jewish not for what they had done. However, it was hard to believe that their plan would have actually worked out in real time the way it portrayed to have. I was high hopes for this story as the premise sounded really intriguing but I found it hard to really connect with the characters.

This is a fascinating insight into the Nazi incursion into Los Angeles during WWII. The movie studios were mostly run and owned by the Jewish and the Nazi's wanted to change this by bringing down those leaders and bring their own form of 'leadership' into the studio world.

Enter Leon Lewis, a Jewish man who wants to stop this Nazi incursion. Interestingly, it wasn't Nazis from Germany that would be the battalion but Americans who had become sympathisers to the New Friends from Germany cause. It was interesting reflecting on the naïvete of not just Americans but other Allied nations who completely underestimated the influence and all pervasive dictatorship that Hitler and his comrades desired.

Lewis engages an amateur spy network to bring this growing influence down. This is where our stars, Liesel Weiss and Wilhelm Otto, come into the story. They are employed by Lewis to infiltrate the New Friends organisation, to capture information that Lewis can take to the powers that be in Washington to stop the Nazi incursion.

I liked Liesel. Landsem does an excellent job in giving us a well developed character who grows through the story. Liesel is a mom with two children whose husband has mysteriously disappeared. Liesel, therefore, has to work to provide for her kids, mother and brother.

Wilhelm is already within the New Friends organisation and has done a convincing job becoming 'one of them'. I found Wilhelm a little too stiff. Some of this falls away towards the end of the story and I do wonder if there's a lot more Landsem could do with him in a follow-up story.

I liked that Landsem challenges us all with own prejudices and biases. We get to see the difficulty the Jewish had in these communities where they were restricted in where they could travel, shop and interact. I didn't appreciate how maligned the Jewish were in 1930/40s America.

The story bounds along with short sharp chapters hosted by Liesel and Wilhelm's POV. There is good tension throughout and it builds well for the ultimate confrontations. Landsem writes marvellously taking the reader into the LA of the time, the movie studio world and the homes of the era. It was very easy to flip pages as the story unfolds and the danger to Liesel and Wilhelm ratchets up.

If you enjoy historical fiction around the WWII ear, you will enjoy this tale especially as you discover at the end that many of the characters, incidents and threats were indeed factual and not just Landsems's clever imagination.

I was very fortunate to receive an early ebook copy from Tyndall via NetGalley with no expectation of a positive review.

Set in 1930s American during the Great Depression, Code Name Edelweiss is a spellbinding and riveting novel about family, courage in adversity, making choices, faith and hope. In Europe Adolf Hitler is up and coming, Nazi groups are growing and anti-Semitism is rife. Disturbing acts are sadly done in the name of God. Propaganda is spreading to America and spies are infiltrating to root out and expose Nazism.

In Los Angeles, lawyer Leon Lewis hires Christian operatives to gather information about Nazis. After her husband leaves, Liesl Weiss is the sole provider for her two small children, mother and brother. She loses her job at MGM and is desperate for work so reluctantly works as a spy. She agrees to do volunteer office work for The Friends of New Germany which she finds distasteful but important for the cause. Agents have code names, including the mysterious Thirteen. Layers of dark secrets are brought to light and Liesl's family is endangered.

Ordinary people can be used by God in extraordinary ways. The characters are realistically imperfect, the writing is superb and the story utterly enthralling. The thread of faith running through it is powerful in its constancy and subtlety.

So many reasons to adore this book.
I like that much of the story is based on true people and events. Do be sure to read author Stephanie Landsem's inspiration in the back.

My sincere thank you to Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this engrossing and inspirational novel.

#BookRevew: CODE NAME EDELWEISS by Stephanie Landsem

I wasn't invested at first in this story of courage until Liesl accepted the job offered by Leon Lewis. For thirty dollars a week, Liesl had to accept a job as a spy at the Friends of New Germany out of necessity. Agent 13 spied on the members of National Socialists.

This book was loosely based on the life of Leon Lewis with the emerging hatred on Jews during WWII. I was not familiar on how Adolf Hitler and his supporters carried the hatred on Jews in LA. The Nazi's wanting to takeover Hollywood and the US sounded bizarre.

Though the focus was on the amateur spies and what they went through, it brought to light the impact on the lives of Jews. Innocent lives were affected. The spies and their allies were brave people to stand up to the truth and oppressed. This made for a compelling story with good characters and writing style.

Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 07 Mar 2023

Thank you Tyndale House Publishers and #netgalley for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Code Name Edelweiss was a compelling and exciting read set in 1930s America, surrounding a Nazi plot to infiltrate Hollywood and a spy network established by a Jewish banker to try and stop them. All is based on real events.

However, it is also a book which resonates today: showcasing the moral depravity and sexual politics which pervades the movie industry. (Leisel is sexually harassed on numerous occasions by her bosses), as well as how political inaction and casual prejudice can impact society.
It was also just an enjoyable story with flawed but relatable characters who were struggling to do the right thing whilst overcoming their own demons. Spies, as this shows, are not superhumans or Saints but normal – and often very troubled- people.

Leisel was very candid in saying that what caused her to work for Mr Lewis was just money and she did not believe in his cause, but as she saw how her brother was being influenced by extremists & the nature of what the groups, she was trying to infiltrate believed it gave her a new conviction & sense of purpose.

Thanks to Tyndale House for approving me for a PDF of this title on Netgalley. This didn't influence my review and all opinions expressed are my own & freely given.