‘The Alice Network’ by Kate Quinn

In the chaotic aftermath of WW 2, Charlie finds herself unmarried and pregnant, and on the verge of being thrown out by her very proper family. Her mother wants her to go to Switzerland to take care of her Little Problem. Instead Charlie runs away to London where she begins a search for her beloved cousin Rose who has not been heard from since the war. Joining her in the quest, is an unlikely partner. Eve was a spy in WW 1, and though heroic, was also broken in body and spirit. She has her own reasons for being on this quest with Charlie and they are far more sinister. The book alternates between Eve and Charlie’s stories, both riveting, until the stories inevitably converge. It is an enthralling historical fiction that is gripping and features two strong female protagonists. This was a great story about courage and resilience in unbelievably hard times but also had some measures of humour and romance thrown in. I liked that it combined both world wars in the same novel. The espionage aspects reminded me of Code Name Verity which was also a great read. I will be recommending this one widely!