The adventures of Aline Griffith becoming an accomplished agent in the OSS was an enthralling story the first time I read it (in the early 1990's). This time around, not so much. I was surprised to find the story completely unfamiliar, so my view of the espionage aspect is more skeptical this time.

The chronicle of Aline's wartime in Spain was a frothy, lightweight excursion into the world of intrigue, which is fun, if that's all one wants to see. However, my new perspective led to my feeling that the adventure was embellished, especially for someone employed as a code clerk. Though the 'reveal' towards the end was anticipated, I liked the double blind twist and enjoyed that aspect. I wasn't impressed with the epilogue (1984) however. Though I personally know nothing of spies and espionage, all that chatter throughout seemed unprofessional. Had events occurred as reported, the agents seemingly absolutely fraught with danger from traitorous double agents, her risks of exposure were very high. ( )

84-1

Born in New York in 1923, Aline Griffith worked for the OSS in Spain during World War II deep undercover as an American agent placed in upper class Spanish society. Her story is confirmed by William J. Casey, OSS agent 1942-45 and CIA director 1981-1987.

Twenty one year old Aline Griffith finds herself in Spain as a deep-cover OSS agent, infiltrating the highest levels of Spanish society; or that five years later still, she would marry a Spanish grandee, and become one of the most fascinating women of international history. A memoir

A WWII spy thriller, billed as a memoir of a socialite who played a silent but instrumental role in the Allied victory.

Absolutely delectable, though with some pacing flaws that I was willing to chalk up to real life not always having the perfect pacing of fiction -- until I saw most people believe that this book is a highly embroidered version of fact that emerged from years of retellings at parties and an awareness that no one is in a position to fact check any of it. Now I'm a bit more disappointed, though the tale is still a fantastic and enjoyable one that portrays a wonderful sense of classy 1940s Spain.

The audiobook narrator Grace Conlin is particularly impressive -- this is a highly professional audiobook produced in the mid-1990s heyday of production quality. ( )