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Code Name Hélène

Ariel Lawhon (Goodreads Author)

4.41 · Rating details · 17,669 ratings · 2,659 reviews

Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène is a spellbinding and moving story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name.
It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bl ...more

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Hardcover, 451 pages

Published March 31st 2020 by Doubleday Books

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All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams

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Feb 25, 2020 Dorie - Cats&Books :) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-edelweiss-challenge, historical-fiction

***NOW AVAILABLE***

Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I love books and movies about women spies. I have read quite a few about WWII and even WWI, though those women are not as well recognized.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. From the blurb of the book you know that :

It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper. She is fighting to cover the disturbing reports of violence ***NOW AVAILABLE***

Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I love books and movies about women spies. I have read quite a few about WWII and even WWI, though those women are not as well recognized.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. From the blurb of the book you know that :

It is 1936 and Nancy Wake is an intrepid Australian expat living in Paris who has bluffed her way into a reporting job for Hearst newspaper. She is fighting to cover the disturbing reports of violence coming out of Vienna and Berlin when she meets the wealthy French industrialist Henri Fiocca. No sooner does Henri sweep Nancy off her feet and convince her to become Mrs. Fiocca than the Germans invade France and she takes yet another name: a code name.

I had hoped for a fast paced, intriguing story about Nancy Wake and her operations during the war. However I found that this book spent an inordinate amount of time on the love and romance between Henri and Nancy. I didn’t need to know about their dinners or their sexual exploits in such detail. Certainly the relationship was important to Henri and Nancy but this book seemed to revolve a lot around this. This is quite a long book at 464 pages and I found myself bored during much of the first half of the book. I wanted more insight into the other characters and more action and suspense. I found the last quarter of the book to be the most interesting, along with the author’s notes. It’s during this part of the book that Nancy is operating as the White Mouse and is now known to the Germans and so there is a price on her head and she is leading very dangerous missions. This part was fascinating.

When I read the author’s notes I found that my feelings about the amount of time spent on their relationship wasn’t far from what the author intended. She states “This is a novel about marriage. Yes, of course, it’s also about war and friendship and bravery and tragedy and one of the most important conflicts of the 20th century . . . But to me, at its heart, this is a novel about a woman and her husband and the sacrifices made by both in the midst of extraordinary circumstances”. I felt that the author’s notes were a better description of the book than the blurb that accompanied the book's title.

I thought that this was a good book but not one that I could really highly recommend. It was very well researched and brought to life a women spy during WWII but I think there was a point when more editing would have helped this story. There are, however, many 5 star reviews for this book so read a variety of reviews, or just go in blind, and see how you feel about it. Reading is such a personal experience and I’m sure that this book will find it’s audience.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. It is set to publish on March 31, 2020 ...more

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Mar 29, 2020 Paige rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: women-s-fiction, historical-fiction, romance

Fictionally, Nancy is presented as a chic tough heroine who never fights without a fresh application of lipstick. The character of Nancy Wake holistically is interesting and I enjoyed her unapologetic nature.

A lot of the past, 1936, is about how Nancy met her husband, Henri. The development of their relationship takes the limelight for the first half of the book.

Nancy's different identities, totaling four, are not exactly told chronologically. The book is told in dual timelines, but two of her ...more

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Nov 05, 2020 Anne Bogel rated it it was amazing

I loved this! This WWII novel tells the story of Nancy Wake, the unsung French Resistance leader who was #1 on the Gestapo’s most-wanted list by the end of the war.

The real Nancy was larger than life; bold, bawdy, and brazen—a woman who, as the only female among thousands of
French men, was not only respected as an equal but revered as a leader. The story is set during WWII, yes—a setting the author says she came to kicking and screaming, because there are a lot these days—but at its heart this ...more

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Apr 14, 2021 Libby rated it it was amazing

Shelves: military, library-loan, read-in-2021, historical-fiction, world-war-two, suspense, published-in-2020

Nancy Grace Augusta Wake had several code names; Hélène was the one she used as a spy. During a large part of this novel, she is known as Madame Andrée, in charge of coordinating communications and vital drops of military paraphernalia including weapons from London, and assuming command of an army of French guerrilla soldiers as part of the French Resistance during WW11. She was fiery, intelligent, spirited, and had a right big vocabulary of curse words, which she employed liberally. Did I menti Nancy Grace Augusta Wake had several code names; Hélène was the one she used as a spy. During a large part of this novel, she is known as Madame Andrée, in charge of coordinating communications and vital drops of military paraphernalia including weapons from London, and assuming command of an army of French guerrilla soldiers as part of the French Resistance during WW11. She was fiery, intelligent, spirited, and had a right big vocabulary of curse words, which she employed liberally. Did I mention brave? She had that in spades. Originally from Australia, she left home when she was 16 and eventually landed in Paris, working for the Hearst newspaper, where she was never given a byline because she was female. While covering news stories about increasing violence against Jews, she developed a deep-seated hatred for the Nazis.

This is my first book by this author, Ariel Lawhon. I was impressed with the level of research that she did for the novel. In her note at the end of the book, she writes, “I read about my subjects extensively and, in the drafts that I turn in to my publisher, footnote every single detail that I find… Of the 612 pages in the final draft pages, fifty were footnotes.” I found the narrative credible, very detailed, and informative about historical events. Lawhon had several source materials including Nancy Wake’s autobiography, The White Mouse.

There are two timelines. The first is 1944, which finds Nancy parachuting from a Liberator aircraft into Auvergne, France with her partner, Hubert, a seasoned soldier. The second timeline takes the reader back eight years to 1936 when Nancy is working for Hearst. During the years prior to WW11, Nancy will meet Henri Fiocca, a wealthy shipping magnate. The courting and love story of the two is beautifully written. Henri is attracted to Nancy’s infectious laugh, which explodes from her body and fills a room. I found it mostly easy to go back and forth between the timelines; each chapter is headed by the date and place it occurs. It gets a little more difficult as the timelines converge toward the end, a minor annoyance.

What qualities enable a person to lead during times of duress? Some people just seem to shine as all their marbles click into place while adrenaline courses through their bodies. Other people become frightened and tuck their tails. Nancy is a born leader. It wasn’t easy. Lawhon shows just how difficult it was for Nancy to win the trust and even loyalty of men living in the rough, fighting against the German occupation.

This story is gritty; it includes war brutality. Lawhon spares nothing. I learned about the Maginot Line, a series of concrete fortifications thought to be impenetrable along the French-German border, and so much about the French Resistance, the fighters called maquisards, and the dark side of Vienna, the violence against the Jews. The SOE (Special Operations Executive), whose agents worked mostly behind enemy lines, is also covered in great detail. The British agents had to have their silver fillings exchanged for gold ones because the French had only gold fillings. Nancy carries her revolver; she is a good shot, but she also considers her lipstick part of her arsenal. She is a unique individual. This novel is based on the true-life story of Nancy Wake. Highly recommended for those who prefer to learn history by reading historical fiction. ...more

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May 20, 2020 Darryl Greer rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Nancy Wake was a New Zealand-born, Australian-raised nurse and journalist who joined the French Resistance and later the British SOE – Special Operations Executive – during World War II. Her exploits during the war earned her the George Medal from the UK, the Medal of Freedom from the US, the Légion d’honneur from France and medals from Australia and New Zealand – she became Australia’s most decorated heroine in World War II. Her exploits also earned her the title ‘The White Mouse’ from the Gest Nancy Wake was a New Zealand-born, Australian-raised nurse and journalist who joined the French Resistance and later the British SOE – Special Operations Executive – during World War II. Her exploits during the war earned her the George Medal from the UK, the Medal of Freedom from the US, the Légion d’honneur from France and medals from Australia and New Zealand – she became Australia’s most decorated heroine in World War II. Her exploits also earned her the title ‘The White Mouse’ from the Gestapo because she was so difficult to catch. Author, Ariel Lawhon has penned her historical fiction novel, "Code Name Hélène" using facts gleaned from Nancy’s autobiography, "The White Mouse" as well as from the works of other biographers to paint as accurate a picture as possible of this extremely brave and unique person. The story covers Nancy’s life from the early 1930s when she was a journalist based in Paris (at one time she interviewed one Adolph Hitler) through her time with the French Resistance and finally, the SOE. It is an extraordinary journey by a remarkable woman.

Author, Ariel Lawhon has done a creditable job in turning Nancy Wake’s exploits into a hard-to-put down thriller. The characters, most of them real, come to life and when it comes to the character of Nancy’s husband, Henri it brings a heart-warming touch to the otherwise gruesome exploits that are so well told, at times all too vividly, in "Code Name Hélène". There are scenes which are not for the faint-hearted. Flashbacks occur from time to time as the reader is taken to Nancy’s earlier life in Paris and later, in the earlier years of the war, assisting Jews to get across the border to safety but at times the story loses momentum and becomes almost boring until the commencement of the war. The flashbacks can become a distraction as they inevitably occur just at the point of a knife-edge part of the narrative, especially when Nancy is working for the SOE. That aside, it is a fascinating insight into the life of a heroine the likes of which the world does not often see. At times, it appears that the story is so far-fetched it could not possibly be true, but a few Google searches will reveal just how accurate the author’s research has been. Despite the minor negativity in structure of the book, "Code Name Hélène" is a great story, well told.

...more

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Jun 25, 2020 Marialyce (absltmom, yaya) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, wish-i-had-liked-it-more, books-of-2020

So here I am once again in the land of the "wish I could have liked it better". I am an avid fan of well done historical fiction, and of course looking at all the raving reviews on this story, I was ready to settle in and be amazed and awed by this tale.

What I liked about the book....

--- it did allow me to learn about a woman who I had never heard of. As a teacher for thirty plus years, it often amazes and disappoints me that I never knew of these courageous, fearless, and audacious women of the So here I am once again in the land of the "wish I could have liked it better". I am an avid fan of well done historical fiction, and of course looking at all the raving reviews on this story, I was ready to settle in and be amazed and awed by this tale.

What I liked about the book....

--- it did allow me to learn about a woman who I had never heard of. As a teacher for thirty plus years, it often amazes and disappoints me that I never knew of these courageous, fearless, and audacious women of the war, and could not extend that knowledge to my students.
---I developed a keen admiration for Nancy Wake and her heroics during a time when it seemed heroics were secret, scary, and death defying.
---The descriptions of her trials and what she accomplished were mesmerizing and worthy of the highest note and regard.
--- It made the reader once again realize that women, along with men, fought for freedom, for justice for all, and for the ability to throw off oppression and totalitarianism
--- It also made me see that we need Nancy's strength and daring in the challenges that face us as a nation and as a world.
---It encouraged me to learn more about Nancy Wake

What I disliked
--- First and foremost was the sexual descriptions and the fact that the author felt that including these made Nancy perhaps more palpable. Could this woman not stand on her own without the references to her beauty, her sexual prowess, and her ability to attract any man? I felt it cheapened the story for once again a woman became "something" because of her looks.
---The story was too long. The first half was dull and boring. For me the story only caught on in the second half of the book
---It once again disappointed me because I felt that this courageous stalwart woman's story was overwhelmed by the love at first sight and titillation of the sexual attraction between her virile, gorgeous wealthy husband and herself. Was this not a story of how Nancy could and did stand on her own?

So maybe..
---My mood was not right for this book
---I expect too much from an historical fiction book
---My patience and concentration was off
---I need to stay away from this genre for awhile

All in all it was not a bad book. It did irk me though that the story seemed to play up Nancy's sexual beauty and ability to attract any man, instead of her overwhelming courage, bravery, and resilience in the time where these attributes were most needed Please do look at the amazing reviews that others have written about this story. It's probably me, but I wanted more from this story. ...more

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Jul 05, 2020 JanB marked it as dnf

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2020-reads

The real life story of Nancy Wake's work for the French Resistance during WWII is fascinating, but the writing style and the eye-rolling, insta-love watered down the accomplishments of this amazing woman.

I abandoned the book and spent some time online reading about Nancy Wake, which was far more satisfying. ...more

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May 04, 2020 ☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ rated it it was amazing

Q:
Nancy Wake... Nancy Fiocca—is the kind of woman who conquers the world. Fearless. Ferocious. Nancy is the sort of woman who bathes in a meteor shower. She is not the kind of woman who concedes to anyone. (c)

The ragged timeline actually made this novel a lot worse than it could have been.

This is not anywhere close to a contender for the title of the best book about WW2. Lots is severely watered down. For example, I was extremely irritated with that lipstick nonsense going on: for people who ac ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Megan C. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: girl-power, best-of-2020, histfic-based-on-real-people, based-on-true-events

I'm a sucker for a true story. Although categorized as historical fiction, the core characters and events in this book are real.

I was sitting on a solid 4 stars throughout 75% of this book, but the last quarter (and also the author's note at the end) blew it up to a 5 star read for me. Color me obsessed with Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, aka The White Mouse/Madame Andree, code name Helene. She was fierce, salty, irreverent, strong, and unapologetic. She threw on a coat of Lizzie Arden's Victory Red ...more

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Mar 30, 2020 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, arc, own-read, 2020-release, read-on-kindle, net-galley

I have read many stories of the famous Australian, Nancy Wake; I even have her biography autographed by Nancy herself. I found Code Name Helene to be refreshing and heartwarmingly real. Nancy Wake went through several years of pure hell during WWII but it was when she met her husband-to-be, Henri Fiocca in 1936 that she found, for the first time in her life, true love. Nancy and Henri hadn’t been married long when war was declared and Henri was called up to fight, leaving Nancy home alone. It di ...more

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Jan 31, 2021 Pam Jenoff rated it it was amazing

This book fictionalizes the true story of Nancy Wake, a woman living in Paris who finds herself undertaking acts of perilous sabotage and subversion against the Germans during World War II using multiple aliases. Excellent!

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Apr 01, 2020 DeAnn rated it really liked it

Shelves: edelweiss-2020, 2020

4 strong historical fiction stars

At 464 pages, this one is a tale you can really sink your teeth into. It has many elements of historical fiction that I love – strong female character, WWII France, resistance efforts, a bit of a love story, espionage, dastardly Germans. It’s even better that it is based on a real person – Nancy Wake Fiocca, an Australian woman who becomes fiercely French and is determined to drive the Nazis out of her adopted country.

The book takes the alternate storyline approa 4 strong historical fiction stars

At 464 pages, this one is a tale you can really sink your teeth into. It has many elements of historical fiction that I love – strong female character, WWII France, resistance efforts, a bit of a love story, espionage, dastardly Germans. It’s even better that it is based on a real person – Nancy Wake Fiocca, an Australian woman who becomes fiercely French and is determined to drive the Nazis out of her adopted country.

The book takes the alternate storyline approach, so I had to pay some attention to characters and what happens to them. Nancy aka Helene aka Lucienne Carlier aka the White Mouse aka Madam Andree – all wrapped up into an amazingly brave woman. Her trademark is to wear bright red lipstick and she commands the respect of the Maquis forces that she is arming with help from London. I love the fact that her husband has taught her the full range of swear words in French – those come in handy dealing with these Frenchmen!

There is a terrific love story with Henri, but much more focus is on her resistance efforts and how she comes to be such a formidable presence in the war. She is a fascinating character and I was completely sucked into the story, especially the second half. She started out as a journalist and one of her early assignments was interviewing Adolf Hitler before he came to power. She also attends a Nazi rally. I know it shouldn’t shock me, but her magazine wouldn’t publish the bylines for women writers at this time, they could choose a male pseudonym or be not listed at all.

There are tense scenes through the book with harrowing escapes, torture, details on how the British helped the French patriots, training to become a British agent – all of it was highly researched by the author. Near the end of her life, she became highly decorated and recognized for her strong contributions to the war.

If you like historical fiction, I think this one you would enjoy! It doesn’t earn the full 5 stars because I think it could have been edited down a bit.

Thank to Edelweiss, Doubleday, and author Ariel Lawhon for a copy of this one to read and review. This one is available now!
...more

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May 12, 2020 Susan Meissner rated it it was amazing

Unputdownable! Nancy Wake is every writer's dream of a real-life person's life story to fictionalize. And Ariel Lawhon handles the details flawlessly. Highly recommend... ...more

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May 04, 2020 Rachel marked it as dnf

Shelves: war, netgalley, historical-fiction

DNF @ 2%

"I raise one palm and shove it toward his face while I unbuckle myself with my other hand. He's muttering profanities as I unzip my purse and dig through the contents looking for my tube of Lizzie Arden lipstick. For once, I'm not concerned about my forged travel documents or the one million French francs neatly stacked inside. Nor do I double-check that I still have the list of targets that must, no matter what, be distributed once the Allied forces land in France. I am frantic to fi

...more

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Sep 09, 2019 Tammy rated it really liked it

This is strong historical WWII fiction based on the resistance work of glamorous socialite turned secret agent, Nancy Wake. Fearless, audacious, and resolute, Wake was a force to be reckoned with all while wearing red Chanel lipstick. Now there’s a woman after my heart. Going by four different code names she thwarted the Nazis at every turn and became the “most wanted” with a sizable price on her head. She also took on members of the resistance who balked at taking orders from a woman with the p ...more

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Mar 09, 2020 Gloria Arthur rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: the-bookshelf

I love a good historical fiction story and Code Name Hélène did not disappoint. This powerful and thrilling WWII story is fictional but it’s based on the remarkable young socialite Nancy Wake who went off to war while her French husband stayed behind.

I loved Nancy’s character she was a feisty and independent woman who used profanity liberally and with flair and could drink any man under the table, she even killed a Nazi with her bare hands! Nancy applied her lipstick like a badge of honour in t ...more

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Feb 10, 2020 Annette rated it liked it

1936. Australian expat, Nancy Wake, lives in Paris and works as a freelancer. She has paved her way onto the roster at Hearst.

When the story starts progressing with her investigative work, the moment I thought I was getting into it, another man’s facial description pops up. It’s like some kind of infatuation with facial descriptions.

When the story starts alternating to different places, for a moment it felt as it was about to pick up the pace, but then it’s on and on about broken camera.

The sto ...more

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Sep 15, 2019 Kari Ann Sweeney rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019

PUB DATE April 2020

I was lucky enough to snag an ARC of Code Name Hélène ahead of the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club Retreat and the hear Ariel Lawhon's thoughts when she joined the group in person. While I’ve read and enjoyed all of her fiction books- this is hands down my favorite.

Hélène is just one of four code names used by Nancy Wake. A relentless, unapologetic, feminine, brave woman who stood toe-to-toe with her male counterparts in the French Resistance during WWII. Beyond her work in the ...more

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Apr 28, 2020 Michelle rated it it was ok

1.5 stars. I made it halfway through and then started skimming. The real life story of Nancy Wake is undeniably interesting, but this book is...not. Melodramatic to the point of parody and horribly structured (WHY is the husband's POV included at random?) and the only really interesting part of the story was her involvement with the French Resistance; the narrative about her and her husband pre-war reads like it was cut-and-pasted from a completely different (and equally bad) romance novel. Also ...more

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Apr 24, 2020 Tina Woodbury rated it it was amazing

I am sitting here, hands hovering over the keyboard, trying to figure out how in the world I am going to put into words how much I enjoyed this book!

This book alternates time periods, but it all takes place between the 1930’s – 1940’s. The book opens on February 29, 1944, “Leap Day”. Hélène is preparing to jump out of an airplane and into France, but before she can do that she must first apply her red lipstick. It is her armor and she is a saboteur, she is there to help the resistance in any way ...more

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Apr 14, 2020 Laura Peden rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audiobooks, libby-audio

4.5 stars! I don’t read much historical fiction but when I read the publishing blurb it grabbed my attention! BASED ON THE THRILLING REAL-LIFE STORY OF SOCIALITE SPY NANCY WAKE,
featuring the astonishing woman who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and went on to become one of the most decorated women in WWII....

Even though it’s a bit lengthy, I was never bored with the story. There’s even a beautiful love story to enjoy! If you like WWII historical fiction don’t miss this one!

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Nov 17, 2020 Celia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2020-read, ten-year-challenge, kindle-library

From Ariel Lawhon's Website:

Told in interweaving timelines organized around the four code names Nancy used during the war, Code Name Hélène is a spellbinding and moving story of enduring love, remarkable sacrifice and unfaltering resolve that chronicles the true exploits of a woman who deserves to be a household name.

I did enjoy this book of romance and intrigue. At first I thought Nancy's words were irreverent and sarcastic, unbefitting a serious historical fiction. But then I came to appreciat ...more

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Sep 02, 2020 Quirkyreader rated it really liked it

First off, I won this through the First Look Book Club. Thank you Suzanne and Penguin Random House.

This book is the partially fictionalized of Nancy Wake, SOE agent during The Second World War. Not to be spoilerish, here is a link to her obituary in The Guardian : https://www.theguardian.com/world/201...

She was an amazing woman. Read this story and see how amazing. ...more

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Mar 18, 2021 Natasha Lester rated it it was amazing

I read a lot of WWII fiction and I also can’t help feeling a little protective of Nancy Grace Augusta Wake, who is something of a fellow Australian - although she was born in NZ, she moved here when she was 2 and spent a good part of her adult life here - so it’s full credit to Lawhorn’s depth of research that her portrayal of Nancy’s heroism during the war and of Nancy’s character is just brilliant. I cannot recommend this one highly enough - go read it, now!
Definitely one of my fave reads so ...more

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Jul 14, 2020 ClaraBelle rated it did not like it

Shelves: unfinished-books, bad-books, bad-biblical-women, bad-politics, unf, bad-heroines

☝️Reposted because someone was just ugly to me about my review☝️
Thought I would like it but I didn’t! I couldn’t finish it either!
Rating: 1 star
Warning: bad language, adultery, hatred of men, heavy flirting and militant feminism
Recommend: I can’t recommend it, sorry
Read: 7/10-14/20
Reading interest level: Boring and then I DNF

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Apr 01, 2020 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical

Wow did I choose the wrong time to read this book.

That ending was super depressing. Hate to knock points off because the story ended in a historically accurate manner but shit. It was bad enough to make me want to throw it.

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Mar 31, 2020 Karen R rated it really liked it

This is my fourth Lawhon book and I was eager to dig in as she is one of my favorite authors. Based on a real-life story of socialite spy Nancy Wake, a woman who ran counterintelligence missions, the story did not disappoint. It is thrilling from beginning to end. Lawhon has built strong characters/relationships and weaves in World War II historical moments. The love story between Nancy and Henri is an exceptionally enchanting one.

Nancy Wake is a natural-born leader, strong, independent and clea ...more

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Jun 19, 2020 Melissa Crytzer Fry rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was the right book at the right time for me – the story of a tough-as-nails woman whose struggles and bravery make our shelter-in-place woes seem trivial. (Yes, the fictional story is – remarkably – based on a real-life character). This is the story of Nancy Grace Augusta Wake’s resistance efforts during WWII in France, but also it is a story of her marriage.

The character is full of pluck, and the story – despite its serious nature – showcased some laugh-out-loud moments. I continue to appr ...more

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Aug 14, 2020 Mindy Brouse rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I couldn’t love this book more. I’m undone. In the last bit of reading this book, I wept. I laughed. I shouted, “No way!” I giggled. I sighed. And I cried again. And that doesn’t include the rest of the amazing story and journey. I can not believe I have another top book of the year so soon after Hamnet, but this is a book I want to own. The writing is beautiful. The details exceptional. Maybe more on the show, but for now... read it.

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Apr 19, 2020 Faith added it

Shelves: audio, dnf, overdrive

This wasn’t for me. I need to read a nonfiction book about Nancy Wake.

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About Ariel Lawhon

Ariel Lawhon

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Ariel Lawhon is the critically acclaimed, New York Times Bestselling author of THE WIFE, THE MAID, AND THE MISTRESS, FLIGHT OF DREAMS, I WAS ANASTASIA, and CODE NAME HELENE. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Library Reads, One Book One County, Indie Next, Costco, and Book of the Month Club selections. She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, w ...more

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Quotes from Code Name Hélène

“The thing about lipstick, the reason it’s so powerful, is that it is distracting. Men don’t see the flashes of anger in your eyes or your clenched fists when you wear it. They see a woman, not a warrior, and that gives me the advantage.” — 6 likes

“Love is a choice. It is the active choosing of good for another person. But like? It is a gift and it cannot be forced.” — 4 likes

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Preview — Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon

Code Name Hélène

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About Ariel Lawhon

Books by Ariel Lawhon

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Trivia About Code Name Hélène

Quotes from Code Name Hélène

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