Monday, September 19, 2022

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal

 
First Line from Prologue: "Imagine-- it's a year from now, 1941, or maybe even '42-- and Germany and the Axis have won the war," Hermann Schwinn was saying in a thick accent.
 
After a severe lapse in judgment cost her a prestigious job in New York City, Veronica Grace and her mother, Violet, find themselves in Los Angeles looking for work. Although she still wants to pursue a career in journalism, bills must be paid, so Veronica accepts a typing job from a local high school teacher.
 
It doesn't take her long to discover that this high school teacher is an ardent supporter of the Nazis and one of their chief propagandists in southern California. Veronica wants nothing more to do with the man or his agenda, but that's when she's approached with a proposition. The man was very favorably impressed with both her work, her Aryan appearance, and her German background-- she would make the perfect spy.
 
As Veronica begins her life as a spy, her mother joins her, the older woman moving easily among the wealthy wives of California's Nazi elite. When Pearl Harbor brings the United States into the war, both women find out that the plans these dangerous men are making have a lot more to do with death and destruction than they do with disseminating propaganda leaflets.
 
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Based on a true story, Susan Elia MacNeal's Mother Daughter Traitor Spy is a white-knuckle ride into a life of espionage by two women you'd never think would be spies. Veronica Grace is bright, talented, and longs for a career in journalism like her hero, Martha Gellhorn. She's so bright and so talented that I still find it hard to believe the stupid error in judgment that cost her a prestigious job in New York City.
 
Another thing that was a bit difficult to accept (but I don't know why) is what a hotbed of Nazism the Los Angeles area was in World War II. So much so that the West Coast was in much more danger than the East Coast. Learning that, back then, Anaheim was called "Klanaheim" made my blood run cold. (When reading this book, do yourself a favor: read the author's notes, sources, and inspirations.)

One of the best parts of Mother Daughter Traitor Spy was how MacNeal showed the concurrent tedium and terror of being a spy. Veronica and Violet's determination and strength of character shone through all the long months they put themselves in danger. It is a life that not many people are suited for, and a life in which one of the most important lessons to be learned is that "nice isn't the same as good."

This is a strong fictional account of two remarkable women that has disturbing ties to the present day. I'm glad I met Veronica and Violet.

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal
eISBN: 9780593156964
Bantam Books © 2022
eBook, 336 pages
 
Standalone Historical Thriller
Rating: A
Source: Net Galley

18 comments:

  1. This sounds intriguing, thanks for sharing your thoughts

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  2. I know what you mean about not wanting to think of L.A. as a Nazi hotbed, Cathy. And, yes, the work 'Klanaheim' is scary.... It's funny you mention the notes, etc.. It's so easy to let those things go, but sometimes, they're as good as the story is, and give really helpful background. This sounds like a very absorbing read!

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  3. It's hard to imagine LA as being a hotbed of Naziism, but times do change, don't they? Sometimes even for the better.

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  4. Nathan Lane, a favorite of mine, is in Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, in which he is investigating Nazi infiltration of Los Angeles politics. I saw him on TV describing his role and events in the movie. I was nearly on the floor from laughing. This book sounds good. Although I hate reading books about WWII and Nazis, if it's about these two women and not the horrors, I can read it. I had read a positive review elsewhere, too.

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    1. No, it's not about the horrors; it centers on the two women who are convinced that they have to do what they can to stop people like this from getting into power.

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    2. Seems quite timely and relevant today. I'll add it to the TBR list.

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  5. I had no idea there was such Nazism in LA during WWII. That's so crazy! And Veronica and Violet sound like amazing women. I bet my mom would really like this one, too. :)

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  6. This was already on my radar, but I definitely wasn't thinking of L.A. as a Naxi hotbed!

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  7. Famous Humphrey Bogart movie with him and his gangster friends taking on Nazis in Yorkville, a neighborhood in New York City. The name escapes me, but it's a good film.

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  8. That movie with Bogart is "All Through the Night." It''s a comedy and fun.

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    1. I'll have to take a look, even though I'm not a Bogie fan.

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    2. I'm a Bogart fan, though I watch fewer and fewer movies as time passes (so many books to read!). I'll remember this one for sometime after football season when I'm in the mood for something to watch.

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    3. Books for me, and TV series for when I knit. I watch fewer and fewer movies, too. I'm not sure why.

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