CODE NAME SAPPHIRE by Pam Jenoff

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Thanks for the gifted copy @parkrowbooks! Code Name Sapphire comes out Feb. 7. Swipe for synopsis.

I’ll never not be a fan of books that showcase women in the resistance, so needless to say I enjoyed this one. I’m also a big fan of Pam Jenoff & think she’s one of the best WWII historical fiction authors out there. It’s obvious she did her research, as this one is based on the real-life Comet Line, and I always appreciate that in a historical fiction novel.

I found the book to be fast paced & was reaching for it every chance I got, finishing it in just over 24 hours. The characters were well developed, easy to root for & had interesting, intersecting storylines. I found all 3 women to be strong in their own way and was intrigued by each.

The story was full (and I mean FULL) of twists and turns, both loyalty and deceit, bravery & lots of lots of action. I also liked that this story takes place in Belgium, which isn’t often predominantly featured in WWII HF. While I didn’t love every aspect of the romance storyline (IYKYK), it was an interesting addition to the plot line and added depth.

As with most WWII historical fiction reads, this one features a lot of sadness and heartbreak, so make sure you’re in the right headspace.

Trigger warnings: miscarriage, death, gun violence, antisemitism, torture, violence, sexual assault

Wow! This story transported me back to WWII. It is based on true stories, which the author explains in the end note what is fact vs fiction. If you enjoy WWII genre historical fiction as I do this is a must read. The stories of impossible threats and the brave people who face those threats is hard to forget. I loved the spirit the author captured in the characters. Once you start this book you will not be able to put it down.

The body of fiction about female spies in World War II that has popped up over the past few years seems overwhelming and exhaustive.  I often feel like I’ve read them all, and sometimes start to wonder whether there are any new stories to be told in the genre. However, Pam Jenoff — an author, law professor and former diplomat — consistently delivers smart, complex and compelling stories. Ms. Jenoff’s latest novel, Code Name Sapphire is a fast-paced tale of love and espionage in occupied Belgium.

Jenoff interweaves the story of Jewish cousins Lily and Hannah with that of Micheline and Matteo, siblings who front a resistance network. The novel is fast-paced, heartbreaking, and filled with the reminder that many Europeans were faced with unthinkable choices during the Nazi era. Ms. Jenoff loosely based the novel on a real-life mission to liberate a train bearing prisoners bound for Auschwitz.

As two love triangles unfold alongside betrayals and a complex rescue mission, the narrative becomes a little convoluted. I feel like this book needed one more rewrite to tighten the plot and explore the characters. It’s a well-researched historical novel that captures the heartbreak and resignation of prisoners headed toward certain death. Ms. Jenoff paints a compelling portrait of the character Lily in her journey from sheltered housewife to defiant prisoner. I wish the other characters had felt as multidimensional and realistic.

This is a good read for those of us who love the WWII historical novel, particularly the subgenre of female spy networks. I’d skip it if you’re only mildly interested in these works.

It’s 1942, Germany is rolling into countries and taking them over as World War II rages on. The Nazis are everywhere and when Hannah Martel has to escape Germany due to the death of her fiancé and her work in the resistance, she finds herself on a ship that’s turned away from port and with nowhere to go, she sends a desperate letter to her cousin Lily in Brussels. With her cousin Lily vouching for her, Hannah tries to keep her head down and make arrangements to get out of Europe as fast as she can but there’s no safe way to escape as she’s drawn back into the world of the resistance again in Brussels. Bu danger looms and as her work with the Sapphire line continues, Hannah finds she put her cousin Lily and her family in danger even as she desperately tries to help in anyway she can for the resistance. But what happens when Lily and her family are arrested and scheduled to be deported to Auschwitz, how far will Hannah go to rescue her cousin? How much will Hannah sacrifice to save the only family she has left?

CODE NAME SAPPHIRE is a story set around some true events and stories of sacrifice and bravery that happened during that time in Brussels, Belgium. This was an author I haven’t really read before and found that her characters were interesting if a bit one note at times. The characters felt a little flat at times and one note. Lily in particular had me wondering if there was a redeeming quality about her so I could like her a little and Hannah fell far below some other characters that felt a bit more interesting (especially Micheline as head of the Sapphire line in Brussels) and wished there was more about her than some of the others. The story alternates between Lily, Hannah and Micheline throughout the book and it was a cohesive storyline that didn’t veer to far off the track especially when you go back and forth between the three women. The author does a good job in capturing the desolation, the austerity and hopelessness that many during that time had felt under Nazi Germany rule and the bravado of those who fought back against them. CODE NAME SAPPHIRE isn’t the best historical fiction set in World War II I have read but its one that was just unique in the setting that kept my attention until the end. The writing flows and though people who read this will find they know the outcome of what happened to those imprisoned by the Germans, it was still an interesting story to be told. I just wish the author focused more on the resistance in Belgium more and centered the story along that instead of two main characters I felt were boring, in my opinion. If you enjoy the glimpse into what was going on with the many who were under German rule during World War II then you might find this book a bit more to your liking than I did at times. I may try a different book of this author’s to see if it fits to more what I enjoy when I read stories set around this world war and Holocaust.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

Ms. Jenoff is one of my favorite WWII writers. She always tries to come up with a unique story about a woman that tries to save something. This time Hannah is trying to save Jewish people in a Sapphire Network. She ends up making a mistake that will cost her cousin, Lilly everything. Hannah will now have to try and make amends to her cousin, while still trying to keep herself safe and the man she loves. There's a little twist with that man, watch out for him.

This is a WWII story, there will be death, there will be suffering, there will be sorrow, war is hell after all....but Ms. Jenoff always finds some good and I think she was so successful. I hope she has a brilliant launch to this book because it is superb.

Code Name Sapphire appealed to me because I find It fascinating how many stories of WWII resistance there are, each with a unique setting and courageous characters. The first half of this book pulled me in, and I’m glad I read it. It is interesting to learn about and ponder the strategies possibly used in the attempt to rescue prisoners on a train bound for Auschwitz. I liked that different groups of Nazi targets (Jewish Belgian citizens vs. noncitizens, Roma) were represented in meaningful ways. I do wish more characters and events were based on real stories, partially because some of the revealed secrets / plot turns in the end were too contrived and unnecessary for the story to be whole.

Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, Netgalley, and the author for early access to this novel.

In 1942, Hannah narrowly escapes Nazi Germany. She had been working with the resistance and she successfully hides when the Nazis burst into the location that she is staying at with her fiancé. She manages to escape Germany and gets on a ship heading to the US. The ship is turned away from US soil and is sent back to Germany except for people who have someone to vouch for them in Brussels. She realizes that her cousin lives there so she is able to stay in Brussels instead of going back to Germany and certain death. Even though she and her cousin Lily were great friends as kids, their lives are now very different. Lily and her husband and son live an extravagant life and Lily believes that the war will not affect their country or their life. Hannah knows that the war will affect everyone and begins working with the resistance again. She makes a deal with Michelene to work with the Sapphire Line for a short period of time helping downed English pilots to return to England and then Michelene promises to help her escape from Brussels. When Hannah's cousin and family get arrested, caused by a mistake that she made, she realizes that her work in the underground has affected their lives. Will she continue to do her dangerous work or will she work to keep her family safe and protected? This is is a memorable and emotional novel about love, family and the unshakable resilience of women in even the hardest of times.

Pam Jenoff has long been a go-to author for historical World War II fiction. Her books are always real researched and based on real people and events. She once again brings her readers a book that features strong woman during the worst of times. Be sure to read her comments at the end of the book to find out about the events and people that the book was based on.

Three very different women and so much tragedy during WWII. Hannah, Lily, and Micheline all do their best to stay ahead of or out of the way of the Nazis in Belgium. Hannah, who finds herself living with her cousin Lily, joins Micheline in the resistance while Lily tries to ignore what's happening until she can't thanks to a mistake by Hannah. And then the horror escalates for her and for her family, a horror she thought she had avoided. Fans of WWII fiction might find that Jenoff is treading in familiar areas but setting parts of this in Belgium sets it apart. There's a somewhat unnecessary love triangle (this would have been equally satisfying without it) and the characters aren't as fully explored as could be but I did keep turning the pages. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. For fans of historical fiction.

Code Name Sapphire - Pam Jenoff

Hannah is no friend to the Nazi’s. In fact, she narrowly escapes their clutches on the night her fiancé is killed as a part of the resistance in Germany. She attempts to flee to America but, instead, after their boat is refused entry, ends up in Brussels with her cousin Lily.

I thought that what would follow would be her story of continued resistance with the Sapphire Line. In some ways it was. Until it took a major turn and became the story of her cousin’s escape from a train bound for Auschwitz.

What worked for me:
*three perspectives from strong women.
*the themes of loyalty, resistance and what you do to protect the ones you love
*the relationship between the cousins, Hannah and Lily

What I could have done without:
*the attempt at a love triangle. It wasn’t necessary
*the “twist” at the end. It didn’t fit the character and it made me sad.
*the whip-lash feeling switch in focus from the resistance line to Lily’s family.

Jenoff based this novel on real events in history. It reminded me again of the courage, bravery, brutality and desperation that was needed to do some of the things that were done during the wars. The capacity for such deep evil but also such incredible honour and sacrifice are both shown really well. Don’t skip the author’s note at the end; it’s worth it.

Thank you @netgalley, @PamJenoff and the publisher for my free e arc in exchange for an honest review.

I read a lot of WW2 fiction, and while they are intriguing, they usually feel very unrealistic, particularly the endings. This book felt a lot more REAL than most of the hundreds of stories I've read previously. It's raw. It's heart-wrenching. It's graphic (so reader beware, if you can't handle that). It's complex. The characters are multi=faceted. The ending will completely throw you for a loop. And yet, it felt like one of the most realistic reads, and is one I highly recommend.

Another excellent book by Pam Jenoff. She has become a go to author for me. This book is about two cousins and what they will do to save their families during WWII. Set In Belgium, it explores the heroic efforts of the resistance inspired by actual events. Fast paced historical fiction with intrigue and suspense.

My favorite thing about historical fiction is learning about the true events or people that inspired the story. Code Name Sapphire follows three women in Belgium who all face different struggles during WWII.

Micheline was such a strong character with her sacrifice to help the resistance by rescuing fallen soldiers and helping them escape through the Sapphire Line. I wish there had been more of her in the book. This part reminded me of The Nightingale which we all know and love.

Hannah fights back in her own way, but must escape Belgium quickly before she gets caught. She goes to Micheline for help, and ends up working for the resistance in Belgium. Hannah’s character was not my favorite, as she came off whiny and selfish and just expected people to help her like they had nothing better to do.

Lily, who is Hannah’s cousin, was very naive in thinking her Jewish family was safe, but once her family was slated to go to Auschwitz’s, she would do anything to save them.

With the two big plots (the Sapphire Line and the Breendonk transit camp), I felt the details were all surface level…almost like it was too much to cover. It was hard for me to get emotionally invested, and the author should have gone deeper into some topics. There was also a romance plot that only distracted from the main story.

The pace was slow, and I felt these plot lines were too similar to other books (which did them better, and I would recommend them instead of this one).

I received this digital book as an ARC from Netgalley in return for my honest review and opinions. Everything I write under the My Review section is all of my own thoughts and ideas in regard to the book Code Name Sapphire.

Goodreads Description:

A woman must rescue her cousin's family from a train bound for Auschwitz in this riveting tale of bravery and resistance, from the bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris 1942. Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to get out of occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind.

Seeking help, Hannah joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance network led by a mysterious woman named Micheline and her enigmatic brother Mateo. But when a grave mistake causes Lily’s family to be arrested and slated for deportation to Auschwitz, Hannah finds herself torn between her loyalties. How much is Hannah willing to sacrifice to save the people she loves? Inspired by incredible true stories of courage and sacrifice, Code Name Sapphire is a powerful novel about love, family, and the unshakable resilience of women in even the hardest of times.

My Review:

I finished this book a few days ago but I just had to sit with it for a while before I could bring myself to write anything about this story and its characters. Have you ever read a book that has kept you up at night and not because you need to keep reading but because the images and the characters haunted you while you tried to sleep? I read this book over a few days at night before bed and each night I read it I did not sleep well. I believe it is because I was so worried and stressed out about the characters which I can honestly say has never happened to me before. This story and its characters kept me from sleeping through the night. I said to my husband I need to finish this book so I can get some sleep. I will have you know though once I finished this book I finally received a full night's sleep.

As you can see from the Goodreads description above this book is about WWII and a Jewish woman named Hannah who is desperate to get to America. The problem is her ship to America is turned around and she is forced to stay with her cousin Lily, her husband Nik, and their son Georgi. Hannah who was desperate to escape Germany and her underground work has now found herself in Belgium working another underground network in hopes of receiving a way to America. Hannah however makes a terrible decision that leads to the capture of her cousin and her family. They are arrested by the Nazis and sent to a camp where they await transport to Auschwitz. The question is does Hannah go to America or does she risk everything to save her cousin and her family?

This story was everything that I hoped it would be and then some. This was my first time ever reading anything by Pam Jenoff and I can honestly say it will not be the last. The way she weaved the stories of Hannah and Lily along with Micheline and Matteo together was absolutely wonderful. I also learned from the author's note that one act that takes place toward the end of the book was based on a true story. I am not going to say what that act was because I do not want to give any spoilers but the bravery of those characters (real-life people) just truly amazed me. I am not sure I would have the nerve to pull off such a huge act.

I am hesitant to say too much about this book because I do not want to give anything away. I can say though that this book truly got under my skin. The hatred of the Nazis, the fear from the Jewish people, and the bravery of those who fought behind the scenes to rescue others no matter the risk to themselves are absolutely mind-blowing to me. Another thing that got me was the secrets that were kept by some of these characters, one character in particular that comes to mind completely shocked me. Reader, you are probably wondering if this is a book I would recommend to others and the answer is a tricky one. I absolutely loved this book, yes, but I also love historical fiction especially based during the WWII time period. If you are a person who loves historical fiction then YOU MUST pick this book up. If you enjoy strong female characters then again this book is a must. The same goes for if you love strong friendships, family, and bravery with some romance mixed into the story then please pick it up. However, if you are a person who struggles with violence, suffering, murder, infant loss, and hate crimes then please do not read this story because there are major *trigger warnings* for these topics.

I want to end this review with a quote from Hannah that I found 75% of the way through on my kindle and it reads like this:

"No one bestowed courage or freedom or self-determination one simply decided to take it".

Again I want to thank Netgalley for the digital advanced reader copy I received with the understanding of an honest review from myself. As I said before all the words written under the my review section are completely my own thoughts and feelings about this story by Pam Jenoff.

It’s only late January and I already read one of the best books of the year! Pam Jenoff is one of my favorite authors and I had very high hopes for newest book, 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲! I’m happy to report it exceeded my expectations. ⁣
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Code Name Sapphire tells the story of two cousins. Hannah and Lily were as close as sisters when they were little and they lost touch over the years. When Hannah needs a place to go after fleeing Nazi Germany, she turns to Lily’s family in Belgium. Lily welcomes her in, but she doesn’t like that Hannah helps with the resistance. With her efforts, Hannah has met Micheline and her brother Matteo who help with a secret resistance network, helping soldiers get back to the battlefield. While volunteering, she gains attention to her family and brings them to the forefront without knowing what her actions have caused. The second half of the book gets very grim, but that’s to be expected with this genre. ⁣
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In a genre that’s very saturated with content, I found the book to be refreshing and brought to light another angle to WWII fiction. Micheline is a woman the world needs to know more about. She was a rebel leader that truly believed in her cause and was willing to put her whole life into it. I loved Hannah in the beginning and I loved Lily more as the book went on. The relationship between the two woman especially as it relates to Matteo was truly fascinating. I am always fascinated to read books based on true stories and it’s very clear that Pam did an extensive amount of research. ⁣
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Thank you so much to @pamjenoff @parkrowbooks and @htpbooks for my gifted copy. Much like The Woman with Blue Star, this book will stay with me for a long time. Code Name Sapphire will be released on February 7th. ⁣
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#codenamesapphire #pamjenoff #favoriteauthor #parkrowbooks #htpbooks #htpinsiders #historicalfiction #wwII #wwIIfiction #belgium #sapphirenetwork #bryantparkbooks #bookstagram

Pam Jenoff has been writing historical fiction about WWII for some time now. Those who have read her earlier novels will undoubtedly want to give this one a look.

The novel’s protagonist, Hannah Martell, has not had an easy time of it. She had been living in 1942 Berlin at a moment when the Nazis were a real and threatening presence; they, in fact, murdered someone close to Hannah.

Hannah recognizes that she must leave Berlin but getting away from the evils in the world is not easy. Her ship is turned away by the Cubans and the Americans are no help either. Hannah ends up back in Europe where she takes up her life in Brussels.

From this point, the book is about Hannah, her cousin and a woman who runs a resistance effort. To the strife of the period and its espionage, the author also adds a strand of romance when Hannah is attracted to the brother of one of the characters. How will each of these people fare, what daring act will they try to pull of, and how will their lives intersect and change? Keep turning the pages to find out.

This is a decent novel about its difficult time period. That said,there is not anything that makes this title stand out from the many other books set in the same time period. Still, those who cannot get enough of WWII fiction may want to add this title to their reading lists.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

Hannah, who is part of the resistance during WW2, is desperate to get out of Europe that is overun by Nazi's. After being on a boat and turned away in Cuba, she decides to live with her cousin Lily and her family in Brussels. Hannah knows it's futile that she gets out of Europe so she joins the Sapphire Line, a secret resistance that helps get people out of Nazi occupied countries in hopes that she too will be able to escape. One bad decision leads to Lily's entire family being captured and she will do anything to get them out .

I am going to start my review by saying if you like Pam Jenoff's other novels then you will like this one because it is on par with her other books. While I enjoyed the story for the most part, I also felt like something was missing, which is how I felt about some of her other novels I've read. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and I felt like there were a few plot holes which I won't share what they are because of it being spoilers. I do like when historical fiction authors draw on real experiences and Jenoff's Sapphire Line was inspired by Comet Line, a resistance organization in the 1940's. That being said, a majority of the focus was on the MC's family and not about the Sapphire Line. Overall this one was just ok for me but I do think many will enjoy it.

Told by 3 different women - a Brussels Jewish homemaker, a resistance leader and a escaped Jewish German whose lives are forever changed once they meet. Lily is pretending that her life will go on as usual, Michelle is working to rescue downed British airmen and Hannah wants only to escape to America. A compelling story!

Code Name Sapphire by Pam Jenoff follows Hannah as she flees Germany following the death of her husband. After fleeing, she joins a resistance movement in Belgium. Along with Hannah's perspective, there are also chapters from the perspective of Hannah's cousin Lily and the head of the resistance movement Micheline.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me at 21%, which is a huge disappointment for me. I had heard amazing things about Pam Jenoff, and this was my first foray into her books. I really couldn't connect with the characters and found the writing style wasn't working for me. I felt reluctant to pick up the book and thought it was just me until I picked up another historical fiction and was immediately drawn in. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what wasn't working for me in this one, and, again, it is a huge disappointment for me.

I think I'll try some of Jenoff's backlist. I think this was a me problem and not a book problem. Perhaps I'll give this one another try in the future to see if it was just a mood or timing issue.

Thank you to Harelequin and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I've read several books by Pam Jenoff and this one did not disappoint.

This was a really well written story - a lot of difficult topics in this book, but well worth the read.

The story is about a German Jew, Hannah who attempts to flee to America after trying to fight against the Nazi's in WW2 , but is unable to disembark the boat in Cuba, and is returned to Belgium, where she stays with her cousin. Her goal is to only stay there temporarily until she can attempt to flee again, but she ends up working with the resistance. There are tough decisions that need to be made, and the characters don't always make the right ones. This story shows the love of family but also very real consequences of decisions.

I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and so glad I was able to read this book.

Based on events in WWII, Micheline runs the Sapphire Line, rescuing downed British flyers and helping them escape from Brussels. Hannah is a Jewish woman on the run from Germany where she drew anti Nazi political cartoons. She seeks out her cousin Lily in Brussels where she hopes she can escape to America. Lily is married to a doctor and has a young son. They are trying to simply survive without drawing attention to themselves.

This is a solid entry into the WWII historical fiction canon. There are plenty of twists to keep you reading. The choices made by each of the women impact them all. There is tragedy and hope, love and loss, loyalty and sacrifice. I appreciated the book but would have loved it more with less of the love story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.