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CODE NAME HÉLÈNE

by Ariel Lawhon ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2020

A compulsively readable account of a little-known yet extraordinary historical figure—Lawhon’s best book to date.

A historical novel explores the intersection of love and war in the life of Australian-born World War II heroine Nancy Grace Augusta Wake.

Lawhon’s ( I Was Anastasia , 2018, etc.) carefully researched, lively historical novels tend to be founded on a strategic chronological gambit, whether it’s the suspenseful countdown to the landing of the Hindenberg or the tale of a Romanov princess told backward and forward at once. In her fourth novel, she splits the story of the amazing Nancy Wake, woman of many aliases, into two interwoven strands, both told in first-person present. One begins on Feb. 29th, 1944, when Wake, code-named Hélène by the British Special Operations Executive, parachutes into Vichy-controlled France to aid the troops of the Resistance, working with comrades “Hubert” and “Denden”—two of many vividly drawn supporting characters. “I wake just before dawn with a full bladder and the uncomfortable realization that I am surrounded on all sides by two hundred sex-starved Frenchmen,” she says. The second strand starts eight years earlier in Paris, where Wake is launching a career as a freelance journalist, covering early stories of the Nazi rise and learning to drink with the hardcore journos, her purse-pooch Picon in her lap. Though she claims the dog “will be the great love of [her] life,” she is about to meet the hunky Marseille-based industrialist Henri Fiocca, whose dashing courtship involves French 75 cocktails, unexpected appearances, and a drawn-out seduction. As always when going into battle, even the ones with guns and grenades, Nancy says “I wear my favorite armor…red lipstick.” Both strands offer plenty of fireworks and heroism as they converge to explain all. The author begs forgiveness in an informative afterword for all the drinking and swearing. Hey! No apologies necessary!

Pub Date: March 31, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-385-54468-9

Page Count: 464

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2020

HISTORICAL FICTION | THRILLER | ESPIONAGE | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE

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by Ariel Lawhon

Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

New York Times Bestseller

by Max Brooks ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 16, 2020

A tasty, if not always tasteful, tale of supernatural mayhem that fans of King and Crichton alike will enjoy.

Are we not men? We are—well, ask Bigfoot, as Brooks does in this delightful yarn, following on his bestseller World War Z (2006).

A zombie apocalypse is one thing. A volcanic eruption is quite another, for, as the journalist who does a framing voice-over narration for Brooks’ latest puts it, when Mount Rainier popped its cork, “it was the psychological aspect, the hyperbole-fueled hysteria that had ended up killing the most people.” Maybe, but the sasquatches whom the volcano displaced contributed to the statistics, too, if only out of self-defense. Brooks places the epicenter of the Bigfoot war in a high-tech hideaway populated by the kind of people you might find in a Jurassic Park franchise: the schmo who doesn’t know how to do much of anything but tries anyway, the well-intentioned bleeding heart, the know-it-all intellectual who turns out to know the wrong things, the immigrant with a tough backstory and an instinct for survival. Indeed, the novel does double duty as a survival manual, packed full of good advice—for instance, try not to get wounded, for “injury turns you from a giver to a taker. Taking up our resources, our time to care for you.” Brooks presents a case for making room for Bigfoot in the world while peppering his narrative with timely social criticism about bad behavior on the human side of the conflict: The explosion of Rainier might have been better forecast had the president not slashed the budget of the U.S. Geological Survey, leading to “immediate suspension of the National Volcano Early Warning System,” and there’s always someone around looking to monetize the natural disaster and the sasquatch-y onslaught that follows. Brooks is a pro at building suspense even if it plays out in some rather spectacularly yucky episodes, one involving a short spear that takes its name from “the sucking sound of pulling it out of the dead man’s heart and lungs.” Grossness aside, it puts you right there on the scene.

Pub Date: June 16, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-9848-2678-7

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Del Rey/Ballantine

Review Posted Online: Feb. 9, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2020

GENERAL SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | SCIENCE FICTION

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Kirkus Reviews' Best Books Of 2015

PRETTY GIRLS

by Karin Slaughter ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 29, 2015

Slaughter (Cop Town, 2014, etc.) is so uncompromising in following her blood trails to the darkest places imaginable that...

Twenty-four years after a traumatic disappearance tore a Georgia family apart, Slaughter’s scorching stand-alone picks them up and shreds them all over again.

The Carrolls have never been the same since 19-year-old Julia vanished. After years of fruitlessly pestering the police, her veterinarian father, Sam, killed himself; her librarian mother, Helen, still keeps the girl's bedroom untouched, just in case. Julia’s sisters have been equally scarred. Lydia Delgado has sold herself for drugs countless times, though she’s been clean for years now; Claire Scott has just been paroled after knee-capping her tennis partner for a thoughtless remark. The evening that Claire’s ankle bracelet comes off, her architect husband, Paul, is callously murdered before her eyes and, without a moment's letup, she stumbles on a mountainous cache of snuff porn. Paul’s business partner, Adam Quinn, demands information from Claire and threatens her with dire consequences if she doesn’t deliver. The Dunwoody police prove as ineffectual as ever. FBI agent Fred Nolan is more suavely menacing than helpful. So Lydia and Claire, who’ve grown so far apart that they’re virtual strangers, are unwillingly thrown back on each other for help. Once she’s plunged you into this maelstrom, Slaughter shreds your own nerves along with those of the sisters, not simply by a parade of gruesome revelations—though she supplies them in abundance—but by peeling back layer after layer from beloved family members Claire and Lydia thought they knew. The results are harrowing.

Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-06-242905-6

Page Count: 400

Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: June 30, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2015

GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE | SUSPENSE | THRILLER | SUSPENSE | PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER

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by Karin Slaughter

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Reading Ladies

Code name helene [book review].

April 24, 2020

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhom (coveer)

Genre/Categories/Setting: Biographical Historical Fiction, World War 11, French Resistance Movement, France

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

My Summary:

Real-life socialite spy, Nancy Wake…

Image Source: Wikipedia

Told in multiple timelines, Code Name Hélène is the thrilling and intense story of real-life socialite spy, Nancy Wake . Helene is only one of her four code names. When Nancy Wake first meets the love of her life, wealthy Henri Fiocca, in 1936, she is a freelance reporter and an Australian ex-pat living in Paris. As the Germans invade France, she begins her spy career by using her socialite status to smuggle documents and people across borders. Eventually, she is forced to escape France and leave Henri behind. At this time she is trained for Special Operations by the British and returns to France to work in the French Resistance Movement. Known for her innovative thinking and leadership, profanity, and red lipstick, she secures weapons from the allied forces for the French Resistance fighters. This is complicated because she is also a hunted woman with a bounty on her head.

My Thoughts:

Reasons to Read It!

Code Name Hélène is an intense, suspenseful, thrilling, and intrigue-filled read.
Hélène has superhero qualities.
Hélène is a one-of-a-kind real-life spy, an inspirational leader, and an amazingly strong woman who won’t go to work without her trademark red lipstick.
It’s a page-turner.
Code Name Hélène lives up to the hype.
Code Name Hélène is complex, historically rich, well-written, and intricately constructed.
The story leaves room for a lovely romance.
It’s by the author of I Was Anastasia .

Trigger Warnings and Content Considerations:

Because Code Name Hélène is set during WW11 and the French Resistance Movement, readers need to be prepared that this is an intense read (at least it was for me!). Characteristic of the real-life Nancy Wake, there is a great deal of profanity. In addition, the narrative includes at least two graphic and descriptive torture scenes and a couple of executions. If this were a movie, it would be rated R.

Recommended:

I’m recommending Code Name Hélène for fans of fast-paced, suspenseful, and gritty historical fiction who are OK with intense situations and graphic descriptions and for readers who make it their mission to read everything Ariel Lawhon writes.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Code Name Hélène Information

Meet the Author, Ariel Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon is a critically acclaimed author of historical fiction. She is the author of THE WIFE THE MAID AND THE MISTRESS (2014), FLIGHT OF DREAMS (2016), and I WAS ANASTASIA (2018). Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Library Reads, Indie Next, One Book One County, Costco, and Book of the Month Club selections. She is the co-founder of SheReads.org and lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, four sons, a black Lab, and a deranged Siamese cat. She splits her time between the grocery store and the baseball field.

You might enjoy the interview with Ariel Lawhon found on this page (scroll down).

Is Code Name Hélène on your TBR or have you read it?

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37 comments.

Great review, it seems you loved it as much as I did

It was a bit intense in places! But so well written!

😬- This just arrived from my local bookstore- the R rating makes me concerned

Well…..maybe it’s just me! I’m a fairly sensitive reader. 80% of the story is fine! It’s certainly well written, intriguing, and fast paced! It’s received many excellent reviews. There are some passages I needed to skim. Let me know how it goes!

I tend to be sensitive, for instance “ The Kitchen House” is a book I wish I could unread. I loved The Huntress so I will definitely give this a try

It’s close to being on par with Huntress I think. Both are so well written! Just be prepared to skim a few sections! I hope it works for you! I always believe in erring on the side of content warnings! I knew about the profanity going in so I was prepared. The violence caught me a bit off guard. But I think it’s easier if you are prepared!

The R rating is because of her swearing. Less sex than The Huntress, I believe.

And the graphically described violence.

Ah… yes, there is that too… sorry!

I’m extra sensitive I guess!

I think you know that I gave this a full 5/5 stars! Lawhon is a marvelous writer. Have you read “The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress” or “Flight of Dreams”? They’re also amazing!

Yes, Lawhon is impressive! I’m especially impressed with her ability to structure and merge timelines. The only other title I’ve read is Anastasia.

I’m so looking forward to reading this one. I listened to Lawhon’s interview with Anne Bogel just this morning, and she addressed both the profanity and the torture scenes so I was already prepared for that. She said exactly what you did about trying to skim the torture parts, and also that she knew some of her readers were sensitive to profanity, but it was such a part of what Nancy Wake was known for that she couldn’t leave it out. In fact, she said she even toned it down some to try to make it more palatable. Great review, Carol. Completely reinforces what I heard this morning.

Thanks Debi! I did listen to that interview and loved it! It’s a gritty read but what a fascinating woman! She reminds me a bit of Carrie in Homeland. Did you watch that series?

I didn’t. Was it good?

It’s gritty and R rated but she plays a compelling character and is a marvelous actor!

[…] blog posts, I attempt to incorporate other images. For example, in my review of Code Name Helene, I also used a real-life picture of Helene. In addition, I always include an author’s […]

[…] 4.5 Stars. Historical Fiction (WW11). An inspiring and memorable main character who worked with the French Resistance. My full review here. […]

[…] Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon […]

This is another book I waffled on, but after reading your review, I am adding this one to my TBR. I do enjoy reading about real life heroes.

She’s quite a woman! It’s a gritty page turner….with just a few scenes I needed to skim….but worth the read I think!

[…] Code Name Hélène by Ariel LawhonGenre: WW11 Histfic4 Stars […]

[…] Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon […]

[…] Other books I’ve read about women spies and/or the resistance movement in WW11 include Code Name Helene, Resistance Women, The Alice Network, The Last Train to London, The Book of Lost Names, and The […]

[…] read stories that include profanity when it’s used for specific reasons….for example, Code Name Helene included a great deal of profanity but it was understandable in the circumstances and accurately […]

[…] in negative ways. Now, if the profanity is in context, it can be different. One example of this is Code Name Helene which is based on a real life person who was known for her use of profanity. In addition, the […]

[…] Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon and The Invisible Woman by Erika Robuck (both real women who were spies working with the Resistance Movement in WW11) […]

[…] Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon#throwbackthursday […]

[…] Other books I’ve read about brave women spies or women in resistance movements include Code Name Helene, The Invisible Woman, Resistance Women, The Alice Network, and Sisters of Night and […]

[…] The Paris Agent by Kelly RimmerGoodnight From Paris by Jane HealeyThe Last Dress From Paris by Jade BeerThe Postmistress of Paris by Meg Waite ClaytonThe Paris Library by Janet Skeslien CharlesParis Never Leaves You by Ellen FeldmanThe Little Bookshop on the Seine by Rebecca RaisinThe Lost Girls of Paris by Pam JenoffLast Christmas in Paris by Hazel GaynorThe Paris Wife by Paula McLainThe Honeybee Emeralds by Amy TectorAll the Devils Are Here by Louise PennyThe Book of Lost Names by Kristin HarmelThe Chanel Sisters by Judithe LittleCode Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon […]

[…] Code Name Hélène by Ariel LawhonA thrilling and intense story of a spy for the French Resistance Movement in WWII. […]

Publisher's Synopsis

Based on the thrilling real-life story of a socialite spy and astonishing woman who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII — from the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and The Frozen River.

It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for 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.

As Lucienne Carlier, Nancy smuggles people and documents across the border. Her success and her remarkable ability to evade capture earns her the nickname The White Mouse from the Gestapo. With a five million franc bounty on her head, Nancy is forced to escape France and leave Henri behind. When she enters training with the Special Operations Executives in Britain, her new comrades are instructed to call her Helene. And finally, with mission in hand, Nancy is airdropped back into France as the deadly Madam Andree, where she claims her place as one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance, armed with a ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and the ability to summon weapons straight from the Allied Forces.

But no one can protect Nancy if the enemy finds out these four women are one and the same, and the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed she — and the people she loves — become.

Let's face it. Not every book is made for every reader. And some books are meant to be read by certain people. I'm 100% convinced that Code Name Hélène was written specifically for people like me (and you if you're crazy about historical fiction, too). By far the best World War II novel I’ve read, Code Name Hélène literally has something for everyone. Romance, espionage, intrigue, fashion, Paris, murder, combat...you name it, this book has it!

One of the things I loved most about Code Name Hélène is the fact that Lawhon creates two competing storylines. Flashing back and forth in time, readers get glimpses of Nancy's life before and during the war. We fall in love with Henri alongside Nancy and feel her pain feels having left him to do her part in the war, torn between being in the action rather than at home in the arms of Henri. This creates tension that's too compelling to put down. Readers experience all the highs and lows of Nancy's life during this period, right up to the bitter end when she learns the truth about the ravages of war on one's country and one's life.

It wasn’t simply the plot with this one though; I feel hard for Nancy and for Lawhon’s writing style. Nancy’s razor-sharp tongue jumps off the page, exploding to life from the first few lines. I listened to this audiobook and immediately upon finishing knew I needed to own a forever copy for my shelves. I couldn’t break away from this novel, completely engrossed from the get-go. This is the most badass WWII heroine I’ve met on my never-ending journey to devour all things historical fiction. I want to know this character IRL. Hell, I want to be this character. The fact that the book is based on a true story makes this accomplishment even greater. Bravo, Ms. Lawhon. Bravo, Nancy.

Finishing Code Name Hélène left a hole in my TBR that I've struggled to fill since. I read A LOT of WWII fiction, and none have been as good as this novel, in my opinion. It's hard to top perfection, and that's just what Code Name Hélène is in my opinion. If only we could all be a little bit more like Nancy, throwing caution to the wind as we fly through the night waiting for our parachutes to open, hoping that this will be the mission that makes a difference. Trust me, y'all. This book is an adventure you don't want to miss.

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Submitting a book for review, write the editor, you are here:, code name hélène.

From Ariel Lawhon, the bestselling author of I WAS ANASTASIA, comes CODE NAME HÉLÈNE, a riveting and fast-moving account of the life of Nancy Wake, a socialite spy who was one of the most decorated women of World War II. Here, Lawhon reveals to her readers the names --- four of them! --- that Nancy used to hide among her enemies and the boundless, indefatigable spirit that carried her through the war.

CODE NAME HÉLÈNE is written in interweaving timelines differentiated by whichever name Nancy is using at the time. Beginning with Madam Andrée, we meet a woman who can drink, curse and fight like a man, but is equally ill at ease without her signature red lipstick and often can be found sporting a fashionable Louis Vuitton bag. Quite simply, Nancy is unique, and it is this trademark spirit and sense of energy that quickly set her apart, both for her comrades in war and for readers. Starting with an exhilarating leap from a plane into enemy territory, and following through the night as she susses out traitors, Nancy maintains an exhausting list of code words and still manages to look effortlessly beautiful through it all. But this is just one night in Nancy’s long, storied time on the battlefields, and Lawhon immediately immerses us in her fascinating history.

In a flashback to before the war, we meet Nancy as she is working as a young freelance journalist in Paris in 1936. Though she enjoys travel and hearing people’s stories, the least interesting part of journalism for her is, well, being a journalist. Add to that her boss’s misogyny and the industry’s unwillingness to list the names of female contributors, and you have one bored Nancy. Luckily for her, she has a dazzlingly glamorous friend in Stephanie, a quintessential Parisienne, and the two supplement their time together with fancy cocktails, dodging handsome men, and teaching Australian Nancy to become a real Parisian. And then Hitler begins to take control, and Nancy finds a new calling in exposing the horrors of his men and their treatment of Jews. After landing an exclusive scoop, she travels with a fellow freelancer to Vienna and Berlin, where she witnesses unspeakable horrors long before they are being actively reported on.

"Writing four women is no easy feat, especially if they are all the same person and the narrative is hopping across timelines and locations, yet it is one that Lawhon handles deftly and strategically."

Alternating between these two timelines, we follow Nancy as she meets and is wooed by a dashing man named Henri Fiocca, avoids a murder plot, and successfully secures loads of weapons and ammunitions for rebel forces fighting Hitler’s men. What immediately sets Nancy apart is her quick wit and intelligence. Whereas I am normally turned off by characters who are too witty, Lawhon infuses her protagonist with such vivacity that her smart tongue feels natural. Nancy is certainly an icon in her own right, but Lawhon so effectively closes the distance between this legendary female and her readers that she feels like a normal woman who has worked hard for everything she has, not a trope or “Chosen One.”

Soon after Britain declares war on Germany, Nancy picks up a new last name, Fiocca. But she barely has time to settle into married life before the Germans invade France, and she is galvanized into joining the war effort as Lucienne Carlier. Lucienne is adept at smuggling people and documents across borders, but her achievements do not go unnoticed by the Gestapo, and rumors of a White Mouse --- a female operative who is deemed uncapturable --- begin to fly. Unfortunately for Nancy, this nickname is to become her most lucrative yet: a sizable bounty is placed on her perfectly coiffed head. Desperate to protect Henri and those she loves, she makes the impossible decision to escape from her beloved France. Faced with no pleasant choice and too many unpleasant ones, she joins the Special Operations Executives for training, where her near-photographic memory is quickly utilized and she is airdropped back into France as the aforementioned Madam Andrée.

It is Madam Andrée with whom we spend the most time, and she is, without a doubt, the most ferocious of all of Nancy’s identities. Her wit is never more present, and armed with plenty of experience in dealing with men, she is always ready to stand her ground, shove her subordinates in their places and make it clear that anyone standing behind her is going to win. And yet, this strength is marked by her deep pain at being separated from Henri, as well as her fear that the Nazis will soon realize that Nancy, Lucienne, the White Mouse and Madam Andrée are all one and the same.

Writing four women is no easy feat, especially if they are all the same person and the narrative is hopping across timelines and locations, yet it is one that Lawhon handles deftly and strategically. Though I never struggled to remember who was who, where they were or why, I do feel that the book could have been cut down just a bit. Lawhon was clearly dedicated to sharing Nancy’s exploits in full, and she does this admirably, but her descriptions can drag at times, especially when detailing characters’ looks and outfits.

It is no secret that there already are a wealth of World War II stories from which to choose, but two elements make this one a surefire pick: Lawhon’s stellar writing, coupled with the fact that Nancy was a real woman and that most of the accomplishments detailed here are true. I did some research as I read, and at every turn I was shocked not only by how accurately Lawhon had captured Nancy’s exploits and personality, but that I somehow had never heard of her before reading CODE NAME HÉLÈNE.

Though Nancy was indeed fully decorated after the war, she has been largely ignored by history books since then. That is a grave error, and one that Lawhon undoubtedly will fix with this stunning, moving story of Nancy Wake, Lucienne, the White Mouse, Madame Andrée and their steadfast, unwavering dedication to their cause.

Reviewed by Rebecca Munro on April 3, 2020

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Publication Date: February 2, 2021
Genres: Fiction , Historical Fiction
Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN-10: 0525565493
ISBN-13: 9780525565499

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Book Review | Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

28 december 2020.

Historical nonfiction might be my favorite genre of literature. I mean, a book that reads like a novel but is about stuff that actually happened? Yes, please. It does seem like a lot of "strong, female" characters in historical settings seem to have the same fierce, snarky internal dialogue. Which, I agree, is unrealistic. The meaning of the term "feminist" (or its historical equivalent) has changed a lot over time, and to make a woman in historical times react to things the same way a modern woman would, is not accurate in my opinion. I Was Anastasia sounds like a good book. I might have to check it out :D I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day! ~ Scarlett | An Attempt at Authenticity https://a4andme.blogspot.com/

I'm so glad you understand where I'm coming from with that critique! I was worried people wouldn't understand what I was talking about. But yes, I Was Anastasia is amazing!

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Search this blog, code name helene by ariel lawhon: a book review.

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Doubleday Books

Release Date: 2020

Source: Publisher/Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: BASED ON THE THRILLING REAL-LIFE STORY OF SOCIALITE SPY NANCY WAKE, comes the newest feat of historical fiction from the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia , featuring the astonishing woman who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII.

As LUCIENNE CARLIER Nancy smuggles people and documents across the border. Her success and her remarkable ability to evade capture earns her the nickname THE WHITE MOUSE from the Gestapo. With a five million franc bounty on her head, Nancy is forced to escape France and leave Henri behind. When she enters training with the Special Operations Executives in Britain, her new comrades are instructed to call her HÉLÈNE . And finally, with mission in hand, Nancy is airdropped back into France as the deadly MADAM ANDRÉE , where she claims her place as one of the most powerful leaders in the French Resistance, armed with a ferocious wit, her signature red lipstick, and the ability to summon weapons straight from the Allied Forces.

But no one can protect Nancy if the enemy finds out these four women are one and the same, and the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed she--and the people she loves--become.

My Review: Nancy Wake is one of WWII’s most recognizable spies. There have been movies and television shows based on her. In Code Name Helene , Mrs. Lawhon attempts to retell her story through the four operations she worked with through her code names. Nancy Wake has been under operations using different pseudonyms. Will the enemy ever find out that these four pseudonyms are the same woman?

Nancy Wake is a fascinating historical figure in her own right. She started out as a journalist. Eventually, she became a socialite and a spy for the Resistance. She worked tirelessly to free many allied forces and Jews. She even killed a German with her bare hands. With a larger-than-life historical figure, Mrs. Lawhon certainly had juicy material to work with. Nancy Wake is indeed an admirable protagonist. Mrs. Lawhon proves that she is an incredibly brave and daring woman. She is a woman that fights for justice. She is also independent and can stand on her own against male chauvinism. Through her bravery, she begrudgingly earns the admiration and respect from her male colleagues. Thus, Nancy Wake is a perfect heroine whose only flaw is that she cannot get enough of her red lipstick.

Overall, this novel is about courage, choices, and inner strength. Besides Nancy Wake, I found all the characters, especially her husband, to be flat. I thought the beginning was slow and parts of the novel were drawn out. Therefore, I would have loved it more if it was shorter. I also had a hard time keeping her story together because it was written in a non-linear format. It would have been more comprehensible if the story was told in a linear format. Still, Code Name Helene does justice to a captivating woman! I hope that there will be more books written about her! I recommend Code Name Helene for fans of The Alice Network , Resistance Woman , and Code Name Verity !

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Book summary and reviews of Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

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Code Name Hélène

by Ariel Lawhon

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Based on the thrilling real-life story of socialite spy Nancy Wake, comes the newest feat of historical fiction from the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia , featuring the astonishing woman who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII.

Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène is a spellbinding and moving story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name. It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for 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. As LUCIENNE CARLIER Nancy smuggles people and documents across the border and earns a new nickname from the Gestapo for her remarkable ability to evade capture: THE WHITE MOUSE. With a five million franc bounty on her head, Nancy is forced to escape France and leave Henri behind. When she enters training with the Special Operations Executives in Britain, she is told to use the name HÉLÈNE with her comrades. And finally, with mission in hand, Nancy is airdropped back into France as the deadly MADAM ANDRÉE, where she claims her place as 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 no one can protect Nancy if the enemy finds out these four women are one and the same, and the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed she--and the people she loves--will become.

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BookBrowse Review Nancy Wake was a New Zealand-born nurse and one of the only women to serve in the SOE, or Special Operations Executive, during World War II. Her life is fictionalized in Ariel Lawhon's Code Name Hélène , a disappointingly generic historical fiction novel with jaunty, gratingly modern prose, and a far too heavy a focus on Nancy's romance with the French industrialist Henri Fiocca. While the book aims to tell an empowering story about a remarkable woman, Lawhon's idea of feminism is evident in a gratuitous and inane scene where Nancy applies lipstick before jumping out of a plane -- when asked what she's doing, she replies "Putting on my armor." Nancy Wake was a far more complex and multifaceted woman than Lawhon's vision of her would allow the reader to see." - Rachel Hullett Other Reviews "A compulsively readable account of a little-known yet extraordinary historical figure—Lawhon's best book to date." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "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 review) "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 "Ariel Lawhon delivers in Code Name Hélène . This fully animated portrait of Nancy Wake... 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

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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 LibraryReads, One Book One County, Indie Next, Costco, Amazon Spotlight, and Book of the Month Club selections. She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and four sons. Ariel splits her time between the grocery store and the baseball field.

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Review: Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

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Book Review: Code Name Hélène

B y Liz Garrigan and Chapter16.org

Nashville author Ariel Lawhon’s latest is a masterful novel about an unsung World War II heroine.

Code Name Hélène

By Ariel Lawhon. Doubleday. 464 pages. $27.95.

World War II heroine Nancy Wake should be so widely celebrated that whole bevies of schoolgirls dress up as this brave member of the French Resistance for Halloween. It’s a mystery — and a travesty — that she isn’t. But perhaps New York Times bestselling author Ariel Lawhon’s novel Code Name Hélène will finally bring her the recognition she deserves.

Lawhon’s exhaustively researched and vividly woven historical novel introduces readers to Wake, who was such a formidable force of nature that she led approximately 1000 French Resistance fighters, became a critical Allied asset, and eluded the Nazis so effectively that she inspired the nickname “The White Mouse.” ( The White Mouse is the title of Wake’s 1985 autobiography, currently out of print.)

In the 1930s, Wake was an Australian expat living in Paris and had brilliantly bluffed her way into a journalism gig stringing for the European branch of the Hearst Newspaper Group. Well before the start of the war, Wake documented the depravity and revolting cruelty of Adolf Hitler’s private militia known as the Brownshirts. On assignment in 1934 in Vienna’s Old Square, she and her photographer witnessed the paramilitary group publicly and viciously torturing an old Jewish shopkeeper, something the Brownshirts apparently liked to do on Fridays before the beginning of Shabbat.

In the novel, as Hitler’s men burn the contents of Jewish shops in a massive bonfire, the Wake character describes an old woman “tied spread-eagle to the massive waterwheel. They turn her round and round as she cries and screams. Her long salt-and-pepper braids swish back and forth across her shoulders as her shawl drags on the ground beside her” before a Brownshirt attacks further. “There is a single crack, like the sound of a breaking rock, and then a red stripe opens across the old woman’s back, splitting her dress diagonally, splitting the air with her screams.”

Wake had to fight to get the article published, but when it finally appeared in the New York Evening Journal — her stories often were published in American newspapers — it wasn’t bylined. Failure to credit women journalists wasn’t an oversight but instead a purposeful and unfortunate reality for women of the time, one the hard-drinking, foul-mouthed Wake character in the book characterizes as “bullshit.”

The fictional Wake’s response is no doubt true to life. Lawhon writes in her author’s note that the real Wake used profanity “Liberally. Unapologetically. And with flair . It was one of her greatest weapons in gaining dominance and respect with the Maquisards of the French Resistance. If she was to lead those men, she could not appear weak, delicate, or easily offended.”

The author’s note also painstakingly details the areas in the novel where any creative license breaks from Wake’s own accounts, those of her biographers, or established history. Most of these are benign, meant to avoid disrupting the narrative. Others include educated guesses about, for example, the shade of Wake’s lipstick — Victory Red, an Elizabeth Arden product the U.S. military commissioned for female service members — which she continued to wear like “armor” even during the prolonged deprivations of war.

But, Lawhon writes, “some of the dialogue and many of the descriptions of people and events” are taken directly from Wake’s autobiography, The White Mouse . And the most notable and important aspects of Wake’s life are mostly unembellished in Code Name Hélène , which is as much an epic love story as an engrossing narrative of an unlikely anti-Nazi combatant.

Wake got her start as an operative after her courtship and 1939 marriage to the French industrialist Henri Fiocca, with whom she lived briefly and happily in Marseille. When the war began and her husband was called to fight, she drove an ambulance to ferry the wounded. And once France fell to Nazi occupation, she aided the escape network of British officer Ian Garrow, whose release she arranged from a concentration camp by bribing a guard. Ultimately, her husband returned from the war, but the Gestapo discovered her Allied loyalties, forcing Wake to flee the country into Britain and leave her beloved husband behind.

It was there that she joined the Special Operations Executive, a group charged with conducting sabotage and intelligence gathering in occupied Europe against Germany and its Axis partners. It was a crucial resource for local Resistance movements like the French Maquis, with whom Wake was embedded after parachuting with the SOE into France in 1944.

The organization trained her extensively, and Wake’s accomplishments in the pursuit of Nazi defeat were astonishing: She once biked 500 kilometers over the course of 24 hours to deliver a message; she killed a Nazi soldier with her bare hands; she presided over the firing-squad execution of Resistance fighters who kidnapped and raped women. And as Lawhon notes, there were many female spies during World War II, but Wake represented one of a very small number of female military leaders.

Lawhon has proven herself a master at her craft, and she does readers a great service with Code Name Hélène , which she penned after a friend suggested a few years ago that she write about Nancy Wake. Like many of us, the author had not heard of the Aussie legend before 2015. “In all my years researching and writing historical fiction, I have never come across such a bold, bawdy, brazen woman,” she writes.

Wake died in 2011, only belatedly being awarded the decorations and distinctions she so justly deserved, including from France, the UK, and the United States. Lawhon writes that when Wake was first recommended for commendation in Australia, the government refused because she had not fought for the Australian Army. When it backpedaled years later, Wake was famously quoted as saying, “I told the government they could stick their medals where the monkey stuck his nuts.”

For more local book coverage, please visit Chapter16.org , an online publication of Humanities Tennessee.

About the author:.

Liz Garrigan is the former editor of the Nashville Scene and Washington City Paper . She lives in Bangkok, Thailand.



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Many Identities, One Extraordinary Woman: Code Name Hélène

06 Monday Dec 2021

Posted by Novelhistorian in Reviews and Columns

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"no--and furthmore" , "perfect" characters , 1930s , 1940s , Ariel Lawhon , Auvergne , book review , decadent view of sex , French Resistance , historical fiction , Hollywood confrontations , larger-than-life characters , male stereotypes , physical detail , sexism , World War II

Review: Code Name Hélène , by Ariel Lawhon Doubleday, 2020. 437 pp. $28

When we first meet Nancy Wake in late February 1944, she’s parachuting out of an airplane over France, assigned to finance, arm, and train Resistance groups in the Auvergne. An Australian-born journalist by training and adventurer by temperament, Nancy goes by several other names, depending on what role she’s playing. Safe to say, though, that if her biography resembles this novel in the slightest — and the author assures us it does — few people could claim to have had a more hair-raising or active role in clandestine World War II operations. Her constant struggle against men who dismiss or try to exploit her adds a superb, extra layer to the story.

Studio portrait of Nancy Wake, 1945, in a nursing uniform, photographer unknown (courtesy Australian War Memorial on line catalogue ID Number: P00885.001, via Wikimedia Commons; public domain)

Imagine someone talking her way into a job as a stringer for Hearst, with no reporting experience, and turning that into several scoops, including an interview with Hitler, another with a much sought-after Austrian Jewish refugee, and a visit to Vienna to confirm his account of brutality. None of those feats rates a byline, because Hearst won’t give her one — sexism, again. Oh, and by the way, she has one of the richest, most charming men in France wrapped around her finger.

From start to finish, Code Name Hélène will grab you and refuse to let go. It’s got to be one of the most compelling World War II stories I’ve ever read. What’s more, we have several narratives, not just the romance and the clandestine activity but further divisions within each, yet Lawhon stitches them seamlessly, from prewar to the war’s darkest days and back. Rest assured that “no — and furthermore” comes thick and fast. As a narrative of action, heartbreak, and sheer brass, Code Name Hélène is hard to beat.

Like any good novelist, Lawhon puts the reader in every scene with physical, active detail evoking emotion, and that’s what hooks you. You could pick any page for an example, but consider this description of Janos Lieberman, the escaped Jewish refugee, whom Nancy meets in Paris in 1936:

He’s pleasant-looking but not remarkable. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Dark stubble across his solemn face. It’s the jagged pink scar cutting its way from earlobe to eyeball that makes him instantly recognizable. The whip split him clean to the bone and nearly took out his left eye in the process. Even from this distance the stitch marks are still evident, little pocked craters at even intervals along his cheekbone. The scar looks like a broken zipper, and he will be forever marked by its ferocity. You cannot help but stare when you see him.

Such technique should apply in any novel, but it’s absolutely essential to portray a character like Nancy, who’s not just larger than life; she’s larger than any three lives put together. If the author did not show each moment in its fullness, portraying its intricacies, mysteries, and, often its physical demands on Nancy, which can be excruciating, you might not believe a word. But because you’re inside her skin constantly, you accept what happens.

That said, you might not accept other aspects of the novel, starting with the portrayal of France and the apparent play to a stereotype, the so-called French obsession with sex. I have no idea whether Lawhon intends this, but as a longtime student of French culture and history, I sense it, and it feels like pandering. Where the French take sex as a natural function, Anglo-Saxons find decadence, fit for squirms, shock, and sorry pilgrimages to the Moulin Rouge.

Speaking of men and women, Nancy’s French lover seems to have no inner life, except as it relates to her. He’s a Marseille businessman, a man-about-town, and politically committed, so why doesn’t he have dreams and desires other than Nancy? Many male authors have been rightly criticized for creating female characters who exist solely for the men around them. The fault also applies in reverse.

As for Nancy’s characterization, I kept wanting to find a flaw and couldn’t. Oh, she insists on her perks, sleeping on a mattress in a nightgown, while the Resistance fighters she commands are lucky to have a blanket. But that’s part of her charm, and everyone understands that nobody is tougher than she is or has her physical endurance. I wish that Lawhon had stopped there, however, and eliminated the Hollywood confrontation scenes, complete with righteous speechmaking.

By contrast, Nancy’s antagonists are all bad, including her male rivals within the Resistance. No one, other than they and the Germans, betrays sadism, sexism, anti-Semitism, or xenophobia. The flimsiest prototype is Marceline, Nancy’s rival for her lover’s affections and another instance of Hollywood—the Other Woman with six-inch fangs.

So Code Name Hélène is a curious mix, an absolutely riveting story that sweeps you away and conquers disbelief, yet peopled by figures who seem too cut-and-dried to be real. Treat yourself and read this novel, by all means. But if you’re like me, you’ll keep the salt shaker handy.

Disclaimer : I obtained my reading copy of this book from the public library.

Review: CODE NAME HÉLÈNE by Ariel Lawhon

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

One of the things I love about reading historical fiction is that I often learn of important historical figures that were previously unknown to me. Such is the case with Ariel Lawhon’s latest novel Code Name Hélène . Set in Europe during World War II, Code Name Hélène follows the adventures of Nancy Wake, an Australian-born socialite who is living in Paris when World War II breaks out. When we first meet Nancy, she is working hard, trying to be taken seriously as a journalist in a man’s world. When the war breaks out, however, Nancy finds her true calling as a spy and ultimately becomes one of the leaders of the French Resistance.

I had never heard of Nancy Wake and was fascinated to learn what a huge part she played during the war. I was also a big fan of the way the author delivers Nancy’s story to us, using several interweaving timelines, one for each of the code names Nancy acquired through her work for the Resistance. We get to see Nancy in action as an oblivious mistress, Lucienne Carlier, as she smuggles documents and people across borders to safety. When the Nazis learn of Nancy and quickly become frustrated by her uncanny ability to evade capture, they nickname her ‘The White Mouse” and put a steep price on her head. Knowing she is in imminent danger, Nancy flees France and begins training with the Special Operations Executive where she earns a new code name, Hélène, and is air dropped back into France with a new mission. As Madam Andre, this final mission is to do whatever it takes to arm the French Resistance and drive the Germans out of France.

I was completely riveted by Nancy’s journey from start to finish. It is fraught with danger and suspense at every turn, and I just found myself more and more inspired by Nancy’s formidable presence and spirit. She’s fearless, brash, resourceful, and has a take-no-prisoners attitude. Working in what could only be described as a man’s world and wearing her signature Chanel red lipstick, Nancy ultimately commands respect from all of those around her, even those who initially refuse to accept the authority of a woman in a war zone. Heck, at one point, she even kills a Nazi with her bare hands!

As awe-inspiring as her career in espionage was, I also loved that the author chose to include a glimpse into Nancy’s personal life as well, most especially her relationship with Henri Fiocca, the love of her life. Watching how the war impacted their relationship was almost as gripping as watching Nancy order men around as a Resistance fighter.

Code Name Hélène is an inspiring story of bravery, resilience, love, and sacrifice. If historical fiction and strong women are your thing, this is a book you want to check out.

About Ariel Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon is the critically acclaimed author of THE WIFE, THE MAID, AND THE MISTRESS, FLIGHT OF DREAMS, and I WAS ANASTASIA. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Library Reads, One Book One County, and Book of the Month Club selections. She is the co-founder of SheReads.org and lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, four sons, and black Lab—who is, thankfully, a girl.

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Code Name Hélène

BASED ON THE THRILLING REAL-LIFE STORY OF SOCIALITE SPY NANCY WAKE, comes the newest feat of historical fiction from the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia , featuring the astonishing woman who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII.

It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper. She is fighting to cover the disturbing reports of violence coming out of Vienna and Berlin 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.

As LUCIENNE CARLIER she smuggles people and documents across borders under the guise of an oblivious mistress. Soon enough the Gestapo hears of a female operative with a remarkable ability to evade capture, and Nancy earns a new nickname: THE WHITE MOUSE . But this one carries with it a five million franc bounty on her head. Forced to escape France and leave Henri behind for the safety of both of them, Nancy enters training with the Special Operations Executives, who transform her into HÉLÈNE . Finally, with mission in hand, Nancy is airdropped back into France as the deadly MADAM ANDRÉ . She soon becomes 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 no one can protect Nancy if the enemy finds out these four women are one and the same, and the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed she—and the people she loves—will become.

Buy Code Name Hélène:

Praise for Code Name Hélène

“A compulsively readable account of a little-known yet extraordinary historical figure—Lawhon’s best book to date.” — Kirkus, starred review “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 review

“Readers will be transfixed by the story of a woman who should be a household name.” — Library Journal, starred review

Book Reviews and News

Review: Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Title: Code Name Hélène

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Published: March 31st 2020, Simon & Schuster Australia

Read: March 2020 courtesy Simon & Schuster Australia

My Thoughts:

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon is an exciting and absorbing novel of historical fiction based on the extraordinary wartime experiences of Nancy Wake.

The story unfolds from Nancy’s first person perspective over two timelines. The first, beginning in 1936, focuses on her life in Paris as a journalist, as a newlywed, and as a people and document smuggler known as Lucienne Carlier, which earns her the moniker of ‘The White Mouse’ with a bounty of five million francs in her head. The second timeline reveals her incredible role with the Maquis in southern France as a British Special Operations Executive where she is known as Madam André, code name Hélène, and leads a Resistance force of thousands during the last months of World War II.

Lawhon takes only minor liberties with the facts to tell Nancy’s amazing story whose courageous actions earned her a dozen wartime medals from four countries. Nancy, who died in 2011 aged 98, was an intelligent, attractive, and feisty woman who wore Victory Red lipstick as armour and a cyanide pill on her cuff. She could drink like a fish, and swear like a sailor, or sip cocktails and make polite conversation in a spine revealing cocktail dress. She was a friend, a smuggler, a wife, a spy, a fighter, a leader, she was, and remains, a hero.

All but one of the major characters in Code Name Hélène were real people, from Nancy’s contacts in the Resistance, to her beloved husband. She married wealthy industrialist Henri Fiocca just before Germany invaded France but they were soon separated when he was sent to the border to fight and again, when shortly after his return, Nancy’s actions attracted the attention of the Gestapo and she was forced to flee Paris. Their relationship is a significant and moving element of the novel.

I was completely caught up in Code Name Hélène from its first pages. I thought it very well paced as it moved between timelines, both of which built a sense of anticipatory tension, though there is more outright action during Nancy’s tenure with the Maquis.

Code Name Hélène is not just a story of adventure and romance, but also one of friendship, courage, tragedy, and hope. Until now I’ve known nothing of Nancy Wake, but I have every intention of tracking down a copy of her autobiography to learn more. Nancy Wake was an extraordinary woman, and Lawhon has written an extraordinary story which honours her.

Available from Simon & Schuster Australia

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Book Review: Code Name Helene

Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon ~ 464 pages ~ to be published 3/31/20 by Doubleday Books

Goodreads Synopsis:

BASED ON THE THRILLING REAL-LIFE STORY OF SOCIALITE SPY NANCY WAKE, comes the newest feat of historical fiction from the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia, featuring the astonishing woman who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII.

As LUCIENNE CARLIER she smuggles people and documents across borders under the guise of an oblivious mistress. Soon enough the Gestapo hears of a female operative with a remarkable ability to evade capture, and Nancy earns a new nickname: THE WHITE MOUSE . But this one carries with it a five million franc bounty on her head. Forced to escape France and leave Henri behind for the safety of both of them, Nancy enters training with the Special Operations Executives, who transform her into Hélène . Finally, with mission in hand, Nancy is airdropped back into France as the deadly MADAM ANDRÉ . She soon becomes 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 no one can protect Nancy if the enemy finds out these four women are one and the same, and the closer to liberation France gets, the more exposed she–and the people she loves–will become.

What I Thought:

*I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*

Wow! This is such an amazing book! I went into Code Name Helene , honestly, just expecting another typical WWII historical fiction novel. This was totally fine with me because I love historical fiction. What I got was an absolutely amazing heroine who, bonus, was a real-life lady who was (pardon my French) a complete and total bada**! Nancy Wake is my newest role model, and I am never turning back!

Seriously, how in the world have I never heard of this woman?? She was an Australian immigrant who decided to join the French resistance when her French husband was called to the front. Even after he returned home, she kept smuggling Jews out of the occupied territories. She escaped when the Gestapo started to try to come after her. Then, she went back into France to work with the French resistance for a second time, with more than 7,000 men under her command. I mean, you can’t make up a woman who is more amazing, and she actually existed !!

Okay, now that I am done fan-girling about Nancy Wake, let me talk about Lawhon’s writing style. She really likes to use interesting timelines. In her novel I Was Anastasia , she wrote in two different timelines: one went forward in typical fashion, the other started at the end of the story and worked its way backwards, so that the two storylines met at the end of the novel. It was a bit confusing, but very intriguing.

Code Name Helene has two timelines, both moving forward in time. You get Nancy from the beginning of the war and see her evolution into the woman she is in the second timeline, which begins after she goes back to France to lead the army of resistance fighters. It was so much fun to discover things as the story progressed that were talked about in the other timeline. It was such intricate storytelling, and I am now really jazzed to pick up more of Lawhon’s books.

When you can’t stop thinking about a book and want to shout it’s praises from the rooftops, you know you have a great read! I cannot wait for the world to get their hands on this book. Nancy Wake deserves to have her story heard!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I gave Code Name Helene 5 STARS ! This is a fantastic book for anyone who loves WWII history, as well as learning about amazing women in history.

Are you interested in learning more about this book? Check out the links below!

Ariel Lawhon’s Website

Ariel Lawhon’s Twitter

Code Name Helene on Goodreads

Pre-order Code Name Helene on BN.com

Are you a fan of historical fiction? Have you ever heard of Nancy Wake? What other books about amazing women in history would you recommend? Let’s talk in the comments!

Love and happy reading,

Book Review: Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Code Name Hélène is a beautifully written and well researched historical fiction based on the true story of Nancy Wake. The heroine was an Australian woman who was on the most wanted list of the Nazi regime in France and a resistance fighter in WWII. The story is told from four code names that were actually used by Nancy Wake. She was known as ‘Madame Andree’, ‘Lucienne Carlier’, ‘Helene’ and ‘The White Mouse’. The author tells the story about a strong audacious woman wearing red Chanel lipstick as a shield, a beautiful marriage, war, friendship, and sacrifice. A very engaging, fast paced novel with a mix of different storytelling genres – history, romance, drama, comedy, action.

In 1936 Nancy Wake lives in Paris working as a freelance reporter for Hearst newspaper when she meets the handsome French industrialist Henri Fiocca. Falling in love with Henry is easy and soon she becomes Mrs. Fiocca. War is declared and the Germans invade France. And Nancy starts working for the French Resistance taking the code name The White Mouse.

The book is an inspiring apotheosis of love, courage and sacrifice. Love wins over fear, brave men and women give their lives so that others can live.

If you want to learn more about Nancy Wake check out Hoopla for the ebook called Nancy Wake by Peter Fitzsimons. Watch the 2 episodes movie called Nancy Wake on Kanopy.

Check out Code Name Hélène on Hoopla, Libby, or from your branch's shelves with your library card today!

Code Name Helene

Code Name Hélène eBook

Code Name Hélène eAudiobook

Nancy Wake, Episode 1

Nancy Wake, Episode 2

Nancy Wake by Peter Fitzsimmons (Instantly available on hoopla)

This post is for educational purposes and the contents are not endorsed by the Fulton County Library System or Fulton County Government.

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Book Review: Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ Audience: Historical Fiction Length: 464 pages Author: Ariel Lawhon Publisher: Doubleday Books Release Date: March 31st. 2020 Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This book is based on the life of Nancy Wake, an Australian expat who worked as a reporter for Hearst in Paris just before WWII and later as a spy for the British. Lawhon throws readers into the middle of the action, as Nancy, under the alias Hélène, prepares to parachute from an RAF plane into France to help the Resistance in 1944, carrying in her head memorized lists of vital data, including bridges targeted for destruction and safe house addresses. After she lands, the story flashes back eight years, as Nancy struggles for respect and recognition as a journalist; despite her firsthand observations of Nazi brutality in 1930s Vienna, her editor is reluctant to publish a story about what she’s seen. Frequent jumps in time draw out the arc of Wake’s remarkable life; despite her statement early on that women’s weapons of warfare were limited to “silk stockings and red lipstick,” by the end she’s proven herself skillful at physical combat as well.

I’M CRYING.

Oh, I have found another book to make me cry and hug it to my chest upon closing. I loved this one that much.

Nancy Wake is a flippin’ bada**. I loved the way she was portrayed in this historical fiction version of her life. It was magnificent. Her ability to stay brave and courageous in the face of such horrid evil.

I love the converging timelines and how this kept me on my toes. It’s some tiny word/big page writing, and yet I never felt like it dragged. Ever. The absolutely beautiful writing combined Nancy’s story with dialogue and descriptions of the French countryside. It was truly a new tale for historical fiction in the World War 2 sub-genre. I know it’s often said that there are too many WW2 books, but this one proved that all wrong.

Nancy’s romance with Henri was, EVERYTHING. Oh my goodness I love him so much. I was smitten with his love and devotion to Nancy (and hers with him). I love a beautiful portrayal of marriage. They never gave up on each other and I couldn’t help but cry at the ending of the war.

This is without a doubt one of my new favorites in historical fiction. I loved getting to read the author’s note at the ending about the real Nancy Wake and I want to learn more about her and her missions. What a powerful woman.

Overall audience notes:

Historical Fiction [WW2]
Language: some strong throughout (often in French)
Romance: kisses; one fade out closed door scene
Trigger/Content Warnings: this is a book about war; a lot of violence and murder; mentions of rape, horrendous war crimes (descriptive and intense)

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Nashville author Ariel Lawhon’s latest is a masterful novel about an unsung World War II heroine.

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