Published by Macmillan audio, St. Martin's Press Genres: History, Memoir, Nonfiction, War
Format: ARC, Audiobook, Paperback
What a life! What a mission! What a woman! Can you even imagine, the bravery, the cunning, the determination, and the grit that it took to parachute and work behind enemy lines, to send back codes, and to risk your life for the greater good? Born and raised in South Africa, Pippa Latour, learned to be brave in the face of danger. She learned to be tough as she experienced loss, grief, and upheaval in various living situations. She was strong, brave, resilient, and intelligent. This served her well when she joined the Special Operations Executive (SOE), where he parachuted into occupied France, sending back codes, and using her quick wits and thinking to avoid many close calls and to evade trouble.
She lived quite the life, and I was blown away at the beginning of the book where it is mentioned the no one in her family knew of her brave deeds or involvement with the SOE. It was only after her children questioned her about what they learned about her on the internet in 2000, that she decided to tell her story – her way. It was her story after all and if it was going to be told, she was going to be the one to do it! I so admired her for not needing or wanting public praise and kept her heroic deeds to herself. I also loved that she decided to tell her story on her own terms once her involvement with the SOE became known. This memoir was published after her death and was co-written with journalist Jude Dobson.
It is no wonder that Pippa was the last surviving member of the undercover British female operative in WW2. From her childhood she was strong, brave, and able to adapt to new situations. I love reading books based on real people and events. I also love reading books that teach me new things, evoke emotion, and are thought provoking. This book did all of those and then some. While reading I couldn’t help but wonder if I could have been as brave as Pippa and the other women who parachuted into Nazi France during the war. You never know what you have inside of you until you are put to the test. To be a person in extraordinary situations. This is another example of how brave women throughout time have stepped up and answered the call for service displaying great bravery, skill, confidence, and intelligence.
Gripping, informative, and evoking emotion.
I had the pleasure of having both a physical copy of the book and the audiobook version. The narrator of the audiobook did a tremendous job of bringing this book to life.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
