Couldn’t put this book down. I enjoyed this one from the start! It was action packed and I was rooting for Hannah and Lily. I enjoyed how the author described the setting and while reading I felt like I was there. I love a historical fiction that is fast paced and this on checked that box for me.

Thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row and Netgalley for an advanced ecopy in exchange for my honest review.

Publish Date: February 7, 2023

Thanks so much Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley.

I love Pam Jenoff and was so excited to read this. It did not disappoint.

1942. Hannah narrowly escapes Nazi Germany. Her ship is turned away in America so she is in Belgium with her cousin, Lily.. She joins the Sapphire Line, a resistance network. Lily is arrested and sent to a camp, so Hannah is working to try to free her before it is too late.

Pam Jenoff is a master writer when it comes to historical fiction. This story was so brilliantly told. Each character plays such a crucial role to the story, and Jenoff writes their POV so that you aren't overwhelmed and waiting for your favorite character's chapter. I think she does a beautiful job respecting history while adding fictional characters.

This book takes place primarily in Belgium around 1942-43. Pam Jenoff has woven a tale based on the heroism of many volunteers who rescued downed RAF and US airman as well as those who attempted to liberate trains going to Auschwitz. We hear lots about the former, but very little about the latter. We also experience again the brutality of the Germans once they catch their pray. Well researched, Miss Jenoff will not disappoint her avid readers in this newest novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Park Row, and Pam Jenoff for the advanced copy of Code Name Sapphire in exchange for my honest review.

First, I think it's fair to point out that I am generally *not* a historical fiction reader. That said, I really enjoyed this book. It's absolutely heart wrenching, but it feels so necessary to continue to read stories that took place during the Holocaust, lest we ever forget what Jewish people of that time were forced to endure.

I enjoyed reading the story from the three main female characters, and there is a pretty big twist at the end that I certainly wasn't expecting (I wasn't expecting any sort of twist at all, to be honest!)

This was my first read by Pam Jenoff but I can confidently say it will not be my last.

Code Name Sapphire will be on US bookshelves February 7!

Pam Jenoff's story gives us a glimpse into the Belgian Resistance during the Nazi Occupation of World War II. It embraces family strength, struggles, and the difficult choices one must make when that choice is literally life or death.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

Pam Jenoff’s once again proves why she’s one of the best in the historical fiction genre with her latest novel, Code Name Saphire. Meticulously researched, it is based loosely on a story of a train bound to Auschwitz that was liberated. There is drama and danger, action and romance and strong female characters that persevere despite harrowing odds - this was a beautiful and compelling novel, I loved it.

It’s been difficult to write this review because I really like Pam Jenoff’s other books. The plot of Code Name Sapphire is a good one, but it’s too close to so many other books of its genre, and it seems to have continuity problems, which could reflect too-hurried editing. I received an advance e-copy from NetGalley and looked forward to reading this book, so I’m not happy that I had to give it a negative review. I hope the publisher will give this manuscript another run through the editing department. It has the potential to be great!

In "Code Name Sapphire", Pam Jenoff takes us back to the beginnings of WWII from of three women: Hannah Martel, a woman who loses both her fiancé and her unborn child after escaping Nazi Germany; Lily, Hannah's cousin in Brussels who offers her a place of refuge; and Micheline, the young woman behind the scenes at the Sapphire Line, an underground resistance network that aids downed Allied pilots and helps them return back to their forces. The novel rotates across their storylines and vantages, until all three of them converge.

I usually love historical fiction novels from this period, so was excited to get a chance to read about the women behind a lesser known resistance group and their experiences during this time. Jenoff has done an extensive amount of research for this book, which is clear in the descriptions, locations, and procedures that are referenced throughout. I was also drawn into the plot and wanted to learn what happened to our main characters, especially towards the ending pages when all three of them are thrown into precarious situations that endanger our lives.

I did struggle with several aspects of this novel. First, aside from Micheline, I didn't like the main protagonists of the novel. Hannah and Lily are both strong women in their own right, but knowingly make a number of choices that endanger the lives of their loved ones - actions that have repercussions over the course of the novel. There is additional history and romance thrown in with Matteo, Micheline's brother, across these two women as well which I found was rushed and at times unnecessary. I also found Jenoff's writing as a whole to be very simple, lacking in variety and depth; in the opening pages to Hannah's storyline, she loses both her fiancé and unborn child, but the following moments are barely touched on - almost glossing over the impact of such a dramatic and emotional event that altered her life. A slight nitpick on the ARC formatting but: the inconsistent line vs. paragraph breaks was also annoying to read, and made it difficult to know if a passage was a continuation from the earlier lines or a shift to a different part of the story.

While I think this novel was great in concept, the execution wasn't as well-done as I'd hoped.

This was what I was hoping for in a World War 2 historical novel, it had what I was looking for based on the description. I was invested in what was going on in the world and it does what I was looking for. The plot does a great job in telling the story and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. The characters were written really well done and worked in the timeline. I can't wait for more from Pam Jenoff.

"I understand,” Hannah said. She moved closer to comfort him, and he wrapped her in his embrace. They sat silent and motionless for several minutes. She pulled back slightly to look up at him, and their eyes met. “Hannah…” She saw then in his eyes that he had feelings for her and realized how very deeply she cared for him as well."

Code Me Sapphire was everything I hoped it would be. I love suspense and it had plenty of it. The story is set on the early 1940s when Hitler invaded Belgium. It's the story of the Sapphire Line which was a group of resistance workers whose mission was to rescue downed British soldiers and smuggle them out of the country.

Hannah was a Jewish resistance worker in Germany. The Germans broke into where she worked and she lost her fiancé and her unborn child. She was able to escape. She was on a ship headed to America but it got turned around. She ended up in Brussels where her cousin Lily, her husband Nik, and her son Georgi lived. Lily invited her to live with her family and provided her with room and board. Hannah was determined to get to America and felt that if she could find some resistance workers, then surely they'd be able to help her.

When she was in the park with Georgi she met Matteo. She had a feeling he was who she was looking for and she asked him to help. He invited her to the canteen to meet his sister, Micheline who was the head of the Sapphire Line. Micheline agreed to help her if she would work for them. Hannah said that she would. Lily found out what Hannah was doing and all but forbade her. She felt that her working with them would bring trouble for her family.

When she left Germany she'd left everything behind and she needed an ID to exist. Nik was a doctor and Lily had been a nurse. So Hannah decided to steal Lily's nurse ID. She and Matteo were at a safe house when they heard something outside. They snuck out only to find one of their comrades shot. They were able to get the guy up and made it to the car. While fleeing Lily's ID slipped out of Hannah's pocket.

They took their comrade to Nik for medical assistance. When Lily came downstairs and saw Matteo she was stunned. They had been an item several years ago and Lily broke his heart. As they were leaving Matteo asked her to meet him the following day, which she did. They met more than once. On one such occasion she was arrested. Apparently the Germans found her ID at the safe house and assumed she was working with the resistance.

Micheline had found a way to get Hannah to America. All she had to do was escort four British soldiers to France. She'd arranged to have papers waiting for her there and a ticket out. When Hannah went to the station she found the soldiers but they were arrested before she could get to them so she had to abandon the mission. When she got back to the canteen she learned of Lily's arrest and that she had been taken to a concentration camp. Her first inclination was to rescue her but they knew they couldn't. Not long after, Nik and Georgi were picked up and taken to the same camp.

Hannah found out where the camp was and went there late at night. She saw Lily and called her over. Lily told her that they had been selected to be transferred to Auschwitz, which was the death camp. Hannah went back and told Matteo and Micheline that she wanted to break them out of the train. At first Micheline didn't want to do it. She hated Lily for what she did to her brother. But after a while, she agreed to help.

When it came time to do it Micheline was no where to be found. But Matteo assured Hannah that she would show up, as she was a woman of her word. When they got to the train they found that they were in the sick car, as Nik was very ill. Lily said she couldn't leave Nik but asked Matteo to take Georgi and keep him safe. He took the child but as he was getting out of the car he was shot and Georgi ran away. It was a flesh wound. Nik told Lily to go, so she jumped from the train. She hurt her ankle but she was able to hobble into the woods. She eventually stumbled upon a farm house and she went into the barn where she saw a teenaged girl and her mother. The mother gave her something to drink. The woman left and came back with an old dress and a pair of shoes and some money. She told Lily to go to the train station to get away.

Micheline had discovered that Pascal, one of her workers, was a snitch. She wanted to find him and kill him but she thought better of it. She decided to put a hit on him. So she went to a contact to send out the hit. When she stepped outside she was arrested. That's why she hadn't shown up for the train break.

Lily remembered Hannah telling her about a safe house and that's where she went. She went to the cellar and fell asleep. She woke up to noise in the house. She went upstairs and found Hannah. Before long Matteo joined them. Their goal was to find Georgi. Matteo dispatched Hannah to a convent where lost children sometimes turned up. Matteo was going to find Micheline. He had a feeling that something was terribly wrong. At the convent the child they had wasn't Georgi. So Hannah went back to the safe house. Matteo found out that Micheline had been arrested so he, too, went back. While Matteo was out he got wind of a child that had been found. So he sent Hannah to the address and took Lily to the train station to go to France. He put her on the train and just before she was to leave she saw Hannah with Georgi. Matteo took him and as he was handing him off the police headed his way. Hannah created a distraction so that the hand off could happen. After which Matteo and Hannah were arrested.

That's all I'm going to say. To find out how it ends you'll have to read the book. The characters were well developed. The story line was easy to follow and it was believable. I wish I could've given it six stars.

This book started off in an intriguing way, where you hit the ground running- literally! Unfortunately, not very far in there's a soldier who assumes a female agent wanted to sleep with him (she was only giving him civilian clothes to change into and hide with so he wouldn't be recognized and killed) but I find this to be appalling.
The idea doesn't happen, but was totally unnecessary and distasteful in my opinion. Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to review this book. A positive review was not required of me and the thoughts above are my own.

Book Review

Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff
@PamJenoff
Pub date: February 7, 2023

My thanks to @HTPBooks @ParkrowBooks for this #Gifted DRC!

The one genre that I love that I don’t read nearly enough of is historical fiction and, going forward into 2023, my goal is to change this!

Pam Jenoff’s books are a balm to my soul; she writes about the strength of women in the toughest of times with both grace and authenticity. In Code Name Sapphire she gives a fictional look at a real-life event; the liberation of a train on it’s way to Auschwitz and the story she creates surrounding this event is thrilling, heartbreaking and such an inspiration.

Hannah, who, after the death of her fiancé is bound for the states and is turned away. With nowhere else to go, she heads to Brussels to say with her cousin Lily and her family. Things take a turn as the war ramps up - food is rationed and the occupation becomes more oppressive with persecution and deportation to concentration camps happening more frequently. Hannah wants to help and joins the Sapphire Line, a resistance that is focused on getting downed airman to freedom. When her actions cause Lily and her family to be arrested and bound for Auschwitz, Hannah is forced to make a choice.

I loved everything about this story; courage in the face of adversity, humanity at both its best and worst, and the strong relationships formed in the worst of times.

Code Name Sapphire gets all the stars from me!

Side note: This is Pam Jenoff week for me, I’m listening to Almost Home right now and it is looking to be just as wonderful as Code Name Sapphire. If you haven’t read this author yet, I highly recommend you do. Her books are more than just history; they are thrilling, suspenseful and full of heart. ❤

💭Is there a genre you love that you’d like to spend more time reading?

Stay bookish, my friends ❤

#CodeNameSapphire #PamJenoff #HTPBooks #ParkrowBooks #WWII #TheCometLine #StongWomen #WomensLiterature #2023Books #BookReview #ARCReview #YouShouldReadThis #HistoricalFiction #JustBooksBookstagram #WomenWhoRead #ReaderOfTheWrittenWord #IGReads #OnMyShelf #TBR #TBRSoon #InstaRead #Readstagram #MyBookishLife #BookishLove #CoolGirlsRead #BooksAndNature #ILoveReading #IGBooks

This book is based on a historical event which happened in April 1943. The freeing of prisoners from a train 🚃 on it's way to Auschwitz. In this story it is 1942 and we have 3 such courageous & strong willed female characters,
(Micheline, Hannah, and Lily).
There are also three very strong supporting male characters, (Matteo, Nik, Georgi).

Micheline is the younger sister to Matteo and they both work for the resistance helping getting downed airman back to safety.

Hannah goes to live with her cousin Lily temporarily while trying to find a way to get out of occupied Europe. Lily is married to Nik who is a doctor and they have a son named Georgi.

Hannah becomes part of the Sapphire Line and one unsuccessful mission causes the downfall of the future of all these characters.

A story filled with lots of secrets, action, love, betrayal, and hope. So many emotions throughout, you'll experience sadness, disbelief, shock, disgust, and amazement in seeing what each of them go through. Lots of surprises and twists till the end, and what an ending it is.

Thank you Pam Jenoff for another powerful story. This is my fourth book. I've read "The Orphans Tale", "The Lost Girls of Paris", and "The Woman with the Blue Star". I have enjoyed them all. 💕

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the Advance Reader Copy on ebook for my honest review.
The publishers, Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row.

#CodeNameSapphire
#NetGalley
#PamJenoff
#HarlequinTradePublishing
#ParkRow

Code Name Sapphire follows three women in Belgium during the German Occupation. Hannah and Micheline work to smuggle downed pilots back to the UK via Spain so they can fly again while Lily, Hannah's cousin, tries to keep her head down and follow orders of the Germans. I liked all three of these women, they each had some redeeming moments as well as moments where they showed very human selfishness in their choices. The plot was very fast paced and hooked me from the beginning and I was addicted until the end. I liked how true this story felt to history and the many tales of people's resistance activities during world war II. A few spots felt like we sped through though and some details felt like they were missing or unrealistic. I did really enjoy the book though as I have others written by Jenoff and I'd read any future books as I know it will be an entertaining read.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Publication: February 7, 2023

This is the second book by Jenoff that I've read. The first book I remember struggling through but that was a couple of years ago so surely her writing and I would get along now, right?

It turns out that I still struggled with her new book. I couldn't quite settle in and all the characters seemed to be the same while reading. I loved all the historical aspects though but the one dimension pieces regarding the characters, dragged it down for me.

Based on other reviews that I saw, I'm definitely in the minority. I think if you enjoy Jenoff's other books, you will be drawn right in! Also perfect for fans of WW2 historical fiction, learning something new, and detailed descriptions.

It would be impossible for Pam Jenoff to write anything that wasn't outstanding. Here is yet another example of her keen historical eye, fast moving interconnected story, several individuals who invariably end up working together, and happy endings for some, but never for all the characters. Not everyone in Nazi Germany was Jewish, and not everyone in Germany was for or against what Hitler stood for. The stories unfold of different individuals who want different things from life, and who take different routes to get there. Working as a woman for high-up members in the Nazi party was one way to supposedly guarantee a good life. Working as the head of a centre to create or help procreate the 'perfect' German child was another way of making a decent living. An era without moral scruples. Yet there were many outraged people who were working individually and then collectively to help in some small way to undermine the cruel regime, people who no-one in military circles would even suspect. "Trust no one' is certainly a theme that runs through the book. 'Take the moral high ground' is another theme. This book has many topics to discuss in the classroom or in bookclubs for years to come. How do we know that the person/s we grew up with are the ones we want to continue being connected to? Even our parents. I loved this book and it will continue to plague me with many personal and professional questions for years to come. Well done, Pam Jenoff.....

Another excellent and powerful book by Pam Jenoff, who is a master at storytelling. She is one of my favorite authors and what an incredible story! It is based on a true event of a train that was liberated on its way to Auschwitz. Hannah Martel barely escapes Germany in 1942 after her fiance' is killed in a pogrom. She reaches out to her cousin, LIly, who lives in Belgium because she has nowhere to flee. Hannah seeks to leave Europe and becomes involved in a resistance group called The Sapphire Line led by a woman named Micheline and her brother Mateo so that they will help her escape. She ends up making a big mistake which will possibly cost Lily and her family greatly.

When Lily is arrested (her husband and son are later arrested), due to Hannah's actions, Hannah proceeds to do what it will take to save them. Eventually, she finds out that Lily's family will be headed on a train to Auschwitz. At what cost will Hannah stoop to in order to make things right? What does she have to sacrifice in order to save her cousin. The story had a few twists and turns that I was not expecting with the plot well written. It's a story of love, sacrifice, bravery, family bonds, and resilience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin publishing for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Such a fantastic Book!!!

For readers who enjoy WWII historical fiction, Code Name Sapphire is a book you don’t want to miss!

Based on a true story of a liberated train on its way to Auschwitz, Code Name Sapphire is filled with complex relationships, secrets, love and twists that make the reader not want to put it down.

Pam Jenoff tells the tale of three heroic female characters, set in Brussels in 1942 during the Nazi occupation. Hannah, a German Jew, was trying to escape Nazi Germany but her ship was turned around and never reached America. Lily, a mother and wife to a prominent Jewish doctor, is Hannah’s long-lost cousin and believes that Jews will be safe in Brussels. Lastly, Micheline, a young woman who runs the Sapphire line in a resistance group that helps rescue downed airmen. As the women’s lives intersect, you learn of their strength, resiliency, and what they are willing to do to help others. The writer’s ability to develop strong yet different characters throughout the story draws you in as you relate to their humanity. It makes you question, "What would you be willing to do if you were in their place?"

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Pam Jenoff continues her expertise in Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust. This time the setting is in Slovakia and Poland. Based on real life incidents, this historical fiction is filled with suspense and adventure. Hannah is discovered creating satirical cartoons in her lover's underground newspaper. Her lover was killed while she hid, though losing a child. She tried to escape to the US via Cuba but the ship was not allowed to dock in Havena and she was sent to Brussels where her cousin, Lily, lived. Lily her husband and young son lived a life in denial of the reality of the war, thinking that as Belgians they would not be arrested by the Nazis. While living with Lily, Hannah becomes secretly ensconced in a resistance network, the Sapphire Line, that smuggled downed Allied pilots and their crew to safe territroy. Micheline headed this resistance with her brother Matteo who unbeknownst to Hannah had a relationship with Lily in the past. The rest of the book describes the adventures, betrayals and pitfalls that happened during the resistance efforts. There is also a love triangle that will appeal to those who need a little romance in their novels to spice things up. The first half of the book went more slowly for me but then the pace and tension picked up dramatically. Strong portrayals of loyalty, family and courage dot the landscape of this easy to read prose. This will be a good choice for fans of Beatriz Williams.

Three women's lives are fatefully entwined in WWII Belgium: Micheline, a young charismatic leader of the "Sapphire" resistance line charged with smuggling Allied airmen out of Europe; Hannah, a Jewish artist heartbroken by tragedy who is desperate to get out of Europe that she will risk everything; and Lily, Hannah's cousin and wife of an upperclass Jewish doctor who takes her cousin in but is in denial that the Nazi regime will soon threaten everything she holds dear. Hannah, enamored by Micheline's brother Matteo, becomes involved with the Sapphire line as a means to an escape and, as an unforeseen cost, Lily and her family pay the price. Desperate save them from a death train bound for Auschwitz, Hannah enlists the help of the siblings and Micheline reluctantly agrees, if only because Matteo has motivation of his own to save Lily and her young son. They hope, but doubt, that they will all come out alive.
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A subtle page-turning story about the strength of women in WWII and the length we will go to to save the one's we love, as well the bitterness of unexpected costs of our decisions. While this tale mostly centers on the diametric cousins, I was immediately enthralled by our true heroine, Micheline and wished I had more of her story to explore. It is somewhat of a slow burn, and then halfway through, it is difficult to put down. You may feel real agony, betrayal, and disbelief as you read. The twist at the end was crushing, because you know the cost, but there is still hope for redemption.
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My first Pam Jenoff, and probably not my last! I love this era of history and the untold stories of women when the history books are dominated by those of men. My only critique is that I felt like a lot of the character's epiphanies, secrets, and motivating emotions are bluntly spelled out for you in an unnatural way, rather than allowing for some interpretation or wonder.
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"'No one person is the sun'... They were a constellation of stars, basking in the collective glow."