Breakaway Books

Authored by Ariel Lawhon; Published March 2020; Historical Fiction

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️

The first thing that you need to know about Code Name Helene is that it is based on the story of a real woman. I wish I had known before diving into this story, because more than once while reading the novel, I thought “There is no way a woman this feisty existed in high French society during World War II.”

Knowing that the heroine, Nancy, was real fills me with even more awe. A journalist, a spy, and most importantly, a military leader, she did not just survive the war, but made an incredible difference. Code Name Helene tells the story of her descent into espionage and the tactics she used to survive and win the war for the Allies. Of course, the author took liberties with her life, but the pain that Nancy and her comrades endured had the ring of truth. As with many stories about World War II, this pain made the novel difficult to read at times. 

However, Nancy’s moxie lightened the novel considerably—her brazen attitude had me laughing out loud at several points throughout the novel even when circumstances seemed grim. She quite literally laughed in the face of impossible danger, time and time again. The story of how she fell in love with her husband, interspersed through the story of her service, also served as lighter interludes.

I loved the way that Nancy gained the loyalty and friendship of the men around her, frequently as the only woman in the room. It was not easy (because it never has been for women in the fighting forces), and the novel does not shy away from the difficulties she encounters. Perhaps because of this, there was something incredibly heartening about the respect she was able to win. I was inspired by her deep dedication to doing something—anything, really—to help the resistance. This passion for service is rare in our time.

Code Name Helene is a serious war story, but even with all the heaviness, I couldn’t help but be cheered by Nancy’s indomitable spirit.