Imagine that you are a young woman in 1940's Russia. You are a mother raising a young son alone as you work in a library and study to gain your degree. You are forging along in everyday life when suddenly your country is invaded, and you are facing a world at war. In this riveting novel, Kate Quinn gives a look into the life of Mila Pavlichenko, a young history student and mother who joins the Russian military and becomes a world-famous sniper.
I found this book to be very intriguing. Mila is a young woman who married way too young when she found she was pregnant. She is raising a young son and trying desperately to get a divorce from her older and emotionally abusive husband. This is not easy in 1940's Russia. She is a passionate history student and loves her studies. Then Hitler invades the Ukraine and Russia, and she feels compelled to sign up to protect her homeland.
Mila is a strong woman who does nothing partway. When assigned the task as a sniper, she becomes the best and shoots over 300 of the enemy. Her talents gain her fame, and she is sent on a good will tour of the United States where she befriends Eleanor Roosevelt. This friendship and the dangers that come with it made this one of the best books I've read in a long time.
The book is based on a true story and most of the people and many of the events really happened. In the author's notes at the end of the book she details what parts were true (based on Mila's memoirs) and what parts she fictionalized. I found this very interesting and would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery, historical fiction and intrigue.
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This riveting historical fiction novel is one that is hard to put down once you start reading and takes you on a journey through both the first World War as well as post World War II.
A little while ago I read a review on this very site for a book called The Huntress by Kate Quinn which peeked my interest so when I was in a bookstore and sawThe Alice Network by Kate Quinnauthor of The Huntress I just had to buy it. The Alice Network was actually penned first and after reading it I am even more keen to read The Huntress!
The Alice Network was actually real as was the leader and Kate Quinn has done a marvelous job of interweaving actual historic events into a story that is hard to put down.
The Queen of Spies herself, courtesy of Wikipedia
The novel features two strong heroines - Eve Gardiner and Charlie St Clair. Eve's story takes us through the world of women espionage during the first World War and introduces us to the real life Queen of Spies, Louise de Bettignies. What I found great after finishing this story was the author notes at the end which mention which of the characters were actually based on historical figures and which weren't. Something I thought very interesting was where Kate Quinn got the idea for Eve's story, along with her spy name.
Eve's chapters take us through the perils of life as a female spy during World War I in France. The other heroine is Charlie St Clair who finds herself (an American college girl) pregnant and unwed at 19 during the aftermath of World War II.
When her mother takes Charlie to Europe to dispose of her 'little problem' they make a stop in England where Charlie leaves the hotel to search for Eve Gardiner who was a name on the bottom of a missing persons report for her French cousin who went missing during the war.
Together they head to Europe, along with Eve's Scottish helper and driver and start on their individual quests - Charlie to find her cousin Rose and Eve to hunt down her enemy who handed her over to the Germans during WWI.
As the book interweaves through the two story lines we learn more about both heroines along the way and find where they both have to make major decisions which could totally change the outcomes of their lives. The book also exposes the double standards women faced during WWI and showed how little these double standards had changed by the 1940s.
Obviously as with any historical fiction some liberties were taken, but I'd love to think that Louise de Bettignies did buy ridiculous hats when travelling and was able to inject some fun into her life of intrigue. I like the idea of her having the personality that was displayed in the book as the life of a spy in France at that time was very bleak - as it was for most every day people in Europe at that time.
I would love to see this book turned into a movie as I'm sure my husband would enjoy it. What can you expect from this book? If you pick up this book expect suspense, intrigue, a little romance and so many twists and turns.
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Told in three narratives, Kate Quinn's book, The Huntress, dives into Nazi-era Soviet Union and post-war Boston. It follows the post-war efforts of a small company whose purpose is hunting for and bringing to justice war criminals.
The main characters include Ian, a proper British journalist who was on the ground in Europe during the war and who turns postwar away from journalism to the task of finding war criminals. His purpose becomes a bit clouded by vengeance when he searches for the elusive target for whom this book is titled. That is, the Huntress who ruthlessly lured and killed men, women and children.
The second character is Nina, a woman who grew up dirt-poor and savage in Siberia. As an adult she becomes a pilot for the Soviet Union and a member of the all-female Night Witch bomber regiment who, during her time on the ground during the war, has an encounter with the Huntress.
Finally, we have Jordan, an ambitious teenager who lives with her father and sister in Boston. She wants to become a photographer and to break out of the societal requirement for a woman of the times that says she must get married, settle down and have children.
In the end, all are brought together by the Huntress.
THE HUNTRESS OFFICIAL BOOK TRAILER
Here’s a peek via the official book trailer from publisher Williams Morrow:
REVIEWS
Readers on Goodreads gave The Huntress a 4.27 out of 5 stars and 91 percent of Amazon readers gave it a 4- or 5-star rating. That’s pretty good.
On the back cover, Booklist says that this book is “An impressive historical novel sure to harness WWIIi-fiction fans’ attention.” I agree.
The Washington Post calls this book a “compulsively readable historical novel” and says that it is a “powerful novel about unusual women facing sometimes insurmountable odds with grace, grit, love and tenacity.” I agree.
WHO SHOULD READ THE HUNTRESS?
Fans of World War II fiction, which by the way comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me, will enjoy this book. In particular, if you would like a look into the hunt for war criminals, Russian folklore and the lesser-known world of the Night Witches, you will want to pick this book up. If you enjoyed Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network or Heather Morris’ The Tattooist of Auschwitz you will want to read this book. It quickly becomes a thriller and a page turner demonstrating how war changes people and the costs of seeking justice.
You should know that this book has numerous adult themes, which is what you naturally comes with a book about war crimes. Those themes include abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), alcohol use, war and sex.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
