• Book Reviews,  Politics,  Resistance

    A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell (2019) | Book Review

    American spy: A Woman Of No Importance Book Cover

    A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell Genres: Biography, Non-Fiction Original Publication Date: 2019 Source: I purchased this book Goodreads Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon American spy: In 1942, the Gestapo sent out an urgent transmission: “She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her.” The target in their sights was Virginia Hall, a Baltimore socialite who talked her way into Special Operations Executive, the spy organization dubbed Winston Churchill’s “Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.” She became the first Allied woman deployed behind enemy lines and–despite her prosthetic leg–helped to light the flame of the French Resistance, revolutionizing secret warfare as we…

  • Journalism,  Politics,  Publishing,  Writing

    I Stand With Evan Gershkovich

    Typewriter Evan Gershkovich

    I Stand With Evan Gershkovich Over one year ago Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was arrested and imprisoned in Russia. The Russians claim that Gershkovich was a “spy.” He could face up to twenty years in a Russian prison. He will stand trial on June 26th. As the Committee to Protect Journalists writes: The start of Gershkovich’s trial comes after he has already spent more than 14 months behind bars for no other reason than his work as a journalist,” said Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. “Russian authorities must immediately release Gershkovich, drop all charges against him, and stop prosecuting members of…

  • History,  Politics,  Resistance,  Writing

    State of the Blog Address 2024

    Blog

    State of the Blog Address I have worked on this blog intermittently since 2010! It’s hard to believe that it’s been that long. I am going to try new things in this blog because there are so many issues that are important to me. The most important event happening this year are the 2024 Elections. In the United States, we face the most important Presidential election of our lifetimes. I am volunteering for many Democratic campaigns. My husband and I plan on participating in phone banking, text banking, sending postcards, and anything else we can do. But it is not enough. Since I have been reading many books about resistance…

  • Book Reviews,  Politics,  Resistance

    A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance in Occupied France by Caroline Moorehead | Book Review

    A Train in Winter book cover

    A Train in Winter by Caroline Moorehead Series: The Resistance Trilogy Book 1 Genres: History, Non-Fiction Original Publication Date: 2011 Source: I purchased this book Goodreads Find the Author: Website, Goodreads, Amazon A Train in Winter: In January 1943, 230 women of the French Resistance were sent to the death camps by the Nazis who had invaded and occupied their country. This is their story, told in full for the first time—a searing and unforgettable chronicle of terror, courage, defiance, survival, and the power of friendship. Caroline Moorehead, a distinguished biographer, human rights journalist, and the author of Dancing to the Precipice and Human Cargo, brings to life an extraordinary…

  • Journalism,  Politics,  Resistance,  Writing

    Democracy Dies in Darkness

    Democracy at the U.S. Capitol

    Democracy Dies in Darkness The Washington Post unveiled its new slogan on February 22, 2017. The word “democracy” suddenly spiked as people looked up the word and sought its true meaning According to Merriam-Webster: Democracy means “a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting.” It came to English from French in the early 1500s, but traces back through Latin to Greek; it was formed from the Greek words dēmos, meaning “people” and kratia, meaning “strength” or “power.” Democracy is among the most looked-up words in our dictionary, and is currently #12 in all-time lookups.   A Powerful Video by The Washington Post This was shown during the…