What do you think?
Rate this book
The Spy from Fifth Avenue: A World War II Thriller
An American girl behind the enemy's desk. Hunted by Berlin. Betrayed and marked for death by Moscow.
1941. Nazi-occupied Ukraine.
Sixteen-year-old Doro Gamburg is living a deadly lie. To the German Command Office, she is an indispensable translator. To the Soviet resistance, she is a vital intelligence asset.
But beneath her forged papers lies a secret that would mean instant
She is a Jewish girl from New York City, whose family moved to the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
Doro survives by relying on her language skills, her courage, and an eerie, inherited vicious attack dogs fall silent at her feet—an inexplicable gift her parents trace to a notorious psychic relative, Erik Jan Hanussen.
When a resistance leader masterminds a desperate rescue to free prisoners marked for death at Babyn Yar, Doro and her childhood friend Paul—an American orphan of Stalin's purges—are chosen to lead. Wearing tailored Gestapo uniforms and armed with forged papers, they use their flawless German to breach the execution grounds in a high-stakes, calculated operation.
The Game Changes...
When Doro is drawn into a classified Nazi uranium project, her fate is Moscow marks her for death to bury a secret she was never meant to see.
Berlin dispatches the ruthless SS inspector Frank von Bock to secure the project.
An expert in uranium and a brilliant linguist, von Bock detects the one flaw everyone else overlooks—the faint Manhattan lilt in Doro's German.
The trap snaps shut. In this deadly game of deception, a single slip of the tongue means death. Some secrets can win a war. Others can destroy those who uncover them.
The Spy from Fifth Avenue is a gripping, richly detailed World War II thriller that delves into a tragic, overlooked chapter of the Forgotten Americans who relocated to the Soviet Union, only to find themselves trapped between Stalin's terror and Hitler's machinery of extermination. Perfect for fans of high-stakes espionage, intelligent young protagonists, and impossible choices.
1941. Nazi-occupied Ukraine.
Sixteen-year-old Doro Gamburg is living a deadly lie. To the German Command Office, she is an indispensable translator. To the Soviet resistance, she is a vital intelligence asset.
But beneath her forged papers lies a secret that would mean instant
She is a Jewish girl from New York City, whose family moved to the Soviet Union in the 1930s.
Doro survives by relying on her language skills, her courage, and an eerie, inherited vicious attack dogs fall silent at her feet—an inexplicable gift her parents trace to a notorious psychic relative, Erik Jan Hanussen.
When a resistance leader masterminds a desperate rescue to free prisoners marked for death at Babyn Yar, Doro and her childhood friend Paul—an American orphan of Stalin's purges—are chosen to lead. Wearing tailored Gestapo uniforms and armed with forged papers, they use their flawless German to breach the execution grounds in a high-stakes, calculated operation.
The Game Changes...
When Doro is drawn into a classified Nazi uranium project, her fate is Moscow marks her for death to bury a secret she was never meant to see.
Berlin dispatches the ruthless SS inspector Frank von Bock to secure the project.
An expert in uranium and a brilliant linguist, von Bock detects the one flaw everyone else overlooks—the faint Manhattan lilt in Doro's German.
The trap snaps shut. In this deadly game of deception, a single slip of the tongue means death. Some secrets can win a war. Others can destroy those who uncover them.
The Spy from Fifth Avenue is a gripping, richly detailed World War II thriller that delves into a tragic, overlooked chapter of the Forgotten Americans who relocated to the Soviet Union, only to find themselves trapped between Stalin's terror and Hitler's machinery of extermination. Perfect for fans of high-stakes espionage, intelligent young protagonists, and impossible choices.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
One of the reasons I'm attracted to reading novels about the two world wars is because they so often highlight inspiring bravery by ordinary citizens. Even by children. THE SPY FROM FIFTH AVENUE is no exception. Though not a true story, this debut novel from Galina Izraelev is a "YA crossover novel"* powerfully reflecting the experience of wartime.
The protagonist is an American teenager, Doro Gamburg. Like many during the 1930s, her family moved from New York City (Fifth Avenue) to the Soviet Union, because Doro's father was eager to help build the more just society promised by Communism. Naturally, they have no idea of the coming war.
Early during World War II (1939-1945) Doro becomes valuable to Nazi occupiers because she speaks both German and Russian fluently. Seeing a skilled and diligent young worker, the Nazis (who do not know Doro is an American) put her to work as a translator. A job that gives her access to critical war-related information.
THE SPY FROM FIFTH AVENUE takes readers deep inside wartime life using a host of other characters. Evil Nazis, suspicious Soviets, innocent Ukrainians, and brave resistance fighters all contribute to painting a picture of this dark and dangerous period. You may find parts difficult to read. Like any war story, families are broken apart. Young love is abruptly thwarted. Characters you care about are injured or killed. People are tortured. And everyone lives with unrelenting tension around who they can truly trust.
THE SPY FROM FIFTH AVENUE is not a traditionally written novel in that it does not have a chronological narrative that flows uninterrupted from start to finish. Instead, it feels more like you're reading a series of concise memories - sometimes just a few sentences - strung together. While initially, this struck me as choppy, I soon adjusted.
In addition, though the first part of the book focuses on Doro and her war experiences, it switches midway to focus on the story of an SS officer, Frank von Bock and his role in a top secret German research project. I found this disruptive at first, but soon made my peace with it. Chiefly because the events occurring around all the characters are so compelling. Later, readers pick up Doro's story again.
THE SPY FROM FIFTH AVENUE is billed as a World War II thriller and there were definitely moments when I felt extremely tense about the situation a character was in. I even had to take a break from reading a few times. Overall, I found the story deeply engaging.
Don't expect a satisfactory ending. This book ends in the middle of the war; the author is planning a resume the story in a second volume entitled THE GIRL IN THE ENEMY UNIFORM.
The author, Galina Israelev, was born in Leningrad and moved to the United States in 1979. This book's subject matter is close to the author's heart. Her relatives were among the victims of mass killings at Babyn Yar, a Ukrainian ravine where Nazis murdered between 100,000 and 150,000 Jews during World War II.
The protagonist is an American teenager, Doro Gamburg. Like many during the 1930s, her family moved from New York City (Fifth Avenue) to the Soviet Union, because Doro's father was eager to help build the more just society promised by Communism. Naturally, they have no idea of the coming war.
Early during World War II (1939-1945) Doro becomes valuable to Nazi occupiers because she speaks both German and Russian fluently. Seeing a skilled and diligent young worker, the Nazis (who do not know Doro is an American) put her to work as a translator. A job that gives her access to critical war-related information.
THE SPY FROM FIFTH AVENUE takes readers deep inside wartime life using a host of other characters. Evil Nazis, suspicious Soviets, innocent Ukrainians, and brave resistance fighters all contribute to painting a picture of this dark and dangerous period. You may find parts difficult to read. Like any war story, families are broken apart. Young love is abruptly thwarted. Characters you care about are injured or killed. People are tortured. And everyone lives with unrelenting tension around who they can truly trust.
THE SPY FROM FIFTH AVENUE is not a traditionally written novel in that it does not have a chronological narrative that flows uninterrupted from start to finish. Instead, it feels more like you're reading a series of concise memories - sometimes just a few sentences - strung together. While initially, this struck me as choppy, I soon adjusted.
In addition, though the first part of the book focuses on Doro and her war experiences, it switches midway to focus on the story of an SS officer, Frank von Bock and his role in a top secret German research project. I found this disruptive at first, but soon made my peace with it. Chiefly because the events occurring around all the characters are so compelling. Later, readers pick up Doro's story again.
THE SPY FROM FIFTH AVENUE is billed as a World War II thriller and there were definitely moments when I felt extremely tense about the situation a character was in. I even had to take a break from reading a few times. Overall, I found the story deeply engaging.
Don't expect a satisfactory ending. This book ends in the middle of the war; the author is planning a resume the story in a second volume entitled THE GIRL IN THE ENEMY UNIFORM.
The author, Galina Israelev, was born in Leningrad and moved to the United States in 1979. This book's subject matter is close to the author's heart. Her relatives were among the victims of mass killings at Babyn Yar, a Ukrainian ravine where Nazis murdered between 100,000 and 150,000 Jews during World War II.
October 31, 2026
I was thrilled when the author emailed me about her new book! I was instantly intrigued. It is a WWII novel about a different side of the war - not ghettos and concentration camps - but a another story based on the author's family experience. It is a story about bravery and courage, about young people and their impact on the war effort, and intrigue, which was detailed and tense. I love that the book is intended for YA readers. As an educator, this book is very appropriate for high schoolers, but adults will enjoy it too! When I got to the end and learned there was going to be a second book, I was very excited! I can't wait to read what happens next . . . Thank you Galina!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews