A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell is an intriguing, detailed account of Virginia Hall, an allied spy.

Born in Baltimore,1906, Virginia Hall came from money, but she wasn’t to follow the pattern of most girls of means. She attended private schools, and in college excelled in French and mathematics. In 1926 she moved to Europe, loved France, and when she returned to the United States she could speak five foreign languages.

Although her mother hoped she would finally settle down, marry, and lead a genteel life,
her mother’s wish was not to be. While on a bird hunting trip, Virginia, 27, stumbled, her rifle accidently went off, and she shot her left foot. The foot became infected, then the leg, gangrene set in, and she consequently lost her leg from just below the knee. She acquired a hollow wooden prosthetic, but for the rest of her life she had a swinging gate to her walk, and often suffered pain.

In 1940 France was being overrun by Germany. In the United States, Virginia applied for work at the State Department, but being a woman was rejected. Later, in England, she worked in the French section of British secret service, in the Special Operations Executive (SOE) as a secret liaison officer, and was sent to France. As a spy, Virginia coordinated the work of local Resistance leaders and future SOE agents. With her prosthetic leg, she often worked at a disadvantage, but she powered on, helping to turn the tide of history. Virginia was driven not by recognition or reward, but by a profound sense of duty to humanity. She frequently changed apartments to avoid being caught. In 1942, the Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission: “She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her.” But Virginia pressed on, and refused order after order to evacuate.

A Woman of No Importance is a story of personal triumph over shocking adversity. Virginia Hall was never satisfied being placed in a “woman’s role,” but used her femininity to her advantage. She was a master at looking natural and ordinary while doing unnatural and extraordinary things. Virginia had a knack for recruiting people and gaining their trust. She was glamorous, but also authoritative and decisive.

With the detailed facts and accounts of spy activity, this book would be of special interest to World War II buffs. People who are familiar with France would no doubt enjoy this book with its references to many well-known landmarks. I appreciated learning about Virginia Hall and her inspiring life as a World War II secret agent.