A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II – Sonia Purnell
Virginia Hall went by many names and was called many things — some pleasant, others not — during her career in espionage, but one adjective she shirked during her lifetime was the moniker of hero, a title she rightly deserved.
Born to a wealthy Maryland family in the early 1900s, at a young age she began to defy the expectations of her gender for the time, enjoying traditionally non-feminine pursuits, such as sports, hunting, traveling alone and education.
Her wanderlust led to a career with the U.S. Department of State in the 1930s, where she bore witness to the radicalization of many European nations. During this time, she was also injured in a hunting accident, which required amputation of her leg below the knee.
Despite multiple surgeries due to infection, she was called to action to help defend democracy once Germany invaded Poland in 1939, and since her home country was not yet engaged in the conflict, she offered her services to the British.
Under the guise of American journalist, she spent most of World War II in France, donning disguises and using her unassuming qualities to become one of the most prolific and successful figures in the French resistance movement.
Despite the physical and mental toll this work took on her, Hall remained remarkably fearless and adaptable, avoiding capture and working the entire duration of the war while repeatedly exceeding the expectations of her superiors.
This “limping lady” was so fierce and capable, she was considered the “most dangerous of all Allied spies.” I could write paragraph upon paragraph of her achievements and exploits, but Sonia Purnell did that for me.
Still, it’s interesting to read a book celebrating the life of someone who actively avoided talking about their experiences while living.
Throughout Purnell’s exhaustive, and at times tedious, exploration of Hall’s professional and personal lives, many reports state how she desired to stay out of the spotlight and never wanted to appear to be capitalizing on the trauma of World War II.
Even though Purnell’s heart was in the right place by elevating the contributions of Hall, “Woman” felt a bit tawdry. While we receive a well-rounded view of a pioneering figure in global espionage, the whole thing felt a little soulless, likely because Hall would’ve objected to its publication.
All that to say, whether she wanted the attention or not, Hall’s name deserves to be elevated.
I give credit to Purnell for her research, especially since much of Hall’s experiences were classified. She did, however, tend to burden the reader with a lot of detail making it difficult to keep track of all the players, locations and conflicts.
What struck me the most — and this will come as no surprise to women — was how she was constantly underestimated and overlooked within her profession. Both during the war and as one of the first women in what would become the Central Intelligence Agency. Men were regularly threatened by her experience and drive and pigeonholed her in a way that makes you want to scream.
Fans of military history and “The Nightingale” will likely enjoy this, but personally I think Hall’s story would be better shared on the big or small screen, something that is currently in development. It would make her experiences and contributions far more accessible to others.
Even as an audiobook, narrated by Juliet Stevenson, it was tough to get through. Stevenson is British, but she adopted a horrendous American accent whenever directly quoting Hall. It was distracting, laughable and her overall posh delivery made the horrors of war seem like a discussion over afternoon tea.
I encourage people to learn about Virginia Hall, but this likely isn’t the best place to start.
Rating (story): 3/5 stars
Rating (narration): 3/5 stars
Formats: Audiobook (library loan)
Dates read: March 10 – March 15, 2022
Multi-tasking: Good to go. You’ll miss some detail, but you can easily do supplemental research online to see what you may have missed.
