This is probably because in Beantown, the trio were central to the whole book, while here Anna was the primary protagonist, with different sets of lesser characters around her at different stages of her work. I will admit straight away that this book didn’t engage me quite as immediately as Healey’s previous novel, “Beantown Girls.” In that book, I was absorbed from the very beginning, and with this book, it took some time before I felt connection to Anna and her various companions. While Anna is a fully fictional character, she’s surrounded by both real (Donovan) and thinly veiled representations of some of these true heroes. Healey went with an American woman who gets involved with the OSS as an assistant (actually glorified secretary) but due to her language skills and natural talents, ends up being upgraded to working in Nazi occupied Paris, sending intel back to the US and London, and getting involved in other dangerous missions. I mean, how can you top something like Code Name Helene, which was one of my favorites of 2020? But the beauty of novels and different authors is that they always seem to find a slightly new angle for their stories. In fact, if this hadn’t been by Healey, I’m not sure if I would have asked for the ARC of this novel. And yes, it does feel like I’ve been reading quite a lot of these lately. I know what you’re thinking – yet another WWII spy story. Whatever the risk, she’s willing to take it to help liberate France from the shadows of occupation and to free herself from the shadows of her former life.”Īge: Adult Genres: Literary, Women, Fiction Settings: Historical, WWII, USA, England, France Other Categories: Biographical, Novel. She’s driven to make a difference-for her country and for herself. Dispatched behind enemy lines and in constant danger, Anna is filled with adrenaline, passion, and fear. Then comes the opportunity: go undercover as a spy in the French Resistance to help steal critical intelligence that could ultimately turn the tide of the war. But the more Anna learns about the organization’s secret missions, the more she longs to be stationed abroad. Donovan has faith in her-and in all his “glorious amateurs” who are becoming Anna’s fast friends: Maggie, Anna’s down-to-earth mentor Irene, who’s struggling to find support from her husband for her clandestine life and Julia, a cheerful OSS liaison. Everything changes when she’s recruited into the Office of Strategic Services by family friend and legendary WWI hero Major General William Donovan. Summary: “ Anna Cavanaugh is a restless young widow and brilliant French teacher at an all-girls school in Washington, DC. Book Review for “ The Secret Stealers” by Jane Healey.
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