I so love the story behind this book, but am so disappointed in how it was executed. It just didn’t seem well thought out for having so much potential. I was disgusted at how naive the main characters were, believing strangers at their word and jumping to wild conclusions from very little evidence. When Josie met with the bishop, it felt like they were in two totally different conversations. And so much of the plot line and relationships felt too far-fetched to be coincidental in a believable way. Really wish the author had spent more time getting this out the door because it could have been SO good, but I will hope for better from her in the future!

Martha Hall Kelly has done it again - written an engrossing, literate historical novel that makes one grateful for the times we're living in now. Her attention to detail while drawing readers in makes this a true work of art.

What a great book! I love everything by this author and this book was no different! I couldn't put this down and was up all night waiting to see how it ended!

I was so happy too to have been granted and early ACR to read, in return for my review. Martha Hall Kelly gets my high praise again for this lovely book! I read and loved "Lilac Girls" and "Lost Roses"
These two female spies, (Arlette and Josie). want to help the resistance, becoming like family to find the Nazi doctor, Snow, who seems to be responsible for both of their misfortunes in life. What they discover is far more intricate and sinister! This story is beautifully written with strong females along with many twists and turns. It is written in two different timelines, the 1940's during WW2 and then during the 1950's after the Nuremberg Trials. I really had a hard time closing this book to go to sleep...a real page turner!!
I highly recommend this book to all reading fans of WWII. Thank you again, Martha Hall Kelly and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books! :)

I really enjoyed The Golden Doves. The characters were very well drawn out. The author had clearly researched the time period. At times, I thought there was a little too many things going on at once, but everything did get accounted for in the end. Would definitely read a sequel.

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 are involved in 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.

I am a huge fan of Martha Hall Kelly since I first read Lilac Girls and then went on to read Lost Roses and Sunflower Sisters. She is well know for her extensive research into the stories of women throughout history and for exploring the terrors of Ravensbrück. With The Golden Doves, she has written 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. It is always enlightening to read her author notes as well as she tells what her stories were based on and some of the real people lives she used in a fictionalized way. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the latest book from a wonderful writer who continues to describe real life settings in great detail as well as the lives of her characters.

I have adored all of Martha Hall Kelly’s work and was thrilled for a chance to read “The Golden Doves.” I admire her ability to develop memorable characters and put them into historical moments. Here, we meet Josie Anderson and Arlette LaRue work together as spies (code name “Golden Doves”) during WWII, updating England about the Germans. They end up in Ravensbrῢck concentration camp but persevere.

Both Josie and Arlette—like most of Martha Hall Kelly’s characters—are utterly fascinating. Their friendship and how it frames their actions is what makes this story memorable. This is not a story that will be easy to put down.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

This is an absolutely amazing book! Martha Hall Kelly does her homework and tells a terrific story about two women in the Resistance during WW2. But it doesn't stop when the war stops. It follows them after the war as they work together again to track down those who escaped prosecution the first time. Based on a true story. A must read for Historical Fiction fans. Thank you to Martha Hall Kelly, Ballantine Books, and Netgalley for this Advanced Readers Copy.

Martha Hall Kelly does it again! Ms. Kelly is an auto-buy author for me so I am incredibly grateful to have had the chance to read The Golden Doves early thanks to NetGalley.

Ms. Kelly has a way of telling stories that need to be told. All of her characters are so lovable, relatable and admirable. I am constantly learning about amazing hero’s of our past who put their lives second to help others.

The Golden Dove follows American woman Josie and French woman Arlette as they get stuck in German-occupied France during WWII. Their skills are out to good use as radio operators, but unfortunately they end up at Ravensbruck concentration camp with Arlette’s sweet boy being taken from here. This book goes back and forth between two timelines between their two perspectives. The story is very complex and detailed. It can be a little complicated at first, but once you get into the story, you are going to be on the edge of your seat to see what happens next.

I was captivated from beginning to end and was awestruck by the many real events and people that inspired this book. I cannot believe some of the things that happened to victims during WWII and how justice was not served to the horrible villains of this time. I highly recommend this title for historical fiction fans of the world!

Thank you Net Galley and Random House-Ballantine books for this ARC and the chance to offer my thoughts.

This was clearly a well-researched and written piece of historical fiction. An interesting take on post-war Nazi criminals hiding out in South America and continuing medical experimentation.

Josie and Arlette were colorful, but believable characters with strong roles in the resistance and after. So, too, each had personal motivation to survive and find hope after the war. Josie looking for a war criminal responsible for her mother’s death. Arlette hoping to locate her missing son. Sometimes these goals over-shadowed all else.

Ms. Kelly has written a good account of this time and place in history making it readable to the public. There were times I felt transitions between characters and time periods were a bit rough, but overall an excellent book.

I loved Martha Hall Kelly’s others book and was excited to read this one. I preferred the storyline set during WWII much more than the one a decade later. It seemed improbable how everything worked out, but the ending did catch me by surprise some. I would probably recommend Lilac Girls for a great WWII book before this one.

I have loved MHK's WWII novels and was ecstatic to have the opportunity to read and review her newest book. I love the strong leading women in this story and the enlightenment coming with the sad truths of WWII and the aftermath. I was on the edge of my seat, hopeful but nervous about what would happen next.

Readers are in for a treat in this post-WWII-era historical fiction novel based on thorough historical research and eye-opening details about what happened to some of the most notorious Nazi physicians after the war's end. Told through the narratives of two former resistance fighters and agents, Arlette LaRue and Josie Anderson, each has secrets and moral challenges that they must confront on their journey to bring one of the cruelest Nazi physicians to justice. For both women, the mission is uniquely personal, a result of the individual horrors they each faced when imprisoned at the female-only concentration camp Ravensbruck, where they came face to face with the Nazi medical experimentation that was thrust upon the imprisoned women and children with dire consequences. Told in dual timelines both during WWII and years later in 1952, it draws the reader in from the very first page to the twisty and satisfying ending.

When you start this novel, be prepared for some late nights, as this book is almost impossible to put down. Highly recommend.

I appreciate the time and research this author has put into telling these stories, and I look forward to hopefully many future novels from MHK.

Martha Hall Kelly, you have quickly become my favorite author. I feel privileged to have read your newest novel, but I'm sad it's over. I love the strong leading women in this story, as well as the enlightenment coming with the sad truths of WWII and the aftermath. I was on the edge of my seat hopeful but nervous about what would happen next. I appreciate the time and research this author has put into telling these stories, and I look forward to hopefully many future novels from MHK.

Courtesy of Netgalley, I received the ARC of The Golden Doves by Martha Hall Kelly. This well researched dual timeline historical novel covers two WWII Resistance fighters in Paris, their successes and then their capture by the Gestapo, sending them to Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. Going forward to 1952, Josie and Arlette cross paths again as they search for Nazi officers and physicians who were involved in medical experiments on prisoners and children in the camp. This absorbing story has twists, surprises, intrigue, and suspense! Highly recommend!

The Golden Doves
by Martha Hall Kelly
Pub Date: 18 Apr 2023

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.


#TheGoldenDoves

A fast-moving, suspenseful, page turning historical novel that weaves together so many major themes from World War II: resistance fighting, concentration camps, medical experimentation on prisoners, Nazis escaping justice after the end of World War II, and Cold War espionage. However, it is definitely NOT an easy book to read. The brutality of what humans can do to one another, both in and outside of war, is front and center.

The two principle characters are two strong women:
• Josie, the daughter of an American diplomat who comes from a background of privilege, and
• Arlette, a young, half-Jewish mother, with a baby fathered by her German lover before he left to fight for the Nazis.
The two women become close friends when both get involved in the resistance movement, sabotaging Nazi activities in occupied France. Sabotaging SO successfully, in fact, that they earn a reputation for supplying valuable information to the British and their allies.

This resistance work in Paris provides one storyline in the novel. Their time at the all-women Ravensbrück Concentration Camp provides a second. And the third story thread involves Arlette’s efforts to locate her son after the war, after being separated from him at Ravensbrück.

Like so many contemporary novels, this one moves back and forth in time among the three storylines. I personally found this a frustrating writing construct. Because piecing together bits of story (and having to remember small details) made it somewhat more difficult to follow the plot. And to me, added nothing.

Nevertheless, it’s a compelling read from the very first page. And what makes it so suspenseful throughout is that you are never sure which of the many secondary characters introduced can be trusted. Some you initially believe are “good” turn out to be less so. Others you suspect turn out to be heroes. Those interested in World War II should NOT miss this one!

From one of my favorite books, The Lilac Girls, comes another beautifully told story about two young women who team up to survive the horrors of WWII, but to also bring to justice those who perpetuated the cruelty.

Two unlikely women from two very different backgrounds.

The American, Josie Anderson, and the Parisian Arlette LaRue team up to circumnavigate WWII by helping the resistance. Stealing secrets so quietly they earn the name Golden Doves. The French love them. The Gestapo has them on a wanted poster I’m sure.

And eventually, they are arrested and sent to the notorious Ravensbruck. Together with their loved ones to endure such tortures they never imagined. There a Nazi doctor will do horrendous things to Josie’s mom, a Jewish woman who is a well-known singer who is in Paris to be with her daughter. It is also the place Arlette’s son is taken. A loss that is haunting.

After the war, these two are not done. Josie goes to the Army to continue bringing people to justice for the atrocities they endured.

The doctor who tortured them has been spotted in French Guiana, and the danger will be real. But these women have wills of steel! They aren’t giving up and will fight all the way.

NetGalley/April 18th, 2023 by Ballantine Books

Martha Hall Kelly fans and those who especially loved Lilac Girls are in for a treat in this post WWII-era historical fiction novel that is based on thorough historical research and eye-opening details about what happened to some of the most notorious Nazi physicians after the end of the war. Told through the narratives of two former Resistance fighters and agents, Arlette LaRue and Josie Anderson, each have their own secrets and moral challenges that they must also confront on their journey to to bring one of the cruelest Nazi physicians to justice. For both women, the mission is uniquely personal, a result of the individual horrors they each faced when imprisoned at the female only concentration camp Ravensbruck, where they came face to face with the Nazi medical experimentation that was thrust upon the imprisoned women and children with dire consequences. Told in dual timelines both during WWII and years later in 1952, it draws the reader in from the very first page to the twisty and satisfying ending.

When you start this novel, be prepared for some late nights as this book is almost impossible to put down. Highly recommend.

*Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was another fantastic historical fiction novel. The author's writing style draws you immediately into the story. This book takes place shortly after WW2. Josie, an American and Arlette, a french women spent part of the war as spies for the Resistance in France. After they are arrested, they both spend time in a concentration camp. Years later, the two girls reconnect. Arlette is in search of her lost son and Josie is on a case to track down a Nazi doctor from the camps. Again, they are faced with danger and must rely on each other to protect each other and bring others to justice for their crimes.

I received a complimentary eBook from Netgalley in exchange for a review.

Martha Hall Kelly just gets better and better. Set in the 40's and 50's, The Golden Doves is about two women, an American and a French woman, who become friends in France prior to WWII. This is the story of their spying for the Allies, their suffering in Ravensbruck, and their lives after the war. The American winds up hunting down a Nazi scientist/doctor for the US military, and she reconnects with her old friend, who is searching for the son the Nazi's took from her. Not quite as riveting as I hoped, a tad implausible in places, but still a very good story. Touching on the Nazi scientists recruited by the US after the war, the ratline that helped Nazi's escape to South America, and some of the horrible experiments performed in concentration camps, this is not just your basic WWII spy story. Bonus points for two strong female lead characters. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House/Ballantine for the e-arc. I will be looking forward to this author's next novel -