Code Name Helene, Ariel Lawhon
Code Name Helene, Ariel Lawhon
18 Rating(s)
List: $25.00 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.50

Code Name Hélène

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Narrator: Barrie Kreinik, Peter Ganim

Unabridged: 17 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/31/2020

Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Frozen River, this thrilling novel about a daring socialite spy chronicles the true wartime exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name.

"Will fascinate readers of World War II history and thrill fans of fierce, brash, independent women." —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for a Hearst newspaper when she meets the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. No sooner does Henri sweep Nancy off her feet and convince her to become Mrs. Fiocca than the Germans invade France and she takes yet another name—a code name.

Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène follows Nancy’s transformation from journalist to one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance, known for her ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and her ability to summon weapons straight from the Allied forces. But with power comes notoriety, and no matter how careful Nancy is to protect her identity, the risk of exposure is great—for herself and for those she loves.

About Ariel Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon is a critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Library Reads, One Book One County, Indie Next, Costco, Amazon Spotlight, and Book of the Month Club selections. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and four sons. Ariel splits her time between the grocery store and the baseball field. Visit her online at ariellawhon.com; Instagram: @ariel.lawhon; Twitter: @ArielLawhon; and Facebook: @ArielLawhonAuthor.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Paige on March 31, 2020

Fictionally, Nancy is presented as a chic tough heroine who never fights without a fresh application of lipstick. The character of Nancy Wake holistically is interesting and I enjoyed her unapologetic nature. A lot of the past, 1936, is about how Nancy met her husband, Henri. The development of thei......more

Goodreads review by Anne on November 05, 2020

I loved this! This WWII novel tells the story of Nancy Wake, the unsung French Resistance leader who was #1 on the Gestapo’s most-wanted list by the end of the war. The real Nancy was larger than life; bold, bawdy, and brazen—a woman who, as the only female among thousands of French men, was not only......more

Goodreads review by Darryl on May 20, 2020

Nancy Wake was a New Zealand-born, Australian-raised nurse and journalist who joined the French Resistance and later the British SOE – Special Operations Executive – during World War II. Her exploits during the war earned her the George Medal from the UK, the Medal of Freedom from the US, the Légion......more

Goodreads review by ☘Misericordia☘ on May 27, 2020

Q: Nancy Wake... Nancy Fiocca—is the kind of woman who conquers the world. Fearless. Ferocious. Nancy is the sort of woman who bathes in a meteor shower. She is not the kind of woman who concedes to anyone. (c) The ragged timeline actually made this novel a lot worse than it could have been. This is n......more

Goodreads review by Megan C. on January 23, 2020

I'm a sucker for a true story. Although categorized as historical fiction, the core characters and events in this book are real. I was sitting on a solid 4 stars throughout 75% of this book, but the last quarter (and also the author's note at the end) blew it up to a 5 star read for me. Color me obs......more

Quotes

"Ariel Lawhon delivers in Code Name Hélène. This fully animated portrait of Nancy Wake— underground operative, charmer in red lipstick, loving wife, and hard-hitting woman of her times, will fascinate readers of World War II history and thrill fans of fierce, brash, independent women, alike. A stark exploration of the remarkable difference one person, willing to rise in the face of fear, can make." –LISA WINGATE, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

"Fascinating"
—NEW YORK POST "REQUIRED READING"

“A spellbinding work of historical fiction. . . [and] one of the most sensual romance novels you’ve ever read. . . She is real, this really did happen is the mantra you may find yourself repeating, in awe of every page.”—BOOKPAGE, *STARRED*

"A compulsively readable account of a little-known yet extraordinary historical figure—Lawhon's best book to date." –KIRKUS REVIEWS, *STARRED*

“Magnificent. . . Lawhon carries us into the heart of the French resistance [and] into the mind of a badass heroine with uncanny instincts who takes on the Nazis and men’s arrogant sexism with uncommon bravado. . . Even long after the last page is turned, this astonishing story of Wake’s accomplishments will hold readers in its grip.”—BOOKLIST, *STARRED*

"Readers will be transfixed by the story of a woman who should be a household name."–LIBRARY JOURNAL *STARRED*

“Riveting. . . [A] stunning, moving story.”—BOOKREPORTER.COM
“Masterful. . . Exhaustively researched and vividly woven. . . As much an epic love story as an engrossing narrative of an unlikely anti-Nazi combatant. . . Lawhon has proven herself a master at her craft, and she does readers a great service with Code Name Hélène.”—CHAPTER16

“Captivating. . . [Lawhon] sweeps readers into Nancy’s wry, fast-talking, first-person account of her adventures. . . While Nancy cuts a vivid, stylish figure through the novel’s pages, her supporting case is also well drawn [and] Lawhon’s elegant plotting makes them shine. . .Lawhon’s gripping narrative gives ‘Hélène’ her due.”–SHELF AWARENESS

"Gripping…Lawhon throws readers into the middle of the action… Lawhon’s vivid, fast-paced narrative will keep readers turning the pages, and a detailed afterword makes plain how much of the account is factual. This entertaining tale does justice to Lawhon’s larger-than-life subject.”
—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

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