This is the sort of book that compelled me to natter on with great enthusiasm after completing each chapter… And then! And then! And THEN! (Thank goodness my husband is a patient man.) In telling the story of Virginia Hall, who was an astonishing figure, Purnell also includes riveting details of life underground in wartime France-disguises, codes, parachute drops, infiltration, sabotage, escape. Like Ben McIntyre, her style is dramatic and cinematic, with easy lucid prose. What is it about? It is a biography of Virginia Hall, an American who fought with the French Resistance, first as an agent for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE), then with the American Office of Strategic Services (OSS). (Plus my mother loved it, and I usually like what she likes.) Why did I read this? It got wonderful reviews when it was published last year.
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