In December we met at Kathy’s house to discuss my book which was
“A Woman of No Importance” by Sonia Purnell who is a journalist and biogtapher. Purnell did a lot of research and spent 3 years writing the book as many records were destroyed.
The book is a biography of American socialite Virginia Hall who became one of the few
female spies who worked with the French resistance against the Nazi regime.
Virginia was in the diplomatic service in Turkey where she accidentally shot herself in the leg
resulting in her wearing a prosthetic leg and a visible limp.
She managed to get an assignment with the British secret service stationed in France. She had extremely
great organizational skills paired with her charm and good looks. She recruited many volunteers to the cause and was able to command rebel cells that waged war on the nazis. She was also able to send information about the positioning and activities of the Nazis which changed the course of the war.
Later when the Americans entered the war she worked as a spy for them in the same capacity as she did for the British. She was free spirited and longed for adventure. She had a sixth sense in knowing who to trust and sometimes she had conflicts with other male colleagues who resented a woman being their superior. She spoke six languages. Many of her covert tactics were used in ensuing wars by the U.S.
She did not work for awards or medals and shied away from fame. She ended her post war career working for the CIA and married a fellow OSS agent who was not her peer socially.
Madeleine chose Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver for our next read.
