Code Name Helene

Code Name Helene is a fictionalized story about the real-life spy and war hero, Nancy Wake, an Australian free-lance writer who plays an essential role in the French Resistance during WWII. 

It is clear that this is a well-researched novel and Lawhon gives readers a vivid look at life in France during the war. She admits to taking a few liberties with Wake's story. but I found the format she used to be an interesting choice. Her plot doesn't follow chronological order but jumps back and forth from Nancy's past (showing how she meets her husband and her increasing involvement with the Resistant effort) to years later when she plays a pivotal role leading teams to feed and arm Resistant fighters. The earlier time frame has a strong romance feel with the latter focusing on the strategies of Wake's group in the field and the horrors of war (Caution: one very graphic scene). 

I loved the first quarter of the book as we witness Nancy's spunky, take no guff humour on the field. She was an interesting woman who not only had to conspire against Nazis and Vichy groups but also had to fight against the patriarchy and blatant chauvinism. That's no small feat and I wanted to learn more about her.

But after the first quarter I struggled with this book. It has good elements (story, writing, characters) but they didn't come together well. A lot of my feelings stem from the scattered feel of the story, the choppy jumps between time frames and a plot that got bogged down in the middle with excessive, almost rambling, details of strategies. I liked many of the characters but found it hard to remember who was who due to the different real vs spy names they used.  

This is a story about the bond between a husband and wife set within the backdrop of war. It's a well-researched story about war that focuses on friendships and tragedy and while I enjoyed learning about Nancy Wake, the format used, and its choppy delivery influenced my enjoyment of this novel. 

My Rating: 3.5 stars

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Genre: Historical Fiction (WWII)

Type: eBook

Source: Public Library

Publisher: DoubleDay

First Published: Marcy 31, 2020

Opening Lines: I have gone by many names. 

Some of them are real - I was given four at birth 

alone - but most are carefully constructed personas to 

get me through checkpoints and across borders.

Book Description from GoodReads: 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 New Zealand 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 ANDRÉE. 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.