When I think of the US joining World War II, my mind goes to the actual fighting occurring on foreign soil, not the groundwork or intelligence that began in the United States. For someone who considers themselves a history buff, I’m surprised that I had no idea what the Office of Strategic Services was or the role they played in the war. Although Anna Cavanagh’s story was fictional, the work of the OSS and General William Donovan were very real, and I love how Healey tied actual historical people and events together in Anna’s journey. When I read that this book was about a female spy dropped in Germany-occupied France, I was instantly pulled in. Whatever the risk, she’s willing to take it to help liberate France from the shadows of occupation and to free herself from the shadows of her former life.Īfter the success of Jane Healey’s The Beantown Girls, I couldn’t wait to dig into The Secret Stealers. She’s driven to make a difference-for her country and for herself. Then comes the opportunity: go undercover as a spy in the French Resistance to help steal critical intelligence that could ultimately turn the tide of the war.ĭispatched behind enemy lines and in constant danger, Anna is filled with adrenaline, passion, and fear. But the more Anna learns about the organization’s secret missions, the more she longs to be stationed abroad. Donovan has faith in her-and in all his “glorious amateurs” who are becoming Anna’s fast friends: Maggie, Anna’s down-to-earth mentor Irene, who’s struggling to find support from her husband for her clandestine life and Julia, a cheerful OSS liaison. Everything changes when she’s recruited into the Office of Strategic Services by family friend and legendary WWI hero Major General William Donovan. Anna Cavanaugh is a restless young widow and brilliant French teacher at a private school in Washington, DC.

The Secret Stealers by Jane Healey