The Lady Is a Spy

December 1, 2018

Gr 6-9-A detailed, thoroughly researched, and engaging story about Virginia Hall, a much-forgotten but vitally important figure in U.S. and British history. Hall served as a spy, first for the British and then for the Americans, aiding the French Resistance in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Mitchell pulls readers into Hall's story in a compelling narrative that does not skimp on facts. There is plenty of historical detail given as context, to frame Hall's life as a spy, but also to inform readers about life in occupied France and give a fuller picture of the war. This book includes a thorough bibliography filled with primary and secondary source material, detailed endnotes, and photo credits. The author also included lots of primary source information and quotes from Hall's niece, Lorna Catling. VERDICT A well-researched, organized, and compelling nonfiction read for middle schoolers.-Kristyn Dorfman, The Nightingale-Bamford School, New York City

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2018
The life and career of a tough, profane, cool-headed secret agent who worked for British and American intelligence in both hot and cold wars.Mitchell's (The Freedom Summer Murders, 2014, etc.) tedious tally of quick encounters, obscure locales, and vaguely described tasks sucks the juice out of what is plainly a rip-roaring tale. Not the least deterred by blowing off her own foot in a hunting accident (she dubbed her prosthetic limb "Cuthbert"), Maryland-born Hall played such an important role building networks of informants in Vichy France ("I've made some tart friends," she reported, who "know a hell of a lot!"), supplying arms and advice to insurgents, and helping prisoners escape that she was both made a member of the Order of the British Empire and awarded a Distinguished Service Cross by the U.S.--the latter being the only one given to a civilian woman in World War II. Here, though the author does direct nods to many of her intrepid associates, he buries her own exploits in generalities and extraneous minor details plus, for her later years in the CIA, eye-blearing boilerplate from internal personnel reviews. The backmatter offers plenty of documentation, but the small period photos throughout are too often only tangentially relevant to the narrative.A dry, dreary waste of a grand subject, well below the author's usual standard. (bibliography, endnotes, index, maps) (Biography. 12-15)

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December 15, 2018
Grades 7-10 When WWII first broke out, America didn't get involved. But some Americans did, including Virginia Hall: a woman from Baltimore who, in France when the fighting began, worked first as an undercover agent for the British Special Operations Executive, then, later, for the U.S. Office of Strategic Services. With sharp instincts, unyielding determination, and common sense, she eluded the Nazis, working as a wireless telegraph operator to pass resistance information to the Allied forces. She faced many personal obstacles?missing a leg, she often had to deal with pain from her prosthetic device, for instance. And even though women's roles increased during the war, she rarely received the respect or recognition she deserved for her achievements. Black-and-white photos are dispersed throughout the text, offering further insight into WWII Europe. Espionage is a draw for readers, though much of the information surrounding it was kept under wraps, and this will be an easier sell for history buffs. An intriguing, informative glimpse into the life of a little-known figure that will appeal to fans of feminist heroes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)