The Golden Doves

This Historical Fiction novel is set during and after WWII and focuses on the lives of two female spies - one French and the other American - who were known by their code name The Golden Doves. 

The Golden Doves duo, Parisian Arlette Larue, and American Josie Anderson, tell their stories in two timelines, during the war and seven years after. While the jumping between the timelines was sometimes a bit erratic, I was impressed with the scope of historical events that were touched on (though not in a lot of detail) and I appreciated that the harsh realities of women's experiences and the horrors the Nazis inflicted weren't glossed over. These include:

• Spying for the Resistance
• What life was like in Ravensbrück, the largest concentration camp for women and the atrocities performed on the women and children
• Nazi's Lebensborn Program ** - initiated by Nazi Heinrich Himmler to secure the racial purity of the Third Reich
• Operation Paperclip *** - the secret US intelligence program which brought 1600 German scientists and engineers from former Nazi Germany to work on their space program (and keep them out of Soviet clutches). 
• The 'Ratline' - a system that was set up at the end of WWII to aid Nazis escape out of Europe - a system that was supported by some members of the Catholic Church.

The story had two parts - during WWII and seven years later as Josie hunts for a Nazi doctor and Arlette searches for her son who was taken from her as an infant. Arlette's story was touching, but it lagged for me and there were a few too many serendipitous connections to be believable. I appreciate the amount of research that went into this story, but it sometimes felt like the author was trying to fit as many historical events as possible which resulted in an uneven flow to her story.

Overall, I enjoyed this compelling, meticulously researched novel about the strength, tenacity, and bravery of women during and after WWII. I look forward to reading her backlist which includes The Lilac Girls.

** Interested in learning more about the Lebensborn Program? Try Cradles of the Reich by Jennifer Coburn

*** Interested in learning more about Operation Paperclip? I strongly recommend The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer

Disclaimer: Thanks to Ballantine Books for the complimentary finished copy of this book which was provided in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Marth Hall Kelly

Genre: Historical Fiction (WWII)

Type and Source: Trade Paperback from publisher

Pages: 528

Publisher: Ballantine Books (Penguin Random House Canada)

First Published: April 18, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: Two former female spies, bound together by their past, risk everything to hunt down an infamous Nazi doctor in the aftermath of World War II—an extraordinary novel inspired by true events from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls

American Josie Anderson and Parisian Arlette LaRue are thrilled to be working in the French resistance, stealing so many Nazi secrets that they become known as the Golden Doves, renowned across France and hunted by the Gestapo. Their courage will cost them everything. When they are finally arrested and taken to the Ravensbrück concentration camp, along with their loved ones, a reclusive Nazi doctor does unspeakable things to Josie’s mother, a celebrated Jewish singer who joined her daughter in Paris when the world seemed bright. And Arlette’s son is stolen from her, never to be seen again.

A decade later the Doves fall headlong into a dangerous dual mission: Josie is working for U.S. Army intelligence and accepts an assignment to hunt down the infamous doctor, while a mysterious man tells Arlette he may have found her son. The Golden Doves embark on a quest across Europe and ultimately to French Guiana, discovering a web of terrible secrets, and must put themselves in grave danger to finally secure justice and protect the ones they love.

Martha Hall Kelly has garnered acclaim for her stunning combination of empathy and research into the stories of women throughout history and for exploring the terrors of Ravensbrück. With The Golden Doves, she has crafted an unforgettable story about the fates of Nazi fugitives in the wake of World War II—and the unsung females spies who risked it all to bring them to justice.