A Barefoot Book Review: A Woman of No Importance
The untold story of the American Spy who helped win WW II.
By Sonia Purnell
Reviewed for Barefoot Blogger by Regina Whelan
We are at the dawn of the twentieth century, and Virginia Hall—born into a comfortable family in Baltimore—is a student at prestigious East Coast colleges, first at Radcliffe and later at Barnard. Virginia dreams of becoming the United States Ambassador to Russia.
Her ambitions are fueled by the excitement of living in major European capitals in the 1920s. She imagines herself operating in the upper echelons of diplomatic life, moving confidently through the world of embassies and international affairs.
At the time, however, the U.S. diplomatic corps was not built on professional training alone. Unlike many countries with established foreign service systems, the United States often appointed wealthy political donors to key ambassadorial posts. These positions were reserved almost entirely for men. Of the roughly 1,500 foreign service officers in the 1920s, only six were women.
In 1925, defying convention, Virginia found one of the few ways available to enter the international arena: at age nineteen, she became an ambulance driver for the French Army—a role she pursued for several years.
As an ambitious young woman, she eventually tired of this work and searched for a way to use her proficiency in several languages, along with her training in economics and politics, which she had studied in Vienna and Paris.
In 1931, Virginia found an opening with the U.S. State Department as a clerk in Warsaw. The unspoken expectations for women in such roles were clear: look pleasant, be obedient, and let the men do the serious work.
Delve into A Woman of No Importance and follow how Virginia navigates her way from the typing pool to a major role as a clandestine organizer of French Resistance units in southern and central France.
Along the way, she encounters sexism from colleagues, supervisors in covert operations, Free French headquarters, and even from double agents in the field. Yet Virginia displays extraordinary courage and determination as she undertakes increasingly dangerous missions.
In the early stages of the German occupation of France, Virginia operates in the shadows—digging for hard-to-find intelligence and identifying, motivating, and organizing key figures in the nascent Resistance movement.
A Woman of No Importance is a page-turner that keeps you on edge as you experience the tension of undercover work in Nice, Marseille, and the heavily German-controlled city of Lyon You become an eyewitness to the dangers she faces, including installing clandestine rooftop radio antennas to transmit coded messages to Free French headquarters—all while under constant surveillance by German operatives in Lyon neighborhoods.
(Photo: A transceiver like this above was used to transmit coded messages between the French Resistance and Free France in London. Photo from the CHRD Lyon collection.)
If Virginia’s work and life could be summed up in one phrase, it might be this: to make a difference.
Sonia Purnell, a seasoned chronicler of World War II, aptly titled her book A Woman of No Importance. The story leaves readers wondering what recognition—if any—Virginia Hall ultimately received from her native country, the United States. Was appearing unimportant, unnoticed, even invisible, a strategy that allowed her to accomplish some of the most critical missions of the early French Resistance?
This book is a strong introduction to understanding the role of the Resistance—its heroes and its heroines.
Regina Whelan
Why This Book Matters for Understanding the French Resistance
Editor’s Note – Deborah Bine
A Woman of No Importance unfolds gradually, allowing the reader to understand the scale and complexity of Virginia Hall’s work over time.
Regina’s review captures the arc of Virginia Hall’s journey and the barriers she faced as a woman operating inside rigid institutions.
Virginia Hall was an American, civilian intelligence operative who worked extensively inside France. She organized resistance networks, safe houses, supply drops, and sabotage operations, and was regarded by the Gestapo as one of the most dangerous Allied agents operating in occupied France. Few operatives were trusted with as much, for as long.
This book adds important context to understanding how resistance operated in France, alongside the many stories that deserve telling.
More about the French Resistance?
The Roots of French Resistance in Southern France: Cathars and Camisards
Samuel Beckett in Roussillon, France
Stay tuned …
8 Responses
I read this excellent book a few years ago. I kept on asking myself if I could possibly have even a fraction of the courage and dedication that Virginia Hall exhibited before and during the war. It is so inspiring!
A great review of this fabulous book which I’ve also read. I think it was made into a film too? Such an incredibly brave woman! Thank you for shining a light on this courageous heroine!
I loved this book. I have always admired the courage of the members of the Resistance.
Another reason to admire the French people and their magnificent country.
Jacqueline, I’m with you! The strength and courage of the French during this time in history … and before! …. is truly honorable. Thanks for your note … and stay tuned for more stories of the Resistance.
I agree – an almost unbelievable story. We have read this as a book club book. And there is a movie – called A Call to Spy. I have a distant relative – Diana Hope Rowden, who was part of the same resistance group, but was unfortunately captured and executed.
Thanks for your note, Cynthis. How fascinating that you know someone involved in the same resistance group. There are lots of stories about women in the Resistance. We need to keep these tales alive to memorialize their contribution to the cause. I’m hoping to read more about it.
I just downloaded the book to read- I enjoy reading stories about the brave women who joined the Resistance during WWII.
I’ve read this book as well many others that lend testament to the somewhat forgotten role women played during WWII. This one remains one of the ones I most recommend to friends. Well written, factual with an emotional pull that brings you into the story. Thanks Deborah for bringing it back…it’s a story we ALL need to hear.