In the aftermath of World War II, Charlotte (Charlie) St. John is unmarried and pregnant. Sent by her parents to Europe to have her “problem” taken care of, Charlie takes the opportunity to search out her cousin Rose, who disappeared during the war. The only clue Charlie has to Rose’s whereabouts is a note indicating the last person to have contact with Rose was Evelyn Gardiner.
In 1915, Eve Gardiner was a young woman desperate to prove herself. Recruited to work as a spy as part of the Alice Network, Eve worked to collect information the Allies could use to defeat Germany. But that was many years ago and now Eve spends her days drunk and alone, with only her driver Finn to keep her company.
I liked this novel immensely. The story is told in alternating points of view, and alternating time lines. As Charlie, Eve, and Finn set out in 1947 on their road trip in search of Rose, we are gradually told Eve’s story and learn more about her and her trials during WWI.
I enjoyed the development of the characters over the course of the story. Eve starts out as a hard, whiskey-drinking curmudgeon. Charlie is naïve and a little immature – she is only 19 and has led a sheltered life. But the friendship that forms on their road trip was lovely and each character evolves over the course of the story as long-buried secrets and events come to light.
As I said, both Charlie’s and Eve’s stories held my interest, but what made this book so good is that it is based on real people and actual events. The Alice Network was a real group of women that existed during WWI and at the end of the book, the author includes notes that detail the women that the characters are based on.
This was a fascinating novel.
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