THE INVISIBLE WOMAN

 

SYNOPSIS

France, March 1944. Virginia Hall wasn't like the other young society women back home in Baltimore—she never wanted the debutante ball or silk gloves. Instead, she traded a safe life for adventure in Europe, and when her beloved second home is thrust into the dark days of war, she leaps in headfirst.

Once she's recruited as an Allied spy, subverting the Nazis becomes her calling. But even the most cunning agent can be bested, and in wartime trusting the wrong person can prove fatal. Virginia is haunted every day by the betrayal that ravaged her first operation, and will do everything in her power to avenge the brave people she lost.

While her future is anything but certain, this time more than ever Virginia knows that failure is not an option. Especially when she discovers what—and whom—she's truly protecting.

Title: The invisible woman

Author: Erika Robuck

Publisher: Berkley

Publication date: February 9, 2021

REVIEW

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐💫

Historical fiction is not my usual go to genre but once in a while I read one that makes me wonder why I don't read more of these. A few years back I became quite saturated with WWII novels as they all seemed to be told from the same perspective. "The invisible woman" is also a WWII novel, but in this case the focus is all set in an amazing character I had never heard about, Virginia Hall, an American who worked with the United Kingdom's clandestine Special Operations Executive and the American Office of Strategic Services in France during nazi occupation. Her mission was to ally with Resistance groups, the Maquis, and supply them with weapons, equipment and training.

I was quite impressed with the level of research this novel entailed. Not only is Virginia a real character, but most of the characters and situations were drawn from real life too. One never realizes the tremendous amount of research the author did till one reads the author's note, where she tells about all these people's fates.

The story was riveting, the prose style really strong and Virginia's character really came to life throughout the novel. Her bravery and courage permeated every page. She was portrayed as strong and daring, but also a bit cold and unemotional. I understand she must have to be cold and detached in her situation, but I missed to see more of her emotional side. My favorite moments were when she showed emotion especially with all the women she met during her time in France. I was moved to tears in some moments.

Although the book held my attention for the whole time there were a couple of cons that made me downgrade my whole rating. On one side there was way too many characters that made it a bit difficult to keep track of all the names; and on the other I missed for the story to have more of a plot. All the parts repeated the same structure (Virginia arriving in a new group and working along them) so some scenes were a bit repetitive (we witness how they prepare and receive several drops), while the plot lines that hinted at her past and would have required more continuity were quickly resolved in the last pages (with one of them not being resolved until the author's note).

All in all, a very interesting historical fiction novel that will help readers to discover a fascinating female figure.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.