A satisfying introduction to a remarkable woman’s influential contributions to espionage.
Traces the exciting life of a pioneering spy who became the CIA’s first tenured woman officer.
Virginia Hall, who was born into Baltimore high society in the early 20th century, was a white woman of many names and talents. After opening with a foreword by her great-nephew, this work written in spare verse traces Hall’s early life and illustrious career. She was a daredevil who enjoyed international travel from an early age and pursued graduate studies in French and economics. The first time she attempted to join the Foreign Service, she failed the exam. Following a hunting accident in Turkey which resulted in the loss of her left leg below the knee, she was rejected for being an amputee. In 1940, Hall became an ambulance driver on the front lines of World War II in France, opening the door for her to spy for Britain’s Special Operations Executive, becoming one of the most respected—and hunted—spies in France. After the war, she joined the Central Intelligence Group, later known as the CIA. Friddell relays Hall’s thrilling exploits, firmly grounding them within historical events. The short chapters, plentiful photos, and ample white space make this inviting to readers overwhelmed by dense text, although the choppy verse affects readability (Heather Demetrios’ conversationally written 2021 biography of Hall, Code Name Badass, would supplement this work well).
A satisfying introduction to a remarkable woman’s influential contributions to espionage. (author’s note, Hall’s awards and honors, source notes, bibliography, picture credits) (Verse biography. 12-18)Pub Date: June 24, 2025
ISBN: 9781662680595
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Calkins Creek/Astra Books for Young Readers
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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