THE INVISIBLE WOMAN by Erika Robuck

“An extraordinary profile of immense courage and daring.”—Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of Before We Left Cuba

 
“If you only read one WWII book this year, make it this one."—Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Orphans
 
In the depths of war, she would defy the odds to help liberate a nation…a gripping historical novel based on the remarkable true story of World War II heroine Virginia Hall, from the bestselling author of Hemingway’s Girl
 
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.

MY THOUGHTS:

This was my first book by Erika Robuck and will not be my last. I look forward to many more.

My favorite line from this book is: "My name is Virginia Hall."

WOW! This book was so good. I've not read a historical fiction book like this before. It has enough truth in it to make it great and enough fiction to work its magic. Though it is very sad in parts it's also very inspiring. The main character, Virginia, is a very strong female. She takes nothing from anyone if she can help it. She's fierce and a force in the job she does. She demands respect and gets it. She radiates strength. Even with one leg....

This book starts out with a group of young women about to start college. It is light hearted and grabs you. It then jumps to the war and all that is happening in the country Virginia loves. Though she is from America, she loves France. She considers it her home. Her heart. She will and does do anything and everything she can to make it safe again. As a resistance fighter, Virginia becomes a fast and strong woman. She fights for what she believes in and takes not prisoners so to speak. She goes through a lot and does all she can to help the people in her care. From each place she is sent she makes friends. She is well respected and loved by these people she is leading to freedom. Bringing them supplies and teaching them so much. I admire this woman and what she goes through.

This book brought me to tears in many places. It also added a few chuckles along the way. But most of all it had me in awe. I was fully in awe of the resistance fighters in this story. What they did to help. The many ways they fought to bring the Nazis down. This book just made me see things that I forgot about learning in school. The sadness in hearing about the many people who were almost dead from starvation. From being kept in prison camps. Though this book did not go into that a lot it did touch on it and it's awful what happened. I hope people learned from this war. I hope they won't ever let this history be repeated. 

From the towns and streets of Paris to the hidden areas in the middle of a wooded area you will find out things that happened. How people banned together to stop a group of horrible Nazis. This story is told in a way that will keep you turning the pages long into the night. One you will not want to put down. The "afterword" and the "What became of Virginia's Network" are very interesting also. Be sure and read that at the end. So much is told in those few paragraphs. Some of it made me break down again as I felt like I knew these people. They became like friends in many ways. Relatable and real. The descriptions are so well written that you will have many feelings. 

Such a good book!!

Thank you to #NetGalley, #ErikaRobuck, #BerkleyPublishingGroup, #PenguinRandomHouse, #TheInvisibleWoman for this ARC... These are my own true thoughts about this book.

5/5 huge stars and a very high recommendation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR  

Erika Robuck is the national bestselling author of Hemingway’s Girl, Call Me Zelda, Fallen Beauty, The House of Hawthorne, and Receive Me Falling. She is also a contributor to the anthology Grand Central: Postwar Stories of Love and Reunion, and to the Writer’s Digest essay collection Author in Progress. #Hockeystrong, as E. Robuck, is her first satire. Her forthcoming novel, The Invisible Woman (Feb. 2021), is about real-life superwoman of WWII, Virginia Hall. In 2014, Robuck was named Annapolis’ Author of the Year, and she resides there with her husband and three sons.

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