Book Review: The Invisible Woman by Erika Robuck

Pages: 368

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction

Pub. Date: February 9, 2021

Publisher: Berkley

Source: Publisher for review

Other Books By Author: Call Me Zelda, Fallen Beauty

Hemingway's Girl, and The House of Hawthorne

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "France, March 1944. Virginia Hall wasn't like the other young society women back home in Baltimore--she never wanted the debutante ball or silk gloves. Instead, she traded a safe life for adventure in Europe, and when her beloved second home is thrust into the dark days of war, she leaps in headfirst.  Once she's recruited as an Allied spy, subverting the Nazis becomes her calling. But even the most cunning agent can be bested, and in wartime trusting the wrong person can prove fatal. Virginia is haunted every day by the betrayal that ravaged her first operation, and will do everything in her power to avenge the brave people she lost.  While her future is anything but certain, this time more than ever Virginia knows that failure is not an option. Especially when she discovers what--and whom--she's truly protecting."

 

 

 

 

 

Virginia could have been living a different life in Baltimore, a life filled with debutante balls and a life of security.  But after an accident that claims her leg, she decides to stay in Europe.  Despite her disability, she eventually becomes an OSS agent as France is on the brink of war. She is the first female agent in France!  She will help organize and arm resistance groups, but this proves to be a very dangerous job.  In fact, most people in her position only make it six weeks.  There are wanted posters with her face on them throughout France; they call her the Limping Lady. So, she goes undercover as an old woman and essentially becomes "invisible." As she builds her team and works with fellow agents, she tries to not get too close as her heart still hurts from what happened to her Lyon network.  Ultimately, she wants to make the people who betrayed her network pay, but for now, D-Day is on the horizon and she must help the people prepare.  The closer D-Day gets, the worse the Nazis become and the more Virginia wants her revenge.  Erika Robuck's The Invisible Woman is a heart-pounding historical novel based on the real-life WWII hero, Virginia Hall. If you enjoy WWII fiction, this book cannot be missed!

Virginia Hall is someone I instantly connected with.  I had never heard of her before reading The Invisible Woman, so I was completely blown away by her story and I was immediately questioning why I have never come across her before.  I really admired her tenacity, her dedication and fortitude; she is everything you could want in a hero, especially because she didn't let her prosthetic leg slow her down in the least bit.  She could have had an easier life back in Baltimore, but she chose a different path and I really admire that.  There was a part of the story where she was feeling very low after her leg injury and it really spoke to me.  She felt broken, but she knew to get up, put herself back together, and keep fighting.  What an inspiration to anyone who has felt broken and like they can't go on. Thank goodness she did, because look at all she accomplished and all the people she helped.

I absolutely loved every second of learning about Virginia's (a.k.a. Diane when undercover) mission in France. I enjoyed learning about the air drops, how she organized the resistance, provided safe houses, helped down airmen, helped to liberate people, and how she would communicate through the wireless. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, especially as the Nazis became more and more ruthless. I was constantly worried that someone would blow her cover. 

I enjoyed The Invisible Woman and admire Virginia Hall so much that I plan on checking out another book about her that just came out, A Woman of No Importance. I can't wait to learn more about her courageous life as  Robuck sparked such an interest in me, which is the sign of an incredible historical novel.  So, if you a big fan of WWII fiction, you must read The Invisible Woman and be inspired by this memorable heroine whom I will never forget.  

 

Are you a fan of Erika Robuck's novels? Do you like WWII fiction? Let me know your thoughts on this in the comments below.