The Alice Network

The Alice Network is a 2017 historical fiction novel by American author Kate Quinn. It was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Plot

The plot follows pregnant American college student Charlie St. Clair in the aftermath of World War II, as she travels around France looking for her missing cousin, Rose. Her story intersects with that of World War I spy, Eve Gardiner, who joins the fight against the Germans in 1915, with the help of Louise de Bettignies.[1][2]

Characters
  • Charlotte (Charlie) St. Clair, pregnant American college student, in Europe to get an abortion, and escapes her controlling mother, Maman St. Clair, to go searching for her cousin, Rose.
  • Evelyn (Eve) Gardiner, also known by her spy name, Marguerite Le Francois. WWI spy and survivor. Member of the Alice Network.
  • Louise de Bettignies, also known by her spy name, Alice Dubois, and Lili. Ring leader of the Alice Network. Trains, supervises, and advises Eve once in France.
  • Rose Fournier, also known as Helene Joubart in Oradour-Sur-Glane, Charlie's cousin and friend from before the war. Missing.
  • Maman St. Clair, Charlie's mother, who encourages her to have an abortion and micro-manages her life.
  • René Bordelon, also known as Rene Gautier, owner of the restaurant, Le Lethé, in both Limoges and Lille. Known collaborateur. Eve's employer, mark, and eventual date rapist.
  • Captain Cameron, based on Major Cecil Aylmer Cameron, also known as Oncle Eduard. English spy master.
  • Finn Kilgore, former convict, works for Evelyn in 1947. Charlie's love interest.
  • Leonie van Houtte, also known by her spy name, Violette Lameron. A spy in WWI France, who works with Eve and gives her an abortion. She is caught by the Germans, but survives.
  • Etienne, Rose's boyfriend, who gets her pregnant before WWII.
  • Madame Rouffanche, a survivor of the Oradour-Sur-Glane massacre.

Background

The novel is inspired by the story of the Alice Network, a covert group that worked after World War II to infiltrate German lines in rural France.[2]

Reception

The Alice Network was a New York Times[3] and USA Today bestseller.[4] It was named one of NPR's Best Books of the Year.[5]

References
  1. Jackson, Matthew (2017). "Book Review - The Alice Network by Kate Quinn". BookPage.com. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  2. Zimmerman, Jean (2017-06-08). "'The Alice Network' Is A Crackling Tale Of Spies And Suspense". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  3. "Paperback Trade Fiction Books - Best Sellers - June 24, 2018 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  4. "The Alice Network". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  5. "Our Guide To 2017's Great Reads". NPR. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
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