Paromjit's Reviews > The Huntress

Kate Quinn writes the finest in historical fiction in her well researched blend of fact and fiction, based on real life characters in this vibrant and thrilling novel set in the post-WW2 era of the 1940s and 1950s. Quinn illuminates the little known bravery, courage and fearlessness of what the Nazis referred to as The Night Witches, the all Russian female night bombers who managed to wreak devastating damage behind German lines. Nina Markova, a fiercely strong, independent, larger than life, frightened of nothing, woman gives her all to join The Night Witches and ends up downed behind German lines, encountering Lorlei Vogt, 'The Huntress', an accomplished Nazi killer of so many, including children. It is going to take all of Nina's smarts for her to survive.

British war correspondant, Ian Graham, has seen the horrors of WW2 and the Nuremberg Trials, where many countries have lost interest in pursuing Nazi war criminals. He has suffered his own losses, wants to do more than write as he takes up the mantle of becoming a Nazi hunter with his friend, former US soldier, Tony Rodomovsky. He is after the elusive The Huntress and is joined by the tough Nina as they sift through clues and evidence of her whereabouts. In Boston, the young Jordan McBride dreams of becoming a photographer, despite family opposition. When her widowed father brings home the German widow, Annelise (Anna) with her small daughter, Ruth, a traumatised child, she is glad for her father. However, Jordan is unsettled by a photograph she has taken of Anna that fuels her apprehension and distrust of her. She takes the momentous decision to look into Anna's past. Quinn weaves the interconnections between Nina and Ian who arrive in the US with that of Jordan that culminates in the most thrilling of finales.

Quinn's multilayered storytelling is atmospheric, passionate and vivid, with rich descriptions that make for truly gripping reading. Her complex characterisation is stellar, with a particular highlight with the compelling character of the unforgettable Nina, a driven and charismatic woman that holds centre stage in this wonderful novel right through to the very end. She is a fantastic example of the extraordinary women who served as The Night Witches, fully deserving of their stories to be known much more widely. This is a superb read, dealing with the repercussions of WW2 and spotlighting the horrors it comprised of. Highly recommended! Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.