7 Empowering Books Like The Alice Network By Kate Quinn

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“What did it matter if something scared you, when it simply had to be done?”

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If you loved The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, you’re probably looking for more books that blend courage, espionage, and unforgettable women’s stories set against the backdrop of war. This list of the best books like The Alice Network highlights powerful historical fiction novels about female spies, resistance fighters, and women whose bravery shaped history. From gripping World War II stories to dual-timeline mysteries, these books similar to The Alice Network, will transport you to worlds of danger, loyalty, and resilience. Whether you’re drawn to novels like The Lost Girls of Paris or The Rose Code, or simply want to find your next unputdownable read, these stories capture the same emotional depth and historical intrigue. Dive in and discover your next favourite book to read if you liked The Alice Network. 

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The Alice Network Summary

The Alice Network is a gripping and thrilling historical fiction novel that charts the lives of two remarkable women working as spies during two of the most destructive global conflicts in history. In this captivating novel, readers follow Eve Gardinier, who is recruited behind enemy lines in war-torn France in 1915, as well as Charlie St. Clair, who operates in Europe in the aftermath of the Second World War. Based on the true story of The Alice Network, Kate Quinn’s novel offers a mesmerising tale of courage, redemption, and unflinching determination, making it one of the absolute go-tos for anyone looking for a story about resilient women during conflict. 

Code Name Verity – Elizabeth Wein

First up on our list of books like The Alice Network is Elizabeth Wein’s Code Name Verity. Oct. 11th, 1943: A British spy plane crashed in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance of survival. The other has lost the game before it’s barely begun. When “Verity” is arrested by the Gestapo, she’s certain she doesn’t stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she’s living a spy’s worst nightmare. She’s given a simple choice: reveal her mission, or face a grisly execution. 

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot, Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure, and her desperate hope to return home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? 

The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society – Mary Ann Shaffer

January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of WWII, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book written by Charles Lamb. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, she is pulled into the world of this man and his friend – and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. 

Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds there will change her forever. 

The Kommandant’s Girl – Pam Jenoff

Nineteen-year-old Emma Bau has only been married for three weeks when Nazi tanks thunder through her native Poland. Within days, Emma’s husband, Jacob, is forced to disappear underground, leaving her imprisoned within the city’s Jewish ghetto. But then, in the dead of night, the resistance smuggles her out. Taken to Krakow to live with Jacob’s Catholic aunt, Krysia, Emma takes on a new identity as Anna Lipowski, a gentile. 

Emma’s already precarious situation is complicated by the arrival of Kommandant Richwalder, a high-ranking Nazi official who hires her to work as his assistant. Urged by the resistance to use her position to access vital information, Emma must compromise her safety to help Jacob’s cause. As the atrocities of the war intensify, so does her relationship with the Kommandant, building to a climax similar to The Alice Network, where Emma risks not only her own life, but also the lives of the ones she loves. 

The Fountains Of Silence – Ruta Sepetys

Under the oppressive dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into the country under the promise of sunshine and wine. Among them is eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents, hoping to connect to the country through the lens of his camera. Photography – and fate – introduce him to Ana, whose interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War, as well as the chilling definitions of fortune and fear. 

Daniel’s photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst the shadows of danger. He is backed into a corner of difficult decisions to protect those he loves. Like The Alice Network, The Fountains of Silence is a historical tale about identity, unforgettable love, repercussions of war, and the hidden violence of silence. 

The Women In The Castle – Jessica Shattuck

Jessica Shattuck’s The Women in the Castle is a gripping historical fiction novel about women in wartime, perfect for readers looking for books like The Alice Network. Set in Germany at the close of World War II, the story follows three remarkable women whose lives are forever altered by the conflict. Marianne von Lingenfels, a widow of a German resistance fighter, invites two other women – whose husbands were also involved in a failed plot against Hitler – to live in her family’s crumbling castle. 

As they navigate the challenges of post-war Germany, secrets, betrayals, and past traumas emerge, testing their loyalty and resilience. With its richly drawn characters and exploration of female courage and survival, The Women in the Castle weaves a powerful narrative of friendship, sacrifice and the lasting imprint of war. 

Lilac Girls – Martha Hall Kelly

On the eve of a fateful war, New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon. But her life is soon upended when Hitler’s army invades Poland. An ocean away from Caroline, Kasia Kuzmerick, a Polish teenager, senses her carefree youth disappearing as she slips into her role for the underground resistance movement. Young German doctor Herta Oberheuser finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power. 

The lives of these three women are set on a collision course when the unthinkable happens and Kasia is sent to Ravensbrück, the infamous female-only Nazi concentration camp. The tragedy and triumph of their stories cross continents – capturing the indomitable pull of compassion to bring justice to those whom history has forgotten, much like The Alice Network. 

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Check Out The Best Books About Overlooked Historical Figures

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The Diamond Eye – Kate Quinn

It is 1937 in the snowbound city of Kyiv, and wry and bookish student Mila Pavlinchenko organises her life around her library job and young son. But Hitler’s invasion of Ukraine sends her on a different path. Handed a rifle and told to fight, Mila must forge herself from a studious girl to a deadly sniper – a lethal hunter of Nazis known as Lady Death. When news of her three hundredth kill makes her a national heroine, Mila finds herself torn from the bloody battlefield to America on a goodwill tour. 

Similar to The Alice Network, The Diamond Eye is another one of Kate Quinn’s best books based on a true story. The Diamond Eye is a haunting novel of heroism born of desperation, of a mother who became a soldier, of a woman who found her place in the world, and changed the course of history forever. 

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Check Out The Best Books Like The Diamond Eye

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