Book Review
A Life in Secrets
By SARAH HELM Reviewed by PEGGY BARNETT
Subtitled "Vera Atkins and Missing Agents of WWII," here is yet another book about World War II. This time the focus is on the British agents who were flown into France in 1943 and 1944 and their trainer and mentor Vera Atkins, who knew that she might be sending them off to die.

She did not realize how many of them were to die, often under torture, having been seized by the Germans as soon as they landed through monumental errors on the part of Vera's own organization. That organization was the Special Operations Executive (SOE), the French Section. Of the 100 spies who did not return, 12 of them were women, recruited by Atkins. Most of the book looks at her efforts, after the war, to find out what happened to them.

Spy stories are inherently interesting, suspenseful, and sometimes heart-rending. These were particularly attractive young women, some English, some French. Author Sara Helm is a journalist; she conducted many interviews with Atkins and the families and colleagues of the SOE agents, as well as extensive research in the archives that have been released. She also had access to Atkins' papers.

She introduces the individual agents (including pictures) and related historical figures, both English and German. She keeps the reader in suspense by interrupting the narrative with background stories, even though the outcome is not really in doubt. Very few escaped the Nazi prisons and camps.

Atkins is a mysterious figure, keeping secrets for the sake of her section and for the brave people who have gone into danger, and for her own sake. Many were radio operators working with the French underground. The safeguards built into the system were penetrated by the Germans with the help of a double agent early on. The SOE leadership did not know their agents had been captured, even though there was evidence to indicate that, until much too late.

The story of how these things happened and Atkins' search for survivors is absorbing. The title indicates how important it was to keep the secrets, but Atkins herself had many secrets which are gradually revealed as the story continues. Perhaps there is more detail about each day of her work and her past than the reader really wants, but the total is entertaining and informative.

A Life of Secrets is available at the Mary Willis Library.

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