This novel takes place over three time periods, the first and Second World Wars and post WWII.
Elinor White is a child in Belgium during WW1. Along with her sister Cecily and their mother Charlotte they are living in a small village. Their father has been killed in the fighting and the Elinor and Cecily are recruited by resistance fighter Isabelle to work as saboteurs. They are very successful and are moved to England, their mother’s birthplace when suspicions grow about their involvement.
In 1947 Elinor is happily living a secluded and solitary life in a Kent village when she becomes aware that her young neighbours are being harassed by a gang of London thugs, the Mackie family. She gets involved which includes tracking down her WWII espionage mate Steve Warren who now works for Scotland Yard. Using her espionage skills she brings solid evidence of a big Mackie family plot to Scotland Yard. ( )

When Elinor De Witt was a young girl living in Belgium during World War I, a relative stranger recruits her to commit acts of espionage and sabotage against the Germans. Later, during the Second World War, Elinor, who speaks five languages, becomes an agent of England's SOE—Special Operations Executive. Her instructors teach her how to use a parachute, gather intelligence, kill enemy soldiers stealthily, and handle firearms. Jacqueline Winspear's iconic character, Maisie Dobbs, thrilled legions of devoted fans. The heroine of Winspear's "The White Lady" reminds us of Maisie. Elinor is resolute, daring, and competent at every task she undertakes. She also has a no-nonsense demeanor and a good heart.

In the chapters set in 1947, Elinor is a relative recluse who resides in Kent. She decides to intervene when her neighbor, Jim Mackie, his wife, Rose, and their three-year-old daughter, Susie, are threatened. Jim's father, John, is a ruthless hooligan whose family is involved in armed robbery, fraud, gambling, and other illegal activities. Mackie sends his thugs to coerce Jim, who was once incarcerated, into rejoining their criminal enterprise.

This is where the novel becomes particularly muddled. Elinor's conflict with the Mackies does not mesh well with her adventures as an agent of the British government. Although "The White Lady" had promise, most of the characters are thinly drawn; there are too many pages of lengthy exposition; and the frequent shifts in time between chapters disrupt the narrative flow. Had Winspear stuck to Elinor's escapades during World War I and II, this might have been a more satisfying work of historical fiction. On the other hand, Winspear deserves credit for highlighting the exploits of courageous women who, without fanfare, risked and sometimes sacrificed their lives to defeat their country's adversaries.
( )

Elinor De Witt was recruited as a young Belgian girl to work with Dame Blanche, the Belgian resistance network, in World War I. In World War II, the British SOE came knocking at her door. Now she is living in rural Kent, England, but is finding it hard to leave the wars behind. When her young neighbors are threatened by the crime family they are trying to escape, Elinor finds herself relying on skills she thought she would never need to use again.

Moving back and forth in time, we learn about Elinor's experiences in both World Wars as well as her efforts to solve a crime-in-the-making in present day 1947. I found the transitions a bit jerky and the ending rushed. We finally get to the denouement of what happened back in WWII, and it's glossed over in retrospect as opposed to the buildup which was written in present tense. While the premise of a British woman dealing with war trauma while solving a crime is similar to Maisie Dobbs, I thought this would have made a better historical novel and the crime family aspect didn't add much to the book.

The White Lady is written by Jacqueline Winspear.
The book is termed a ‘British Historical Mystery’.
Ms. Winspear is the author of the Maisie Dobbs series and though The White Lady resembles that series, it is a stand-alone novel.
It does share the same time periods of Maisie Dobbs - pre World War I to post World War II in Britain. The very thoughtful writing style is the same, as is the personality and intelligence of Elinor White. The historical and cultural references make the reader feel a very personal part of the time periods. The White Lady is a history-based thriller, and testimony to the bravery and determination of women everywhere.

“This heart-stopping novel, set in post World War II Britain in 1947, follows the coming of age and maturity of former wartime operative Elinor White - veteran of 2 wars, a trained killer, protective of her anonymity - when she is drawn back to the world of menace she has been desperate to leave behind.”
***** ( )

Elinor White has lived through two world wars and helped to defend her country in both. Now, she lives in a "grace and favor" cottage in a small British hamlet. While her intent is to keep to herself, she is drawn into connection by baby Susie. When she finds mother Rose holding Susie and crying, Elinor finds herself drawn into conflict with the powerful Mackie family who want Susie's father, Jim, to return to the criminal fold.

As Elinor seeks to help Jim, Rose, and Susie escape, she reunites with old colleagues and discovers layers of duplicity that have harmed her for years. Making friends with Elsie Mackie, Elinor also sees how men in all areas underestimate the power of a strong woman.

Elinor DeWitt, aka MIss White, lives in a village in Kent. When her neighbor experiences threats from his family which is involved in organized crime, she wants to take action for his small daughter's sake. Although Dutch, she assisted in the English in espionage during the war, receiving a special "grace and favor" property for her assistance. She has the connections to provide help and the skills to help the family. This is one of those dual timeline stories, and it really doesn't work very well. The ending fell flat for me. This is not Winspear's best work. ( )

I enjoyed this one - easy listen, good story, kind of a quick wrap-up, maybe a bit too neat at the end. ( )

Elinor White, aka DeWitt, is a former British spy who worked in both WWI and WWII. She was recruited as a young girl by Isabelle, to notify them of German trains passing, and to try to derail the trains. Later, after working in Paris after university, she returns to London, where she finds devastation. She once again returns to service in WWII. A death of a child haunts her.
Now, in post-war London, she meets a young family in turmoil. Elinor calls upon her old friends to inquire about this family and their business. She uncovers a crime family, but wonders how far into the government they infiltrated. She tries to save the family, while also redeeming herself from her past.
Good story, an enjoyable and interesting read. ( )

Well, that was interminably dull. Instruction manuals have faster pacing and a better resolution. I felt like there was a decent plot bubbling under the surface - the introductory chapters were good - but the end result was laughable. Why would a supposedly intelligent and independent woman like Elinor trust a bent copper with her theories? Why would he indulge her obsession with a random family if he were genuine? One World War as background was interesting, two was overkill. And poor Elsie, the best character in the book, was woefully sidelined.

The writing was not only cliché bingo but also seemed to aimed at children, explaining simple terms that most people know or could be deduced from the context. Switching back and forth between both world wars and the late 1940s only dragged out the inevitable rather than building tension or developing the characters, but at least Elinor's childhood in Belgium was emotional and evocative - the SOE backstory was just ridiculous. I have no idea what the Mackie mafia subplot was supposed to be, apart from a very tenuous bridge between past and present.

I'm just disappointed. I expected a historical novel based on the real life brave men and women of the SOE and got a Hallmark aga saga. ( )

The White Lady -Winspeare
Audio performance by Orlagh Cassidy
4 stars

I’ve been enjoying Winspeare’s Maise Dobbs series for years. I thought I might miss Maisie when I started this book, but I didn’t. The story grabbed me right away. The protagonist of this book, the ex-spy Elinor White, is a grittier, more hard nosed character than Maisie. Elinor began work in war resistance during WW1 as a 12 year old in Belgium. She was naturally recruited for more of the same during WW2. Much of this book is told in flashbacks of her training and war experiences. Winspeare manages to create some edge-of-the-seat suspense in the back story even though it’s clear from the beginning that Elinor survived her war service.

The main plot of this book takes place in the years after the war as England struggles to recover. Elinor becomes concerned with the struggles of a young family living near her in the country. The father, Jim, has family ties to a dangerous criminal gang. Elinor’s war experience and training allows her access to a former college in Scotland Yard’s organized crime division. The post war investigation becomes tangled with the tragedy and mystery that ended Elinor’s war service.

The book has a definite feminist slant. Elinor has the assertive edge of a woman playing a man’s game. As she untangles the current mystery and the mangled memories of her past she confronts the misogyny and the class prejudice of the police force and the various branches of the secret service. There’s also a mildly humorous side plot of a successful female criminal.

I’m not sure I believe in Elinor’s intention to walk away from clandestine work at the end of this book. I’d enjoy reading more of this character. ( )

Aufible

Elinor de Witt aka Elinor White in England is recruited into the resistance first during World War I as a teen in Belgium and later as an adult in WW II. Isabelle, her recruiter is British and in 1947 when she is supposed to be enjoying her retirement can’t let go of her war experiences. Two stories of war from two perspectives and ultimately the truth is discovered. ( )

A thoroughly enjoyable book, but the ending was a little too neat, too predictable. However, I enjoy Winspear's writing, and look forward to more books from her outside the Maisie Dobbs series. ( )

I love Ms. Winspear's historical fiction novels. The reader is the same as the reader for Maisie Dobbs, and she reads the character with the same personality.

A young couple disembarks from a train in a small English town looking for a new life. Thankfully, a local farmer needs help and offers housing, although it's not much in way of housing. The young wife enjoys walking with her daughter and tries to befriend a local lady whom she passes frequently. This lady seems distant until the little girl pulls her in. The become nodding acquaintances. Then, the lady sees that there's a problem. Some men arrive and rough up the couple. The lady follows. Meet the white lady.

Elinor follows the men and seems to know a great deal about taking care of herself. Upon arriving in London, Elinor goes to an old friend who works with the police. Our young husband is from an infamous family, and they want him back for a job. Elinor vows to help this couple get away from the corrupt family. While working through this endeavour, the reader has many flashbacks revealing Elinor's past and how she became so capable around such rough people.

I so enjoyed the novel. Elinor has had a difficult life and has had to defend herself and others. At what point does one have faith that leave violence behind and choose peace? This is Elinor's journey. ( )

Elinor White, the primary character in this book, was traumatized by her wartime experiences, including being trained to kill at only 12 years old. Elinor’s involvement in dangerous, clandestine activities, injury and mysterious psychiatric treatment leaves her unable to move on with life after the war. She lives a very solitary existence until a neighboring family is threatened and she becomes involved in order to protect the five-year-old daughter. She renews contact with a former wartime comrade who is now a highly placed police officer in order to gain information about the neighbor's criminal family background.
I could have done without the detailed activities and relationships of the Mackie crime family members, but their relationship with the police was important to the plot and realistically portrayed. As usual in spy stories, there is a betrayal and sacrifice which leaves me with mixed feelings at the end. I would like to know what Elinor's future holds. ( )

Jacqueline Winspear’s heroines are all alike…superheroes gifted with determination. A entertaining story of a Belgian/English woman who serves Britain as an agent during the two world wars…nicely complicated plot and characters, but I’m sorry the heroines are all so much alike. ( )

A hyper-vigilant recluse living in rural England in post-War England gradually gets to know the couple with a small child living nearby and can't help but become protective when the man's criminal family members threaten them to induce him to participate in a job he has refused. It's clear she's highly competent and quite capable of violence if necessary - and as the conflict plays out, we learn about her past. As a child in Belgium she aided the British during World War I and, after moving to England and studying languages, she again joins the war effort, aiding resistance fighters. Now she finds ways to infiltrate the criminal family in London while planning ways to protect her peace-loving neighbors.

The historical immersion is brilliantly done in all of the time frames involved, and our protagonist is a fascinating character - prickly, strong, intelligent, aloof, and tortured by something she'd had to do in the war. Other characters are also wonderfully developed, including a woman in the crime family who is overlooked but smarter than she's given credit for. The plot is woven together effectively, and the past is vividly evoked. Altogether, this is an immersive, intelligent, and compelling novel. Immensely enjoyable.

I love Jacqueline Winspear! This stand alone novel was very engaging. She has such depth in her characters. I really appreciate Ms Winspear's delving into the psychology and motives in all of the folks that populate her novels. It really expands my understanding of the world. ( )

Kept my interest all the way. Story of a woman, Elinor, serving in the Resistance in Belgium in both world wars, whose experiences drive her to beat up on herself, so that she can't forgive herself for her first [since they are her first] and last murders. This one is of an innocent. She seeks redemption in her attempt to pull a young man and family away from his Mafia-like family. The young man, Jim, does not want to enter that life and has tried to escape it into the country. Character driven with plenty of adventure. Three timelines in the story, following three stages in Elinor's life: each world war and a couple of years afterwards. ( )

Fabulous book. Loved the interplay between wars and then peace. She writes good books with lovely characters. ( )

I love the Maisie Dobbs books so much but I felt reluctant to read this book because I was afraid I wouldn’t like this new character/book.

I did like it, quite a bit. I hope that the author sticks to her plan to make this a standalone book though. I don’t want another series. I feel as though the White Lady story has now been told. Even though the last two Maisie books wonderfully wrapped up all the reader could want about Maisie and all the characters, I would read any future books if the author decides to continue writing books in that series.

Most of the chapters in this book were really long and that made it harder for me to pick up the book to read the next one. Almost every chapter required a significant time commitment.

What I liked about this book: The characters and settings are wonderful. The research seems good. It feels like an epic going through two wars with a fair amount of aging of the main character but it never dragged for me. The storytelling and writing are excellent. I don’t generally like mob stories but this was a different sort of mob store and I thoroughly enjoyed Elsie and also liked Jim & his family and even Jim’s father in a way.

What I didn’t like about this book: There were too many toward the end of the book reveals. Just a bit too much happened to the main character. It wasn’t so much that things were unbelievable (though they are improbable) but it was an exhausting reading experience for me and so much of what goes on seemed unnecessary. (I won’t give details, not even in spoiler tags, but it was just too much and I’m thinking the story might have been better without at least a quarter of it.

3-1/2 stars ( )

I enjoyed the story of Elinor White's espionage work through two world wars. And I have read all of Winspear's Maisie Dobbs series. But this novel had a very flat affect. We don't really know Elinor White as a person. I think trying to cover the events of two wars, and their aftermath left Winspear little space for character development, so while the story was interesting, it had little emotional resonance. ( )

Elinor White is 13, living in Belgium, when she and her older sister are recruited to be operatives for the Belgian resistance. Elinor and her sister carry out several missions before their luck runs out and Elinor is forced to make a split second decision which will trouble her for the rest of her life .Elinor's skills and courage are once again needed during WW11. Though she is courageous and resourceful, the tragic events of WW11 leave her haunted.

Post WW11, Elinor lives in small cottage in the Kent countryside. She lives a fairly content, but quiet life, ever vigilant and somewhat of a recluse. When a young family moves into a small cottage close by, Elinor is drawn into the Mackie family as she witnesses violence against them. Jim Mackie, his wife and their young daughter have escaped London to be free of Jim's criminal family

Told in three timelines , this makes for a fascinating read, and Elinor discovers that people are not always who they seem , and even trusted colleagues keep secrets.

I am a big fan the Maisie Dobb's series , and I really enjoyed this new stand along novel. I'm eager to read whatever Jacquline Winspear writes next

4 stars ( )

Elinor White lives in a remote cottage in England provided to her by the government for her service in WWII. She lives a solitary existence, but her reserve is broken by a young girl whose parents work for a neighboring farmer.

Her back story is that she was recruited into the Belgian Resistance during WWI as a 15 year old girl. She was evacuated to London after a narrow escape, along with her mother and sister. After completing her schooling and starting a career in Paris, she returned to London as Hitler was preparing to evade. While teaching at an all girls school, she was once again recruited for resistance activities in WWII Belgium.

The narrative moves back and forth between her resistance activities and her current postwar situation. The narrative is much like the Maisie Dobbs stories in style, but is darker. ( )

Very good stand alone novel about undercover work for women in England during and after both World Wars ( )