Dragonfly by Leila Meacham…ARC review

Dragonfly is out today!

Synopsis:

At the height of WWII, five idealistic young Americans receive a mysterious letter from the OSS, asking them if they are willing to fight for their country. The men and women from very different backgrounds–a Texan athlete with German roots, an upper-crust son of a French mother and a wealthy businessman, a dirt-poor Midwestern fly fisherman, an orphaned fashion designer, and a ravishingly beautiful female fencer — all answer the call of duty, but each for a secret reason of his or her own. They bond immediately, in a group code-named Dragonfly.

Soon after their training, they are dropped behind enemy lines and take up their false identities, isolated from one another except for a secret drop-box, but in close contact with the powerful Nazi elite who have Paris under siege.

Thus begins a dramatic and riveting cat-and-mouse game, as the young Americans seek to stay under the radar until a fatal misstep leads to the capture and the firing-squad execution of one of their team. But…is everything as it seems, or is this one more elaborate act of spycraft?

My Review

Carefully researched and full of riveting details of the motivations and camaraderie of five young OSS operatives, Leila Meacham’s Dragonfly draws the reader into the intrigue and risk of World War II’s legendary spies.  A must read for fans of historical fiction, Dragonfly is tough to put down.
 
That said, the style of the book occasionally reads more like young adult fiction, lacking some of the grit of traditional spy novels and relying on some extreme coincidences for a tidy ending.
 
Definitely worth a read, though maybe not the price of a hardcover copy…

Four Loves

Book links:
 
About the author:

Leila Meacham is a writer and former teacher who lives in San Antonio, Texas. She is the author of the bestselling novels Roses, Tumbleweeds, Somerset, andTitans. For more information, please visit LeilaMeacham.com.

WEBSITE: https://www.leilameacham.com/

FACEBOOK: @LeilaMeacham

Praise:

“Gripping…In this fast-paced and enjoyable WWII espionage tale, Meacham takes readers to 1942 Nazi-occupied Paris to follow five American spies as they attempt to gather information to assist Allied and French Resistance forces…. Meacham’s nail-biting tale will please fans looking for an intricate story of spycraft and deception.”
— Publishers Weekly

“Complex, epic, and rich in historical detail-an uplifting story of finding friendship behind enemy lines.”
— Kirkus

“Meacham ratchets the suspense ever tighter, while providing fascinating backstory on the intrepid five [American spies] as well as delivering a detail-rich portrait of Paris during the Occupation.”
— Booklist

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