Jane Healey (1)

It is so refreshing to pick up a book that covers a time period I know almost nothing about. The Women of Arlington Hall is about the codebreakers charged with deciphering Russian messages post WWII. While the story has been fictionalized, it is based on the real-life Verona Project.

What is especially lovely about this book is how beautifully it balances the codebreaking aspects with the development of the characters. After graduating Radcliffe, Cat Killeen left her fiancé at the altar and show more takes a challenging position in the Russian Building of the codebreaking. She loves the math and the puzzles and finds the work engaging, although she also develops deep relationships with her female coworkers (I love a book that passes the Bechdel Test!). There is a love interest, but I appreciated that the focus of the story remained on Cat and her work. As a member of a super secret project, Cat must be careful to remain silent on her work; any hints of misdeed is an act of treason that could lead to a prison sentence. Of course, parts of her past resurface threatening the work she loves doing.

The Cold War is a time that hasn't been written as much about in historical fiction. I was fascinated by the seeking out and demonizing of Communists. Healey has written a remarkable novel, and fans of WWII novels will love reading about what comes next for the world. Terrific book! show less

I have read all of Jane Healey’s books and can honestly say that with each book they get better and more complex. I had an emotional investment in the characters in this book and thought they were well-developed.

Inspired by true events, the protagonist in this book is Drue Leyton Tartiere, an American actress married to a Frenchman. It’s 1939 and her husband is away working with the British, leaving Drue alone with her friend/housekeeper. Drue embraces France as her new home, joining show more the French Resistance to take it back from the Germans.

She starts out doing a radio program for the French Ministry of Information. Being a well-known name in the US, Americans tuned into her broadcast where she relayed what life was like for the Europeans as the war progressed. She was trying to sway the Americans toward joining the war. This results in a death warrant being issued against her, but this did not stop this determined and courageous woman.

Healey gave me a greater appreciation of how the years under Nazi control impacted the people, living under constant fear for themselves and their loved ones.

While I feel a bit burned out on WWII novels, I did learn a couple of new things from this book. One was that I did not know that after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Germans gathered up all Americans still living in France and imprisoned them. Drue Leyton was among those imprisoned. Upon her release, she became even more involved in the resistance and took much more dangerous risks helping hide downed Allied pilots.

There is a lot of suspense, some surprises, and even some humor. Loyalty and friendship are major themes in this story. I loved this book from beginning to end. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Book Club Cookbook for the opportunity to read and review this book. show less

There are lots of fiction books about WWII and sometimes it seems like they tell the same story with different characters. The Beantown Girls looked at the war from the perspective of women who were part of the Red Cross Clubmobile Girls. I have never read a book about this group of brave women who went to Europe during the war to help the morale of the soldiers by providing doughnuts, coffee, cigarettes and mostly a pretty American girl to talk to. This is a story about bravery during war show more time, friendship and love.

Fiona, Dotty and Viviana were best friends in Boston. They decided to join the Red Cross group for different reasons but they joined together and were able to stay together. Fiona's fiance was missing in action and she wanted to try to find him, Viviana wanted more out of her life and Dotty went to be with her friends. They were chosen for their strength and their beauty but were soon faced with unexpected challenges from how to drive the truck to the process of making doughnuts. They encountered lots of problems but were able to help so many soldiers and make so many new friends that they all felt they had made the right decision. As the three friends begin to understand the real reasons they all came to the front, their courage and friendship will see them through some of the best and worst times of their lives.

This was a wonderful well written and well-researched books based on a real women who joined the Red Cross and went to Europe during WWII. The book made me laugh and it made me cry and had three main characters who I won't soon forget.

Thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own. show less

In her historical fiction, Jane Healey brews up smooth blends featuring living people and imaginary ones - and even the characters she invents are based on her deep research. In this novel, Anna Cavanaugh, a young, tri-lingual, widowed Radcliffe graduate, accepts a job in 1942 as assistant to family friend "Wild Bill" Donovan, who is managing the American WW II intelligence effort. Searching for a way to help the Resistance and to return to France, where she attended college and fell in love show more before the war, Anna aggressively lobbies to join the OSS and to operate wireless sets in occupied Paris. Frequently encountering dangerous situations and risking her life, Anna finds purpose and pride in her strength and accomplishments. Healey does a fine job of ratcheting up tension in Anna's undercover encounters with Nazi officers.

Quote: " I had grown to understand that being fearless was not living without fear, but pushing through and doing what needed to be done in spite of it." show less