The Huntress
A Novel
Book - 2019
9780062884343


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The Coca-Cola buzz was wearing off by the time Raskova's ashes were laid to rest. Nina was swaying on her high heels as Lieutenant General Shcherbakov gave the funeral oration, echoing as he was broadcast across the land. Talking about the highest standards of Soviet womanhood and credit to the Motherland. Who were they even talking about? Speeches like this could be made at any funeral. Nina remembered the squadron commander who had died on the very first sortie; how the Night Witches had toasted her memory under the stars and sung soft songs that echoed across the airfield. That was how Raskova should have been remembered, not with rote rhetoric and the mournful broadcast beats of the "Internationale." It should have been women talking about Raskova today, not these old men. pg. 264
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Add a CommentWWII historical fiction that shines a light on The Night Witches, an all-female team of Soviet bombers who took on the invading Germans and fought them with every breath. Quinn is a master of complex stories with multiple perspectives and alternating timelines that are still easy to follow and track, so that the story is rich and layered and round. You won't want to put this one down once you start reading, and if it's your first Quinn, you'll likely put her debut novel The Alice Network high on your reading list once you've finished.
The first few chapters I was not sure how I felt about it, but it ended up being a great book! I enjoy reading World War 2 books but not one where it was set just after the war. Three great characters to follow along, you know they will be tied up together eventually but well worth the wait.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters were all capable and as reasonable as they could be considering the time period and situation. Nina was an especially interesting character. I also enjoyed the balance of the moments of internal dialogue as the POV changed chapter to chapter.
Decent story but I agree that this reads more like a young adult book. I found it mostly filler with not much actual plot line. It could have been at least a hundred pages shorter. A somewhat enjoyable light read.
If I were 15 years of age, this might have been intriguing...
Very enjoyable read. The characters were interesting and it was exciting to bounce back and forth in time to slowly eke out their individual backstories, and, ultimately, how the various stories collide. I particularly enjoyed reading WWII stories from a female perspective. Recommended.
One of those stories that stick with you well after the last page is read. Memorable characters in a historic context. The author does a good job telling the tale through different time periods and through the lens of the lead characters.
The writing is for young adults. So a fairly light read about a fairly heavy topic. Well worth learning about the Russian women flying aces and the dedication of Nazi hunters.
Kate Quinn wrote this book in a very interesting and compelling way. The story is told from multiple points of view, all in different time periods, who end up coming together and being interconnected in ways I did not expect. This book was full of twist and turns, leading me to stay up late wondering what will be happening in the next few chapters. I really liked this book, and I suggested it to my mom to read as well, as she is very into the WWII historical fiction, and she absolutely loved it. It is a bit of a longer book, and perfect if you have a lot of free time and want to get lost in other people’s problems. This is action packed, but also full of mystery, and a little bit or romance-y drama as well. 4.5/5 stars
@LucindatheGreen of the Hamilton Public Library's Teen Review Board
In a sea of World War II-based historical fiction, Quinn's work The Huntress stands out by going beyond the war to explore the compelling quest to bring Nazi war criminals to justice. Quinn successfully weaves several parallel stories together while depicting the idea of the huntress becoming the hunted. As in her well-known work The Alice Network, the author creates strong, multi-dimensional female characters who take the spotlight. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy well-researched historical fiction with plenty of drama, suspense, romance, and mystery.