{"product_id":"the-mysterious-virginia-hall-isbn-9781662680595","title":"The Mysterious Virginia Hall","description":"\u003cb\u003eEureka! Nonfiction Silver Honor Award (California Reading Association)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHow did a young lady from a wealthy family in Maryland end up as the Gestapo’s most wanted spy? This YA biography of Virginia Hall, World War II’s most successful female spy, will inspire reluctant readers and budding history buffs alike.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVirginia Hall, known to her family as “Dindy,” was an athletic, outdoorsy girl who dreamed of joining the foreign service and becoming an ambassador. Despite numerous setbacks, including losing her leg to gangrene after an accident, Virginia never wavered in her determination to serve her country. After the outbreak of World War II, a chance meeting on a train changed her life—George Bellows, an agent of the British Special Operations Executive, recruited her as one of its first women agents. Working for Allied intelligence services in France, Virginia Hall organized French resistance fighters, performed daring rescues, and provided the Allies with intelligence that was key for ousting the Nazis and earned her numerous medals, including the US Army’s Distinguished Service Cross.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith chapters titled for each of the many aliases and nicknames used by Virginia Hall, this book takes readers through her extraordinary life and her evolution as a resistance fighter and intelligence operative. Award-winning author Claudia Friddell brings Virginia Hall’s bravery, intelligence, and determination to life in this thoroughly researched and photo-filled biography endorsed by Hall’s family.\"Traces the exciting life of a pioneering spy who became the CIA's first tenured woman officer... the short chapters, plentiful photos, and ample white space makes this inviting to readers overwhelmed by dense text... a satisfying introduction to a remarkable woman's influential contributions to espionage.\"—\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\"Friddell’s love letter to a lesser-known WWII spy presents an impressive true story in an inviting format... A riveting exploration of Virginia Hall's life and work, especially her undercover escapades, told with as much ease and enjoyment as a wartime spy mystery.\"—\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBooklist\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"This inspiring tale of courage, intelligence, and determination introduces Virginia Hall, one of history’s most remarkable, but relatively unknown, heroes... This biography is a good addition to a secondary school’s biography collection. Readers who enjoy stories of bravery, espionage, and strong female figures will find Hall’s story both thrilling and inspiring.\"–\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eClaudia Friddell is the author of several children’s books, including \u003ci\u003eCool off and Ride: \u003ci\u003eA Trolley Trip to Beat the Heat\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e;\u003ci\u003e \u003ci\u003eRoad Trip: Camping With the Four Vagabonds: Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, and John Burroughs\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e;\u003ci\u003e \u003ci\u003eTo the Front!: Clara Barton Braves the Battle of Antietam\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e; and \u003ci\u003eGrace Banker and Her Hello Girls Answer the Call: \u003ci\u003eThe Heroic Story of WWI Telephone Operators\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e. She has been a therapist, a school counselor, and an elementary school teacher.\u003cb\u003eDINDY\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVirginia Hall\u003cbr\u003emight have been the name\u003cbr\u003eon her birth certificate,\u003cbr\u003ebut thanks to a nickname\u003cbr\u003efrom her brother, John,\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eDindy\u003c\/i\u003e was the name that stuck.\u003cbr\u003eMost young girls\u003cbr\u003eof Baltimore society a century ago\u003cbr\u003ewere expected to follow\u003cbr\u003ein their mothers’ ladylike footsteps—\u003cbr\u003ebut Dindy made\u003cbr\u003ea path of her own.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eNever one to mind\u003cbr\u003egetting her hands dirty,\u003cbr\u003eher feet wet,\u003cbr\u003eor her body bruised,\u003cbr\u003eDindy was happiest\u003cbr\u003eriding horses and hunting\u003cbr\u003ewith her father and brother\u003cbr\u003eat Boxhorn Farm—\u003cbr\u003ethe Halls’ country estate\u003cbr\u003eoutside Baltimore.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Dindy’s father, Ned,\u003cbr\u003ewasn’t leading the way\u003cbr\u003ein outdoor adventures\u003cbr\u003eon the family farm,\u003cbr\u003ehe was busy providing\u003cbr\u003eindoor adventures\u003cbr\u003eat his movie theaters—\u003cbr\u003emagical places\u003cbr\u003ewhere reels of film\u003cbr\u003ebrought the outside world\u003cbr\u003eto Baltimore.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eFor generations\u003cbr\u003ethe Halls had been\u003cbr\u003efascinated by cultures\u003cbr\u003evastly different and worlds away\u003cbr\u003efrom Maryland shores.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the age of nine,\u003cbr\u003eDindy’s grandfather stowed away\u003cbr\u003eon his sea captain father’s clipper ship,\u003cbr\u003eand later captained a ship of his own\u003cbr\u003ethat brought Asian goods to America.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile many of their friends\u003cbr\u003ecrossed the Chesapeake Bay\u003cbr\u003efor seaside vacations,\u003cbr\u003eDindy’s family\u003cbr\u003ecrossed the Atlantic Ocean\u003cbr\u003efor European adventures.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom her very first\u003cbr\u003etransatlantic voyage\u003cbr\u003eat the age of four,\u003cbr\u003eDindy stowed away\u003cbr\u003ea love for Europe.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eWhen Dindy wasn’t chasing\u003cbr\u003eafter her brother\u003cbr\u003eat Boxhorn Farm,\u003cbr\u003eor exploring foreign countries\u003cbr\u003ewith her family,\u003cbr\u003eshe was blazing\u003cbr\u003eher own unique trail\u003cbr\u003eat Roland Park Country School—\u003cbr\u003ean all-girls school in Baltimore.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNever once\u003cbr\u003ein twelve years at RPCS\u003cbr\u003edid she hear—\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eYou can’t do that, you’re a girl!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause, unlike in the outside world,\u003cbr\u003eevery club and team\u003cbr\u003eat Dindy’s school\u003cbr\u003ewas not only made up of girls—\u003cbr\u003ethey were all led by girls.\u003cbr\u003eNicknamed the Fighting Blade\u003cbr\u003eby her ninth-grade classmates,\u003cbr\u003eDindy was a natural leader\u003cbr\u003ein sports, student government,\u003cbr\u003eand school activities.\u003cbr\u003eShe was often\u003cbr\u003eher own harshest critic,\u003cbr\u003ebut her devoted classmates\u003cbr\u003egave her an endearing tribute\u003cbr\u003eon her yearbook senior page:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eShe is, by her own confession,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ecantankerous and capricious,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ebut in spite of it all\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ewe would not do without her;\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003efor she is our class-president,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ethe editor-in-chief of this book,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eand one of the mainstays\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eof the basket-ball and hockey teams.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eShe has been acclaimed\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ethe most original of our class,\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eand she lives up\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eto her reputation\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eat all times.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe one thing to expect from Dind\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eis the unexpected.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt was certainly unexpected\u003cbr\u003ethe day Dindy\u003cbr\u003esurprised her classmates\u003cbr\u003eby wearing a favorite\u003cbr\u003enew bracelet to school—\u003cbr\u003ea live, slithering garter snake\u003cbr\u003ecoiled around her wrist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDindy, inspired by Shakespeare’s play,\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eAs You Like It\u003c\/i\u003e, made it clear\u003cbr\u003eon her senior page\u003cbr\u003ejust how much\u003cbr\u003eshe valued her independence\u003cbr\u003ewhen she stated\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eI must have liberty, withal as large a charter as I please.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDindy had no way\u003cbr\u003eof knowing then\u003cbr\u003eof the bold sacrifices\u003cbr\u003eshe would later make\u003cbr\u003eto prove her own independence—\u003cbr\u003eor the extraordinary risks\u003cbr\u003eshe would take\u003cbr\u003eto defend and preserve\u003cbr\u003eliberty for so many others.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eMr. Hall encouraged his daughter’s\u003cbr\u003eindependent nature,\u003cbr\u003eand while Mrs. Hall\u003cbr\u003eaccepted Dindy’s free spirit,\u003cbr\u003eshe still expected\u003cbr\u003eher beautiful, bright,\u003cbr\u003eand accomplished daughter\u003cbr\u003eto join the path\u003cbr\u003eof other young ladies\u003cbr\u003eof Baltimore society\u003cbr\u003eby marrying a worthy husband\u003cbr\u003eand starting a family nearby.\u003cbr\u003eBut in 1920, when Dindy was fourteen,\u003cbr\u003ea family visit to London’s American embassy\u003cbr\u003edashed Barbara Hall’s dreams for her daughter\u003cbr\u003eand steered Dindy toward a different path—\u003cbr\u003eone that didn’t include\u003cbr\u003ea husband, a family, or a home in Maryland.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnce she learned\u003cbr\u003eAmerican ambassadors\u003cbr\u003erepresented the United States\u003cbr\u003ein foreign countries,\u003cbr\u003eDindy decided this was her destiny.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShe wasn’t the least bit discouraged\u003cbr\u003ewhen her father explained\u003cbr\u003ethere were no female ambassadors—\u003cbr\u003eit only fueled Dindy’s determination.\u003cbr\u003eAfter all, being a girl\u003cbr\u003ehad never gotten in the way\u003cbr\u003eof her dreams before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA maverick at home and at school,\u003cbr\u003eDindy was ready\u003cbr\u003eto take her first step\u003cbr\u003etoward a future\u003cbr\u003emost women didn’t want\u003cbr\u003eand couldn’t get\u003cbr\u003ein the 1920s—\u003cbr\u003ean overseas job in the United States Foreign Service.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith her father’s blessing,\u003cbr\u003eand her mother’s disapproval,\u003cbr\u003eRoland Park’s \u003ci\u003emost original\u003c\/i\u003e student\u003cbr\u003eset off on a most unexpected journey,\u003cbr\u003eleaving her hometown\u003cbr\u003eand her nickname behind.","brand":"Calkins Creek","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302237425893,"sku":"NP9781662680595","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781662680595.jpg?v=1767740605","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-mysterious-virginia-hall-isbn-9781662680595","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}