The Huntress by Kate Quinn– 530 pages
ARC provided by William Morrow in exchange for an honest review
Book Blurb:
Bold and fearless, Nina Markova always dreamed of flying. When the Nazis attack the Soviet Union, she risks everything to join the legendary Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on the invading Germans. When she is stranded behind enemy lines, Nina becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, and only Nina’s bravery and cunning will keep her alive. Transformed by the horrors he witnessed from Omaha Beach to the Nuremberg Trials, British war correspondent Ian Graham has become a Nazi hunter. Yet one target eludes him: a vicious predator known as the Huntress. To find her, the fierce, disciplined investigator joins forces with the only witness to escape the Huntress alive: the brazen, cocksure Nina. But a shared secret could derail their mission unless Ian and Nina force themselves to confront it. Growing up in post-war Boston, seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride is determined to become a photographer. When her long-widowed father unexpectedly comes homes with a new fiancée, Jordan is thrilled. But there is something disconcerting about the soft-spoken German widow. Certain that danger is lurking, Jordan begins to delve into her new stepmother’s past—only to discover that there are mysteries buried deep in her family . . . secrets that may threaten all Jordan holds dear.
My Review: 5 stars
The Huntress, Kate Quinn’s newest novel, had me waiting like a dog for a bone. I’m a huge fan of The Alice Network but also from the author’s much older series, The Mistress of Rome. Quinn was born to write and is a genius storyteller. I read this book pre-publication and thought my review had been written and posted. I was shocked when a follower from Facebook told me she looked for it and it wasn’t on my site. This book stayed in my psyche for so long that I assumed I had written it. Whoops!
This book if so full life due to the most wonderfully nuanced characters. Even the lives of those that have passed are richly developed so that we understand the impact of their loss. There are three main female characters that share the spotlight in this story, each incredibly unique with wholly different agendas. Nina stole my heart with her longing and bravery. With them are two main male characters, old and young, yet equally endearing.
So much to delve into in this book. The concept of the hunter and the huntress has multiple meanings throughout the book. Jordan hunts her stepmom, Anna hunts for freedom. Nina hunts the huntress. The myth of the Lake Witch and the evolution to a Night Witch was so profound and meaningful. The art of photography and Jordan’s idea of capturing a moment became crucial in their hunt. Pictures don’t lie. And little Ruth, blossoming under the spell of a violin. The melodies echoing from her past. There’s just so much to love about this book.
You’ll be thrilled to see Eva Gardner, from The Alice Network, make a cameo appearance in this book. I highly recommend this well written gem.
Quotes I liked:
Building a generation is like building a wall – one good, well-made brick at a time, one good, well-made child at a time. Enough good bricks, you have a good wall. Enough good children, you have a generation that won’t start a world enveloping war.”
“Who cares? It was war. Day was night. Life was death. Sorrow was joy. Who cared about anything but the now?”
“Grief cut, but it also made you remember.”
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