A Woman of No Importance Summary & Review

Detailed Summary of A Woman of No Importance

A Woman of no Importance summary is based on the important events from the life of the world’s best spies, Virginia Hall. Virginia was able to mask as a journalist and write articles that helped convey information secretly. Her strong aura and intelligence make her name stand out among the contributors who helped France.

Choosing halls with multiple exists, keeping her circle secret, and never trusting anyone made her activities as a spy successful. Even though she had lost a leg earlier, she did not stop. Not only did she do her job, but she was also able to escape from the country’s capital without letting anyone from the German forces know.

After coming back to France, this ‘limping woman’ was able to organize her own teams, which disabled the enemy’s weapons and machinery, and left explosives that looked like horses’ manure.

A Woman of no Importance Summary is a life story and a tribute to one of the most intelligent women from the world war era. Virginia Hall did come from a stable family, but her life as a spy was certainly not an easy one.

A Woman of No Importance Summary Key Points

Feminity vs Masculinity? The sizzling hot topic is everywhere. Women think they are good and can do everything than men and vice versa. Men consider themselves superheroes. But do you know who is the real superhero? The one who put their identity, requirements, and desires behind and do really something worthy for the land, and people.

The book discloses one of the superhero stories that fight and stand for France in WWII. She was the most inspiring spy in American history. Not just she creates a huge operative network but also helps in redeeming France. The below key points will describe who was Virginia Hall and what she did to save France from Hitler.

You might also like to read Mistakes Were Made, But Not by Me Summary.

So, Who Was Virginia Hall?

A rich woman, an American socialite, legless but with the natural talent of espionage, yes, we are talking about the first woman deployed against the enemy lines in the second world war, Virginia Hall. Although she played an important role in liberating France from Nazi Germany, she was not French.

Virginia Hall was born in Maryland in 1906 to a banker, Edwin Lee Hall, and Barbra a woman who was lustful for wealth. Virginia Hall’s mother has only one plan for her daughter: to find a wealthy suitor for her so that they could rich a life full of riches. After graduating, Virginia did get engaged to a man to please her mother but this did not last long. She ended her engagement soon.

 Deep down she knew she was meant for something bigger. She was fierce, independent, and liked different things. Imagine a woman like this in an era where women were just given the right to vote.

They were rising both in the world of fashion and economy and Virginia’s free spirit fit right with the changing society. Virginia Hall went to Paris which was the heart of fashion and Literature in the 1920s and studied a language course at the École libre des sciences politiques.

She was soon fluent in French which made her an even better spy later in her life. She also went to Vienna to learn languages and economics at the Konsular Akademie. 

The Work-Life of Virginia Hall

Fluent in five foreign languages including French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Russian, and having a keen interest in both economy and politics; Virginia could have a suitable job. Although she got rejected from the US foreign service, she landed a job in a secretarial position in the American embassy in Warsaw, Poland.

Later she was transferred to Turkey. The life here felt minimal and bound and she found herself getting bored. To combat this boredom, she started hunting and this is when her life changed.

One fine morning as she set to get her first bird of the day, she accidentally discharged the gun into her left foot. She was taken to the hospital. The best they could do was attach an 80-pound wooden prosthetic leg.

World War Two and Virginia Hall

Germany attacked Polland but soon countries were lined up on two sides for an alliance. France, Britain, and many countries were under the influence of Hitler’s insanity directly or indirectly. Virginia saw the situation and volunteered for the women’s branch of the British Army. Her limping leg had not lowered her ambitions. The conditions only worsened for Britain in the late 1940s and they had become gunless.

So, what could they do? Perhaps resort to some less ‘obvious’ reasons. She became a female agent in February 1941 at the age of thirty-five. Her task? Posing as a journalist for the New York Post. She initially wrote these articles under her real name.

The articles she wrote weren’t merely articles, they also did the job of communicating with SOE in London secretly. Her tactics were the best, she never left a trail or had anyone suspect who she was.

The French officials were extremely impressed with her. She also fed them secret information which she could effortlessly procure. She was able to not fall into any mouse traps and keep her circle hidden.

A Woman of No Importance Quotes

“In what became known as the decade of lies, truth and trust were falling victim to fear, racism, and hatred.” ― Sonia Purnell

“Resistance called for a lonely courage, for men and women who could fight on their own. But the solitude was an eternal strain” ― Sonia Purnell

A Woman of No Importance Summary Review

A Woman of No Importance brilliantly compiles a wartime history with thrilling elements. Purnell does a compelling job of keeping readers interested and that is why the book is so hard to put down. In a Woman of no Importance summary, you will find the highlights of Virginia Hall’s life that speak for her unwavering character.

To Whom I Would Recommend a Woman of No Importance Summary

• To the teen nerd who is interested in wartime history.
• To anyone interested in reading more about the contribution of females in wars.
• And to anyone who loves a book with thrilling twists and turns.

Link: https://amzn.to/3zFBYRL