The Star Society by Gabriella Saab is a riveting historical novel that masterfully stitches together two distinct and equally tense postwar settings—the shadows of the Dutch Resistance and the paranoid glamour of 1940s Hollywood. This novel centers around the fate of actress Ada Worthington-Fox, a woman reinvented after escaping the Gestapo.
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Centered on Ada’s fragile new life, the novel’s tension escalates when the sister she believed lost, Ingrid, suddenly enters her world. She is now a private investigator sent from Washington with a mission to investigate communist influences. This collision of their separate paths is what creates an emotionally charged, propulsive story about the enduring, complicated bonds of sisterhood and the high cost of reinvention in a world still recovering from conflict.
The Power of Sisterhood and Secrets
The novel’s greatest strength lies in its compelling dual threads. Ada, the former Dutch Resistance operative, has transformed herself into Hollywood’s rising star, shedding her painful past for a life of supposed safety and celebrity. This carefully constructed facade is violently disturbed by Ingrid’s arrival, whose undercover investigation targets her own sister.
The plot expertly explores the complex dynamics of sisterhood tested by war, distance, and dangerous secrets. As their missions unexpectedly intertwine with Ada seeking justice for a Gestapo agent while Ingrid searches for political loyalty, the sisters are forced to confront the deepest, most dangerous ones they share. This confrontation puts their fragile reunion and lives at risk.
Historical Immersion and Emotional Depth
Saab exhibits a remarkable talent for weaving together fact and fiction, creating a deeply moving and immersive historical experience. The author doesn’t just describe the past; she throws the reader back in time. Through the deeply realized characters of Ada and Ingrid, the narrative feels less like a fictional novel and more like a true historical account, allowing the reader to genuinely feel the raw emotions and enduring hardships that these characters must have felt and endured. The contrast between the glitz of Hollywood and the underlying political paranoia of the Red Scare is perfectly balanced by the harrowing flashbacks to wartime Arnhem.
A Triumphant Read
With excellent pacing and richly drawn characters, this author keeps the stakes consistently high, forcing Ada and Ingrid to decide what is more valuable: justice or safety, silence or taking a stand. The Star Society by Gabriella Saab is a triumphant read that succeeds not only as a suspenseful historical thriller but as a profound meditation on loyalty, identity, and the extraordinary lengths we go to for the people we love. This book is set for release January 6, 2026 by Harper Muse. You’ll want to check it out!
Thanks to Harper Muse for this #gifted book for this review.
