قطب‌نمای برنجی

by Ellen Butler, آیدا کوچکی (Translator )

یک جاسوس زیبای آمریکایی شبانه می‌‌گریزد. او باید یکه‌وتنها و با تکیه بر زیرکی خود، از اسیر شدن به دست دشمن بگریزد و خودش را صحیح و سالم به نیروهای متفقین برساند. دوران کودکی لیلی سنت جیمز، با سفر به دورتادور اروپا سپری شده و در این حین، او زبان‌های مختلفی یاد گرفته است. در سال 1938، مرگ ناگهانی مادر، او را به خانه‌اش در واشنگتن‌دی‌سی برمی‌گرداند. پس از بمبارانِ پرل_هاربر، لیلی، از سوی ادارۀ خدمات استراتژیک مورد توجه قرار می‌گیرد. دانش و تسلط او بر زبان‌های آلمانی، فرانسوی و ایتالیایی باعث می‌شود به عاملِ تمام‌وکمالِ این اداره تبدیل شود و با توجه به قدرت تصمیم‌گیری سریعش، او را به‌عنوان پرستار بچه در خانۀ یک سرهنگ مهم ارتش آلمان قرار می‌دهد تا برای متفقین اطلاعات جمع‌آوری کند.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Romance, Thriller, War, Espionage

384 pages, Paperback

First published May 22, 2017

About the author

Ellen Butler is bestselling novelist writing critically acclaimed suspense and award winning romance novels. Coming in May- the first Karina Cardinal Mystery, about a intelligent D.C. lobbyist with a sharp wit, and a curiosity to rival Jessica Fletcher into. Karina’s inquisitiveness pulls her into one adventure after another occasionally putting herself or those she loves into danger. Ellen is also the author of bestselling historical suspense, The Brass Compass about a beautiful American spy whose cover is blown behind enemy lines. She flees into the night, and on her own, she must live by her wits to evade capture and make it to the safety of the Allied forces. Ellen's award winning romances are from the Love, California Style series which includes Heart of Design, Planning for Love, and Art of Affection.

Ellen holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Policy, and her history includes a long list of writing for dry, but illuminating, professional newsletters and windy papers on public policy. The leap to novel writing was simply a creative outlet for Ellen’s overactive and romantic imagination to run wild.

Reviews

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book by Ellen Butler. The story was exciting so I definitely will read more of her books. Our protagonist is Lily St. James. She went to school in Switzerland and England. She had travelled throughout Europe prior to World War II. She is recruited by the Civilian OSS and sent to Germany as a spy. Lily was recruited because she speaks German, French, English and can easily learn a language. Her resistance links are compromised. She is on her own and on the run from the SS.

The book is well written. The plot twists and turns. There is action and lots of suspense as Lily goes from one risky situation to the next. Butler had me hooked from the first paragraph. The book makes a great get-away-from-it all.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is nine hours and forty-four minutes. Justine Eyre does a great job narrating the book. Eyre is a Canadian actress and is multilingual. Eyre has won three Audiofile Earphone Awards and has won the Audie Award.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book and not a bad read. It is the story of a woman who works as a spy in German country during WW II.
At the same time, I felt she tried to put too much info into the book, which takes away speed from the novel and made it ramble a bit.
Maybe more interest8ng for people who don’t know anything about WW II.

[Nilo0 · Rating 5 out of 5]

کتاب قشنگی بود. تم عاشقانه هم داره
کتاب درباره جنگ زیاد خوندم اما از دیدگاه یه جاسوس زن و در دل آلمان که باید فرار کنه و اطلاعاتش رو به متفقین تحویل بده نخونده بودم
داستان از اواخر جنگ شروع میشه، به گذشته لی لی می پردازه و در نهایت بعد از پایان جنگ به پایان می رسه

[E.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brass Compass by Ellen Butler was a spy like historical fiction romance, that kept me reading.

Not my first read by this author, so I knew going in I was in for something not only well written, but well researched. I was not disappointed, this book was that and more. Now I will say that there was a little too much info and filler at some points, pulling me out of the story, but it wasn't enough to detour me, or bring my reading mojo down.

I fell into this story right away, and as I read on the more I get pulled in. The suspense, mystery and the spy games made it gripping and fun. I love the strong female MC, for the this book is set in, she was beyond her time and I fully enjoyed her character. I loved the romance as well, it was a nice touch and again, fun. This book was just one of those books, that was just a joy to read. It was strangely soothing to me, and I think that has to do with the steady plot flow and smooth tones, with a haze of darkness.

Overall this book is a must read, it was a good mix of history, romance, action and spy mystery; and it gets my super high recommendation and my stamp of approval.

Happy Reading

-E.A. Walsh

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting historical fiction and compelling heroine. Perfect summer read since the story keeps the pages a' turning and you will get a little lost in WWII locales in Germany, France and Switzerland. The glossary was helpful at the end. It's clear the author did extensive research and love that she was inspired by the lives of real people who played important roles in the War. And frankly who doesn't love a novel about a female spy!

[heather agnew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lilly St. James starts out well and is interesting for about 2/3rds of the book, it then moves into the realm of not very likely. Enjoyable but suspend disbelief.

[Micalah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first came across Ellen’s book Operation Blackbird which was actually book two in the Brass Compass series but I’m the type that always likes to check out previous books in a series before just in case they are interconnected. Book number one was this book The Brass Compass and the premise of it was right up my alley considering the historical fiction aspect, and it being based during WW II. The characters from book one are in book 2 and sometimes they will reference events that occur in the other but I don’t feel that it’s absolutely necessary to read them in order as they are each their own separate stories with the focus being on their own characters, following a different story line, and a different historical event. I throughly enjoyed The Brass Compass and fell in love with its storyline, and it’s characters. I thought it flowed well, was incredibly well-written, and I enjoyed the twists, and turns. The camaraderie and relationships between the characters in such tense times with the added touch of a little romance was just lovely. Whenever I opened my kindle I was wholly absorbed into Lily, a U.S spy, and Charlie, a major in the U.S Military, and their world. I just didn’t want to stop reading. I eagerly look forward to book two and other books written by this author.

[Sara Oxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Brass Compass by Ellen Butler a four-star read that will help you find true north. I am not usually a fan of historical stories, but this one intrigued me. Lily Saint James is such a complex character, she makes the novel for me, if she wasn’t so well written then this wouldn’t be such a good story. Lily has a great flow, you watch as she goes from bored young woman to a major undercover player, the spying interspersed with a love story just adds a much needed lightness to the story, if there wasn’t the love story it could be too dark otherwise.

[Jill Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love historical fiction, particularly when it covers an aspect of history that I'm not already familiar with - I love having the opportunity to learn something while being entertained, it adds an extra dimension to the story that I really enjoy. That said, there are certain periods of history that I tend to avoid in my historical fiction. There are timeframes and historical events, like the Holocaust or slavery and the Civil War, that I find difficult to enjoy because of their underlying impact on humanity. I read fiction to be transported into the world of the story; I don't generally want to be transported to a place of horror and despair. I will read non-fiction about these eras and events, because I don't expect the same things from non-fiction. I like being generally well-informed, and to consider myself so, I feel compelled to read non-fiction across the spectrum of human emotion, because I firmly believe that ignoring the distasteful elements of history makes us subject to the risk of allowing them to be forgotten or mitigated in our memories, and thus to be repeated. So it will come as a surprise to you (it did to me!) that I no only read Ellen Butler's novel of female spies in Nazi-occupied Germany but that I so thoroughly enjoyed it.

The Brass Compass is the tale of Lily Saint James, a female operative of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) - the precursor of the modern CIA. But more than that, it's a tale of women in a war that tends to focus on men, largely because the major players (at least publicly) such as Churchill, Hitler, and Stalin, were all men. Lily is a delightful heroine and protagonist; she is plucky, resourceful, clever, and above all, human. Despite her amazing skills, she has moments of self-doubt, of fear and despair, that keep her from feeling like a James Bond-esque super-spy, even when her efforts to escape the hostile (both geographically AND geopolitically) German landscape seem to render her fairly super-human. She is a marvelous combination of innocent, savant, and Everywoman. Throughout her life, she plays the hand she is dealt even when everything in her rebels against the constraints (real and perceived) of family, society, and government - and even when the deck seems stacked rather heavily against her. And she not only plays it, she plays it with aplomb.

Lily's harrowing travels through the wilds of Germany, the see-saw of Switzerland, and the mania of Occupied France offer a slightly different picture of Europe at the end of World War Two than I've seen before. There's a slightly off-kilter feel; the evocative writing allows the reader to join Lily in questioning everyone around her (and even her own motives, at times) as she wonders who can be trusted and how she is going to not only navigate to freedom but live with herself once she gets there... There is an underlying love story that is teased out throughout the course of the book. At first, I must admit it felt like a distraction. But as the plot thickens, and secrets are revealed (some intentionally, some not so much), the pieces came together and coalesced into an integrated whole that not only made sense, it made history.

Pacing is often an issue in historical fiction. There often seems to be a desire by the author to prove that they did their research; the result tends to be a glut of detail intended to showcase the effort, occasionally at the expense of the overall story. Not so, here. Lily's escapades are laid out with just the right amount of detail to keep them fascinating yet still fast-paced. This is a story for history lovers and those who enjoy a rollicking good spy adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to more from the talented woman behind the tale!

My review copy was provided by the author; this provision in no way shaped my review.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally absorbed in reading “The Brass Compass” by Ellen Butler. Lily St. James is an American who has been recruited to join the civilian OSS as a spy during World War II in Germany. Since she is fluent in French, German and English, she is a natural for that role. However when her position is compromised and her resistance links are discovered, she must escape to the Allied lines. The Allies are in Paris and are headed to Berlin and she must join up with them as she has vital information about troop movements and air fields. We follow Lily as she flees on foot into the Black Forest and over the countryside in the midst of enemy territory trying to find the safe lines. I guarantee that the reader will be reading far into the night as Lily meets danger at every turn and finds both help and betrayal at the hands of some of the characters that she meets during her flight.

I enjoyed this book because it kept me on the edge of my seat as the heroine faced one danger after another. The author is a gifted writer and her plots and sub-plots were realistic and engrossing.

You can find this review on my blog at https://wp.me/p2pjIt-tt. Other reviews can be found at http://imhookedonbooks.wordpress.com.

[Ellyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable historical fiction set in WWII. Sarah/Lily is an OSS agent dropped into dangerous spy missions in behind the lines in Germany and in the Wehrmacht occupied regions of France. She falls in love with an American officer with the 101st and their paths cross in multiple (somewhat hard to believe) ways.

The high-tension descriptions of the missions are the best parts of the novel. The dialog (why is dialog so hard?!) between the heroine and her lover is awkward. I'm not sure this is the author's strength. But I love the history and the fast-paced drama. Ellen Butler did her homework when it comes to Germany (I was born there and lived there for many years), but she could have done a little more research into the culture of the American Army. A minor complaint, a most engaging novel.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is enjoyable, overall. It follows Lily, a young American who speaks French and German flawlessly. She joins the OSS because she's bored and purposeless and is soon behind enemy lines, posing as a nanny so she can spy on a high-ranking Nazi officer. But her cover is eventually exposed, forcing her to flee across Germany in the dead of winter. She's eventually reunited with the man she loves, an American airman, and goes on to have more spying adventures with and without him. It's kind of an episodic story, with Lily having various spying escapades, and with the love story threading through all of it.

I would say it's not entirely appropriate for teens, though. It contains violence, torture, mentions of rape, description of a Nazi death camp, bad language sprinkled throughout, and some non-explicit love scenes.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for my book club; never would have picked it up on my own.

I agree with the reviewers who say this is seriously overwritten. Ms. Butler needed a more aggressive editor. And, since I listened to the audio book, the melodrama came across in spades. Much too dramatic for my taste.

The story was interesting, but strained credulity. How this one young woman, raised in a pampered household, was able to escape the Nazis--not once, but several times--is really hard to believe. I was intrigued by the impression that the book was based on a true story, but it turns out that it was "inspired" by several real-life female spies.

I'd say it's more of a love story set in Europe during WWII than a spy novel.

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has great potential, but I found the writing to be really annoying and frustrating, particularly in the first half. The book needed some serious editing. The author seemed to be trying too hard. Such an overuse of adjectives, metaphors and overly cutesy phrases. The story itself was important, and the novel was more focused at the end, but so much was lost in the "wow, look how many words and phrases I can fit it here" aspect of it. I almost ditched it early on, but am glad I decided to finish it.

[Robert B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Historical Fiction

If you enjoy historical fiction, especially World War II genre, with a little romance thrown in, you will love this book. The Heroine is a beautiful spirited " spy" who just can't stop getting herself into nail biting situations. You will be on the edge of your seat much of the time. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

[P.R. Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good historical fiction

The heroine's escape from Germany is extremely well written. The author knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat. The book went down hill in my opinion as it neared the end but it was still interesting. The author has a good grasp of history and at times I felt she was telling a true story that happened during the war.

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Brass Compass” should rank as one of the best books of the decade!

Read full review in the 2017 July/August issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Susan Samuelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful

I normally do not like books written in the first person but this is by far one of the best books I have read. It is so well written I felt I was actually there. It is very suspenseful. I highly recommend this book.

[Julia Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this, great background info, great relationships. I enjoyed the suspense of her journey through Germany, especially since I thought it would be about only her escape. Was pleased it continued on past that.

[Squeaky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a gem of a book, perfect easy read- well written, well organized. This isn't an elaborate Nightingale book, but a simpler, pleasant WW2 historical fiction. Both this book and Nightingale are excellent reads, just they're different. I will look for the author again.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling story with a strong female protagonist.

[Diana McBeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent reading!

I am fascinated by World War II books and this is one of the better ones I've read recently. It was suspenseful and descriptive of the times. Loved it.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

An explosion of excellence. Great read, could not put book down.

[Paola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very slow pace, sometimes even a bit boring.

[nedanddixie gregerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventure on every page

I literally couldn't
Leave the book great read ,detailed history along side an imaginative author!,,,Thanks I will look forward too .more

[Tara Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lilly Saint James has had a good life travelling and attending prestigious schools throughout Europe where she has been taught manners and proper etiquette. Throughout her travels and schooling she has also mastered several different languages including French, Italian, and German. Lilly has never wanted to attend these schools and instead yearned to be home with her mother. When her mother suddenly dies in 1938 Lilly feels lost and angry that she was not able to be there. She lashes out at her stepfather and becomes desperate to find her way in the world. All Lilly really wants to do is to help with the war effort but is unsure how she can do so.

When Lilly is discovered by the OSS (Office of Strategic Services), an agency newly formed by the government, it gives her the opportunity to work undercover as a spy. When Lilly stumbles onto an opportunity to become a nanny for a German Army Colonel she is able to gather valuable intelligence to take back to the Allies. Working within a small group of other OSS agents, and trusting few, becomes especially dangerous when her secondary contact is captured and interrogated by the SS. With no choice but to save herself Lilly flees into the night determined to get the valuable intel contained in the mini film cartridge in her shoe into the hands of the Allies.

Lilly’s journey is fraught with danger as she works her way through enemy territory. She has no help and is uncertain who to trust so it is vital that she reaches her destination. She weaves her way through the darkness battling cold, exhaustion, and hunger desperate to get the vital strategic information into the hands of the Allies. Lilly’s life is at risk at every turn and even more so when she is captured and tortured by the enemy. Will Lilly survive the torture? Will she get the intel into the hands of the Allies?

This book had me intrigued from the beginning and I fell in love with Lilly’s character. Not only was Lilly intelligent, but she was quick to think on her feet as well. The sheer bravery and determination it took for her to continue going was admirable. Lilly found a way to survive the harshest of conditions and keep going under circumstances where many others would have just given up. Lilly never gave up hope that she would get her vital intel into the hands of the right people. I found myself cheering her on as she trudged through snow and the cold. I prayed that she would find food and shelter. I cringed and cried when Lilly was captured and brutalized. I hoped and I prayed that Lilly would continue fighting and reach her destination.

This book gave me valuable insight into the lives of the brave men and women who risked life and limb during the war. Many of whom worked tirelessly behind the scenes and did not receive recognition for their sacrifices. It made me appreciate even more so the heroic actions of those who fought in the war and what they sacrificed to keep us safe. To all those who risk their lives to keep us safe, thank you.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read about espionage. Lily St James is a World War Two spy passing information about German colonels to members in the Resistance. But when her informant is taken hostage by he SS, she is forced to go on the run. With the SS at her heels, she keeps going across Germany. Whilst on the run, she does her bit for the war effort and discovers friends and foes alike on the way. Can she survive long enough to make a difference?
A great read. Well developed plot with twists and turns.. Well developed characters like Lily doing what she feels is right but vulnerable underneath. Great cast of supporting characters like te sweet Magda or
I loved the visual detail throughout the novel like with the moon on the forest with its trees in the snow, magical and a safe space for Lily. Or Fraudenstadt with its sense of a small town with its cobbled streets and small shops with the townhouse and everyone knows each other, for a sense of comfort and danger wonderfully written.
The use of the first person worked well to display Lilys journey and siaply her thoughts and feelings. The use of dates and locations was a great addition to give the reader a clear sense of the time period and geography. The glossary was a nice touch, helping the reader understand terms but may have been more useful at the start of the book. I also liked the use of languages in the novel giving it a sense of culture
The use of memories also helped to display how times had changed for Lily and the simplesafety of life in the past contrasting with the danger of the present, wonderfully written. However, it sometimes had abrupt switches from the past and present and hard to follow.
The only issue I would raise is that there were a lot of long sentences that were hard to read and could have been resolved with a variety of sentence lengths to captivate the reader into the action. Overall, a great read and I would give it four stars.

[Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Brass Compass is a gripping historical novel by Ellen Butler. The heroine, Lily, is an intelligent young American woman whose youth has been spent living all around Europe. Her fluency in a number of languages and her determination to support the Allied Forces mean she is well suited to work as an OSS agent. When she fears her cover may have been blown, however, she must go on the run and fight to survive the winter as she makes her way to France, where she hopes to be safe.
The story is set in 1945, but Lily’s dreams give the reader flashbacks to her past and some of the major events in WWII. Since we have recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of D Day, I was particularly interested in hearing about Lily’s involvement in that, and another character’s description of parachuting onto the beach.
The Brass Compass is clearly well-researched and is very informative, whilst also being an immersive story. Butler goes into plenty of detail both in describing large, significant events and in Lily’s day-to-day life on the run. We pretty much know everything she has to eat from the start of the story and how she gets it. This is both an interesting insight into rationing and a way for us to get into her head.
This book gets five stars from me. It’s a well-written, entertaining book that transports the reader back in time and sheds some light on an often-overlooked part of the history of WWII. I’d recommend it to fans of spies, survival adventures and WWII.

[Laura Furuta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Brass Compass: A Novel
By: Ellen Butler
5 out of 5 stars

The story The Brass Compass: A Novel by Ellen Butler is an amazing and wonderful book to read. It hooks you in from the very beginning and I found myself lost in the storyline. I loved reading about the character of Lily Saint James. She is an agent for the Office of Strategic Services. She gathers information for the Allies. Lily is smart, strong, and stubborn. She always looks at ways to overcome obstacles and has a fierce determination when on a mission. Things have gone wrong and now Lily need to flee and get to Allied controlled France. The journey is perilous. Will she make it? Read this book to find out. This story at times had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I grew to care about Lily with each chapter that I read. There are other characters that I enjoyed reading about and their interactions with Lily. This book takes you on a journey that is unforgettable. It is a story that you will not want to put down until you have read the final page. I found myself thinking about the book even after I had finished it. This is a story I would highly recommend reading.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first time I really got a chance to get to know Ellen Butler’s writing was with her fabulous Karina Cardinal mysteries. I love each of them and was super excited to see a historical fiction from her especially when I found out it was centered around WWII, an absolute favorite time period of history for myself. One thing I adore about Butler is the strong and evident way you can tell she pours herself into whatever she is writing about. You can definitely see the amount of time spent pouring over each detail. It makes the story rich and immersive.

The Brass Compass takes us on numerous dangerous and white-knuckled situations with Lily St. James, an American who was recruited to the civilian OSS as a spy during WWII. As you can imagine this was a very scary time and there were lots of situations that people found themselves in that they never would have imagined themselves facing. I loved how this was written as a fiction with fictional characters, but Lily St. James is ever as real as anyone that would have a real story. I can’t wait to see what else Ms. Butler will churn out. I know it will be fantastic and on my TBR list before I even glance at what it is about.