Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction and even more interesting. Propaganda Girls: The Secret War of the Women in the OSS by Lisa Rogak gives history-loving readers the inside look into the lives of four incredible women who sought adventure and a life with purpose during WWII.

Told chronologically in chapters for each woman’s story, Propaganda Girls jumps right into the action with Betty MacDonald’s experience as a resident of Oahu on December 7, 1941 (Japan attacks Pearl Harbor). Zuzksa Lauwers’ story starts in Czechoslovakia with her fleeing the homeland for America after Hitler’s invasion in March 1939— after a quickie marriage to a Belgian-American makes it possible for her to leave. The wife of a naval attache at the American embassy in Tokyo, Jane Smith-Hutton loved learning the Japanese culture and being in foreign land —until the attack on Pearl Harbor made the family captives in enemy territory. Finally we are introduced to our fourth, and most famous, woman in this book: Marlene Dietrich. The German actress was living in America when Hitler and the Nazis came to power in her homeland where her family still lived and sought to distance herself from their “disgusting” ways. 

The first quarter of the book tells the stories behind their why, followed by how these women became involved in the secret work of black propaganda for the Allied Forces. Their unique tales are told in an engaging way that almost makes you forget you’re reading non-fiction. The book ends with a chapter on what each woman did after the war and a brief wrap-up of her life. Propaganda Girls is a great way to learn more about women’s history and World War II. It is a rather quick read, too. (If you’re reading on kindle, the final fifth of the book is actually notes and sources.) 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

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