Recommended Reading: A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell

A Woman of No Importance is Sonia Purnell's biography of Virginia Hall, an American who was an extraordinary spy in Vichy France for Britain, and then later for the US, during World War II. Purnell tells Hall's story with verve, suspense, and in detail that is engaging.

During the war, Hall built a network in France that provided information and resources needed to construct an effective resistance to the Germans and their collaborators and also provided critical intelligence to Britain and the US. Everything she accomplished was done while living with unrelenting tension, danger, and even maddening, bureaucratic nonsense. In addition to learning about Hall's story, which is fascinating, reading about the horrifying acts committed during the war is again shocking and an important reminder that today we cannot take our rights for granted.

This true story of the enormous influence exerted by one woman with tremendous personal courage is a great book to read in these times.

Be inspired. Check out A Woman of No Importance.