On the February 8th, 2024 meeting of the Book Club, Terry Lingys reviewed the 2019 Historical Biography, A Woman of No Importance, written by Sonia Purnell. This is a story of Virginia Hall and how her heroism changed the course of the Second World War.
A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell
A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell is a biography of Virginia Hall, one of the most daring and influential spies of World War II. The book tells the story of how Hall, an American woman with a prosthetic leg, became a legendary undercover agent for the British and the Americans, operating behind enemy lines in France and coordinating resistance networks, sabotage missions, and prison escapes. The book also reveals how Hall faced sexism, discrimination, and betrayal from her own allies, and how she overcame these challenges with courage, resilience, and wit.
Virginia Hall was one of the greatest spies in American history. Just as she did in Clementine, Sonia Purnell uncovers the captivating story of a powerful, influential, yet shockingly overlooked heroine of the Second World War. At a time when sending female secret agents into enemy territory was still strictly forbidden, Virginia Hall came to be known as the “Madonna of the Resistance,” coordinating a network of spies to blow up bridges, report on German troop movements, arrange equipment drops for Resistance agents, and recruit and train guerilla fighters.
Even as her face covered WANTED posters throughout Europe, Virginia refused order after order to evacuate. She finally escaped with her life in a grueling hike over the Pyrenees into Spain, her cover blown, and her associates all imprisoned or executed. But, adamant that she had “more lives to save,” she dove back in as soon as she could, organizing forces to sabotage enemy lines and back up Allied forces landing on Normandy beaches.
Click Here to read more about this book. If you would like to see a one hour video where Sonia Purnell talks and answers questions about her book, Click Here.
The book was published in 2019 and received critical acclaim and numerous awards, such as the New York Times bestseller, the Plutarch Award for Best Biography of 2019, and the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime.
Probus Club of Kingsway-Islington 