Why does it take 73 years to hear her story? How did Hall, coping with a disability, conquer the hearts and minds of the local population? How did Hall escape the cries of gratitude from a grateful nation, the acceptance of awards for bravery, or the need to tell her story? Who was this noteworthy woman slighted by those supposedly leading the charge against Nazi Germany and Vichy France? Finally, does the author believe that Virginia Hall was a victim of gender bias?
Purnell attempts to answer many questions to reveal the truly amazing character of Virginia Hall. With this book, the author turns to researching files long lost, forgotten, and ignored to bring the story of Virginia Hall in grand fashion to right this wrong. Purnell wonders how “a female guerrilla leader of her stature remains so little known to this day.” (p. The author, Sonia Purnell, is a biographer and journalist with stints at The Economist, The Telegraph, and The Sunday Times. It’s a joy to read, and it will swell readers’ hearts with pride.A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell. Purnell’s writing is as precise and engaging as her research, and this book restores overdue attention to one of the world’s great war heroes. During her lifetime, Virginia’s gender and her wooden leg were used as excuses to dismiss and undervalue her. As part of the Resistance in France, Hall masterminded the prison escape of 12 agents, developed the tactics that would bloom into successful guerilla warfare, and cultivated a network of spies so effective that her superiors said progress in France would have been “impossible” without her.
Stories like this one layer on top of each other in a seemingly endless display of bravery.
Even so, she hiked through the Pyrenees with a wooden prosthetic to escape Nazis who considered her a dangerous spy and top target for capture. An accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound cost Hall her leg.
Purnell ( Clementine, 2016) shines a spotlight on Virginia Hall, an American woman, by recounting her unprecedented heroism in WWII. The large cast of characters and nuanced detail in this exceptional true story require close attention, but the payoff for readers is tenfold.
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