Erika Robuck

This was an intriguing cat and mouse tale, and it definitely kept me turning the pages. I really liked Elizebeth and would love to read more about her and William and their actions during both World Wars. I loved seeing her devotion to her husband and would love to see if she managed to find a better work/life balance going forward. I was not a fan of Maria, but I don't think I was supposed to be. Actually, it doesn't often work for me when a book features the point of view of a villain, but having Maria's point of view was integral to this story. Also, while ultimately I just wanted to see her captured, I did at times feel sympathy for her.

Erika Robuck has become a must-read author for me, and this didn't disappoint. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Sourcebooks for the early read.… (mais)

I don't read a lot of historical fiction, but Erika Robuck's THE INVISIBLE WOMAN fit into my particular interests of war and the military. It tells the story of American Virginia Hall, one of the most respected espionage agents of WWII, who worked closely with the French Resistance in effecting the withdrawal of Nazi troops from France. She engaged in acts of sabotage and taught young French resistors how to do the same, all while secretly sending important data back to UK Headquarters and arranging air drops of supplies and weapons via her portable wireless set. And yes, Hall worked for both the US and UK at various times during the war, at one time escaping on foot from Nazi forces over the frozen Pyrenees, a difficult and treacherous journey, and all this with a prosthetic wooden leg she called 'Cuthbert' (the result of a hunting accident before the war). Robuck manages to weave in much of Hall's backstory and earlier missions as she follows her day to day efforts in the final year of the war, before and after the D-Day landing of Allied forces at Normandy. Erika Robuck has done her homework, seamlessly combining the factual with fiction, giving us a compelling and believable picture of Virginia Hall's exploits behind enemy lines, and even a bit about her post-war career with the OSS and the CIA, where she was the victim of gender discrimination despite her distinguished war record. A terrific read for history buffs, both men and women. Very highly recommended.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER… (mais)

Courage. It’s what Virginia and Violette harness as they navigate life during the war in Sisters of Night and Fog by Erika Robuck. The more books I read that are set during WWII, I have to come expect the story to be heavy. This book is no different. It’s a nice, long read that alternates between the lives of Virginia and Violette as they navigate the changes in their young lives that are significantly impacted by the invasion of the Nazis.

The story opens when Virginia and Violette are young adults and follows them into marriage, adjusting to life during a war with rations, curfews, and living in a state of fear, to resisting the enemy. Virginia is an American married to a French man. She is a strong woman who welcomes any opportunity to actively support their allies. Violette is only 19 years old when she marries her soulmate. She suffers a lot for such a young woman and her suffering motivates her to take on the Nazis. She is recruited by Britain’s Special Operations Executive, a secret war operation that trained her to be an agent to gather intelligence to fight the Nazis.

This story highlights the great work of Virginia and Violette as well as describing the unimaginable horrors and suffering of people during the war. While there are moments this book made me smile or even laugh, it also broke my heart and brought me to tears. It’s an important story that will stay with me.

It wasn’t until I finished this book that I realized it’s described as biographical fiction, rather than historical fiction. As I gather from the author’s note at the end of the book, a significant amount of this story is true. I realize it’s a fictional book; however, these courageous women and their astounding stories are real. The research that went into learning the lives of these women is impressive! Clearly Erika immersed herself into the heroic lives of Virginia and Violet.

I purchased the audiobook from Audible. Narration by Caroline Hewitt is amazing! She makes the listening experience very enjoyable as she navigates all of the dialects and accents effortlessly. Her talent for narrating this story is extraordinary!

I have photos and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog… (mais)

In yet another historically based novel, courage encounters the consummate evil. Nicolette and Virginia are resistance fighters in France during WWII. Nicolette is a widow with a young daughter and Virginia, an American, stands beside her French husband during the invasion of the Nazis. Their harrowing stories are told in alternating chapters until they are captured and meet at Ravensbruck, the notorious prison camp with conditions that are utterly deplorable and Nazi guards who relish in inflicting the harshest possible punishments to human beings who are little more than living skeletons.

Their stories are told in graphic detail to ensure readers understand the risks they willingly undertook to help and provide comfort to those most in need of their services. The strength of the convictions of all resistance fighters to fight a wickedness beyond comprehension deserves lasting attention and our profound respect.… (mais)