The Huntress
By: Kate Quinn
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 531
Summary (Provided by Goodreads): In the aftermath of war, the hunter becomes the hunted…
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.
In this immersive, heart-wrenching story, Kate Quinn illuminates the consequences of war on individual lives, and the price we pay to seek justice and truth.
First Impressions
The Alice Network was my first read of the year and I LOVED it. I knew that I needed to read more by Quinn and was excited to see she was coming out with a new book this year along the same lines of the Alice Network. Even if I hadn’t read The Alice Network, this cover would’ve definitely caught my eye.
What I thought
I think Quinn has solidified herself as a new favorite author!
The Huntress concurrently follows three different storylines; Ian, an ex-war correspondent turned Nazi Hunter 5 years post WWII in Vienna, Nina, a Russian fighter pilot during WWII, and Jordan, an American teenager living in Boston just at the end of the war. Over time, all of these stories become interconnected with one commonality- The Huntress.
Because of the variety of narratives occurring during a variety of time periods it took a little while to get settled into the book, but once I did I was hooked. I loved reading about Jordan because she was the one I could relate to the most. She is in her senior year of high school with a serious boyfriend and all she wants to do go to college to become a famous photographer but everyone expects her to marry her boyfriend and become a homemaker.
However, Nina’s story was probably the one that was most fascinating and exciting. One of the things I like best about Quinn’s stories is the insight into how females helped fight the wars. With the Alice Network it was all about a female network of spies, whereas with The Huntress it’s about a Soviet Flight Unit that attacked the Germans. I had no idea that there was a unit like that and I always appreciate stories that share with the world how much work women have done for the world.
The mystery side of this story isn’t unpredictable, but as that’s not the point of the story, it didn’t bother me. I appreciated that I knew where the story was going but that the mystery was how it was going to get there.
I wasn’t ask into Ian’s storyline as the two women, but I did like Tony and I loved Ian’s interactions with Nina. I read a lot of historical fiction, specifically WWII fiction, and sometimes the stories can be slow and hard to get through. While I don’t dislike this about these stories, sometimes it can be a little draining or tiring to read them. Quinn’s stories are easy to read and quick moving without losing the seriousness of the subject matter.
I flew through this book and enjoyed every moment of it. I have found a new favorite author and cannot wait to read more of her stories. If you like stories about female empowerment and historical fiction, you will definitely enjoy Quinn’s books. I cannot recommend this book enough!