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Code Name Badass: The True Story of Virginia Hall

Code Name Badass: The True Story of Virginia Hall

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Code Name Badass: The True Story of Virginia Hall

Author(s)

Heather Demetrios

Publisher

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

Age Range

12+

Release Date

September 07, 2021

ISBN

978-1534431874

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When James Bond was still in diapers, Virginia Hall was behind enemy lines, playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Hitler's henchmen. Did this shero have second thoughts after a terrible accident left her needing a wooden leg? Please. Virginia Hall was the baddest broad in any room she walked into. When the State Department proved to be a sexist boys' club that wouldn't allow her in, she gave the finger to society's expectations of women and became a spy for the British. This boss lady helped arm and train the French Resistance and organized sabotage missions. There was just one problem: The Butcher of Lyon, a notorious Gestapo commander, was after her. But, hey—Virginia's classmates didn't call her the Fighting Blade for nothing.

So how does a girl who was a pirate in the school play, spent her childhood summers milking goats, and rocked it on the hockey field end up becoming the Gestapo's most wanted spy? Audacious, irreverent, and fiercely feminist, Code Name Badass is for anyone who doesn't take no for an answer.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Code Name Badass

January 18, 2022 (Updated: January 18, 2022)

Overall rating

4.5

Writing Style

N/A

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

N/A

Learning Value

N/A

What worked: Intriguing true story of Virginia Hall. She refused to accept that women couldn't do the same things as men at a time when it was frowned on. Her story is one of courage, tenacity, and the strong determination to do what others said she couldn't.

The writing is what brings shine to this biography. It's abrupt, brash, and totally captivating. I loved learning more about Virginia Hall. From her early beginning to how she refused to let rejection bring her down. She helped arm and train the French Resistance during World War II. Not only that, but she took part in the very dangerous missions that sabotaged the Germans. She also worked for the OSS-which later would become the CIA.

Each title in this biography is very engaging too. There are quotes in each chapter from those who knew her.

One of her accomplishments was making herstory in 1945 when she was the only civilian woman serving in World War II to receive the Distinguished Service Cross. She also was part of a band of sisters in France that helped win the war but this knowledge was kept secret from the world until just recently.

Engrossing writing shows a feminist who refused to accept that women couldn't do the same things as men during World War II. At the back of the biography is a bibliography that includes the names of the other women in the Band of Sisters and other books to read.

Good Points

1. Intriguing true story of a strong woman who not only helped arm and train the French Resistance during WWII but organized sabotage missions
2. Engaging writing that shows a feminist who refused to accept that women couldn't do the same things as men