Claudia Friddell is the author of the new young adult biography The Mysterious Virginia Hall: World War II's Most Dangerous Spy. Friddell's other books include Grace Banker and Her Hello Girls Answer the Call. She lives in Maryland.
Q: What inspired you to write a biography of the spy Virginia Hall (1906-1982)?
A: As a nonfiction author I often receive suggestions for book projects. In 2018 my brother sent me an article about Virginia Hall, who was not only from Baltimore where I live, she had also attended the same school as my daughter.
Like most people who learn of Virginia’s heroic life story, I was fascinated by her heroics, and I immediately dove head-first into her history. Her “more exciting than fiction” real life story inspired me to write her biography in a way that would be accessible and exciting for middle and high school readers.
Q: How did you research her life, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?
A: I started my research journey at Roland Park Country School’s archives. Since Virginia was the editor of her senior yearbook and a leader in many school sports and activities, I found wonderful, personal primary sources from her 12 years at her all-girls school.
I then explored her fascinating spy files (SOE, OSS, and CIA) that are now in the public domain. While Virginia didn’t share her spy experiences, other Resistance fighters, spies, and colleagues did write about her invaluable contributions to the fight against fascism in World War II.
What was most surprising was learning that Virginia’s niece, Lorna Catling, lived three blocks away from me! My interviews and family photo treasure hunts with Lorna and her son, Brad, provided me an amazing window into Virginia’s life, and our get-togethers are among my most cherished memories as an author.
Q: The Booklist review of the book says, “Friddell’s love letter to a lesser-known WWII spy presents an impressive true story in an inviting format… A riveting exploration of Virginia Hall’s life and work, especially her undercover escapades, told with as much ease and enjoyment as a wartime spy mystery.” What do you think of that description?
A: Well, funny you should ask! It is one of my favorite reviews. I did feel like it was a combination of a love letter and an homage to Dindy because of the strong personal connections I made with her family and RPCS, the school that both Virginia and my daughter attended for their entire precollege education.
Of course, I’m thrilled the Booklist reviewer found the book to be a riveting exploration that read like a spy mystery because Dindy’s life was truly as mysterious and riveting as a fictional spy novel! I chose to write her multi-layered life story in a format and style that I hoped would captivate even the most reluctant readers.
As a former teacher, my goal is to share exciting true stories that inspire children and young adults to pick up a book that they can’t put down, and then perhaps get excited to research and write stories of their own!
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?
A: I hope readers find Dindy’s life story an inspiring and timely testament to the positive impact that one person can make. She is the ultimate unsung hero—a person who overcame flaws, obstacles, and unimaginable dangers to defend democracy.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I am in the research stage of my first historical fiction novel that is set in Virginia in the early 1970s. I love diving into new genres and time periods!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I am currently collaborating with two incredible educators, Kelley Brown and Laurie Risler, with the support of the Library of Congress, in a Teacher Institute program—The Author’s Journey to Powerful Pairings: Joining Primary Source Inquiry and Narrative Non-Fiction in K-12 Classrooms.
We share a passion for engaging students and educators in history and literature by providing meaningful strategies that weave primary sources with narrative nonfiction stories. It has been wonderful to interact with teachers and librarians who are inspiring their students to read and relate to true stories!
Thank you for the opportunity to reflect on these questions. I love your blog and appreciate being included among so many wonderful creators!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Claudia Friddell.
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