Overall, I think the book was okay. I wasn't too fond of Grace from the beginning. She fell pretty flat for me because she wasn't really developed as a character. I also think the notion that somebody in that era would be ill-mannered enough to open a stranger's suitcase and take something from it a little far-fetched. I was far more interested in Marie and the other young women who were recruited by the SOE and I was a bit frustrated when the point of view would frequently revert back to Grace. As I came closer to the end of the book, I saw that Grace's character wasn't going to become more developed than what it was, so I started skimming through her narrative.
I also had an issue with the little romance going on between Marie and the resistance cell's leader, "Vesper." Apparently, young women in the 1940's couldn't work with men without falling in love with them and were unable to make logical and rational decisions in the face of danger. The truth of the matter is, Marie's real-life counterpart was likely caught and imprisoned when she went to her flat to destroy her radio after receiving her extraction orders, or immediately after she blew up a bridge. Why romanticize this and continue to perpetuate a trope that tends to overshadow traits, like bravery and intelligence, in women?
I enjoyed reading Marie's story, and I think the plot would have been improved if the focus was more on Marie and Josie, an agent Marie bonded with, and less on Grace. If you enjoy female agent spy novels that follow the traditional trope, you might enjoy this book. If you are looking for a historically accurate novel that focuses more on the female protagonist's wit, resourcefulness, and bravery, you probably won't enjoy it.
I also had an issue with the little romance going on between Marie and the resistance cell's leader, "Vesper." Apparently, young women in the 1940's couldn't work with men without falling in love with them and were unable to make logical and rational decisions in the face of danger. The truth of the matter is, Marie's real-life counterpart was likely caught and imprisoned when she went to her flat to destroy her radio after receiving her extraction orders, or immediately after she blew up a bridge. Why romanticize this and continue to perpetuate a trope that tends to overshadow traits, like bravery and intelligence, in women?
I enjoyed reading Marie's story, and I think the plot would have been improved if the focus was more on Marie and Josie, an agent Marie bonded with, and less on Grace. If you enjoy female agent spy novels that follow the traditional trope, you might enjoy this book. If you are looking for a historically accurate novel that focuses more on the female protagonist's wit, resourcefulness, and bravery, you probably won't enjoy it.