Thom reviewed Code Name : Lise by Larry Loftis
Review of 'Code Name : Lise' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
A solid book about the most highly decorated spy in World War II - who also happens to be a woman. Drawn from many sources, some recently declassified, this is an accurate portrayal of Odette's time in the war - and as a prisoner of war. Several notes tie events and people in the story to the wider war in Europe. 4 of 5 stars.
The early chapters cover Odette joining the SOE (Special Operations Executive) and training, plus her work as a courier in France. Most of the second half of the book is her imprisonment, including some gruesome torture. With most spies shot shortly after torture, I was surprised that she lived to come home from the war - and she was also. I wanted to read more details about her courier missions and their outcomes.
This is not the authors first, or last, book on spies in …
A solid book about the most highly decorated spy in World War II - who also happens to be a woman. Drawn from many sources, some recently declassified, this is an accurate portrayal of Odette's time in the war - and as a prisoner of war. Several notes tie events and people in the story to the wider war in Europe. 4 of 5 stars.
The early chapters cover Odette joining the SOE (Special Operations Executive) and training, plus her work as a courier in France. Most of the second half of the book is her imprisonment, including some gruesome torture. With most spies shot shortly after torture, I was surprised that she lived to come home from the war - and she was also. I wanted to read more details about her courier missions and their outcomes.
This is not the authors first, or last, book on spies in the war, and I look forward to reading more of them. His very complete research is complemented by a smooth narrative and story flow. He states here that much of the dialog is from Odette's own reports, but I can't fault the author for the pieces that are fictional - they really bring the story together.