The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

Title: The Alice Network
Author: Kate Quinn
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Historical Fiction
Year of Publication: 2017
Date of Publication: June 6, 2017
Pages: 560
ISBN-10: 0062654195
ISBN-13: 978-0062654199

Summary of The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

The Alice Network is a tale of courage, betrayal, and redemption. Set across two timelines—1917 and 1947—the novel follows two women, Eve Gardiner and Charlie St. Clair.

Eve, a spy during World War I, becomes part of the real-life Alice Network, an underground resistance group.

Thirty years later, Charlie, a 19 year old girl, searches for her missing cousin named Rose. Rose was in France during the World War II and vanished around the time the Germans occupied France.

Charlie is determined to find Rose and there is one name that keeps coming up and that is Eve Gardiner, and the address is in London. So when Charlie’s parents send her to Europe to “take care of her personal problems,” Charlie heads to London leading her to Eve and a story of bravery and sacrifice.

Main Themes

The novel explores themes of resilience, loyalty, and the enduring scars of war. It highlights the bravery of women in espionage and the complexities of moral choices in times of conflict.

Through Eve and Charlie’s journeys, the story explores forgiveness, justice, and the strength found in unlikely friendships.

The book also highlights the stories of two other women, Lili and Violette, who undertook dangerous missions. Like Eve, their lives hang in the balance, and every moment feels tense.

Writing Style

Kate Quinn’s writing pulls you into the story. The book is very fast-paced and Quinn makes an interesting choice to have Eve’s story unfolds in third person, while Charlie’s is told in first person.

The story’s two timelines fit together seamlessly. We get to see Eve as a strong, determined young woman in 1915, contrasted with her older, broken self in 1947.

She mixes careful historical details with interesting characters. A lot of the characters in book are based on real historical figures. For example, Lili is inspired by Louise de Bettignies, known as the “Queen of Spies.” She led the most successful intelligence ring in France during World War I. Violette, whose real code name was Charlotte, is based on Marie Léonie van Houtte, a key member of the same network.

With that said, there is a lot of trauma highlighted in the book, so if that is something that triggers you, then keep that in mind before picking up this book.