The Wolves at the Door
Virginia Hall wanted nothing more than to work as an officer in the U.S. Foreign Service, and she was on a path to achieve her goal when a freak accident caused her to lose her leg. Despite her robust health and athleticism, her disability kept her from her chosen career. However, the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) noticed her talents with languages and her desire to help combat Hitler’s plans to conquer Europe, and they trained her as a spy and deployed her to France. While in France, Hall worked closely with the French Resistance in a number of roles, all of them dangerous. Her bravery is often astonishing, and her heroic actions contributed to the eventual liberation of France from the Nazis.
Virginia Hall was extremely modest, and unlike many of her colleagues, she left no memoir or narrative of her experiences during World War II. Her life is one of great, yet quiet, heroism, one that easily could have been lost to history. By capturing her actions and adventures in this biography, Pearson has preserved the legacy of Virginia Hall for future generations.
