Raised in a lush suburb of 1920s Paris, Noor Inayat Khan was an introspective musician and writer, dedicated to her family and to her father’s spiritual values of harmony, beauty, and tolerance. She did not seem destined for wartime heroism. Yet, faced with the evils of Nazi violence and the German occupation of France, Noor joined the British Special Operations Executive and trained in … espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance. She returned to Paris under an assumed identity immediately before the Germans mopped up the Allies’ largest communications network in France. For crucial months of the war, Noor was the only wireless operator there sending critical information to London, significantly aiding the success of the Allied landing on D-Day. Code-named Madeleine, she became a high-value target for the Gestapo. When she was eventually captured, Noor attempted two daring escapes before she was sent to Dachau and killed just months before the end of the war.Carefully distilled from dozens of interviews, newly discovered manuscripts, official documents, and personal letters, Code Name Madeleine is both a compelling, deeply researched history and a thrilling tribute to Noor Inayat Khan, whose courage and faith guided her through the most brutal regime in history.
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I have become enamored with books based during WWII. And reading about the Special Operation Executives (SOEs) has been very interesting. Then when I read about the amazing women who played such an important part in the resistance efforts during the atrocities of Hitler’s reign of terror, I am impressed. “Madeleine” was an amazingly strong and dedicated woman. Her willingness to serve in a difficult time and literally give her life to protect others leaves me in awe.
I think what touched me most was making me think about how far I am willing to go to respond to injustice and cruelty…even in the present time. This is definitely one to put on your to-be-read list!
Thank you to NetGalley and W. W. Norton Company for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
3.5 stars rounded up. This is an excellent account of Noor Inayat Khan, a British spy in WWII occupied Paris. The author has spent a great deal of time time researching Noor’s early life, training and activities in France under German occupation. She was captured and executed by the Germans at Dachau. Noor was brought up in the Sufi tradition of harmony, beauty and tolerance. Faced with the overwhelming evil of Nazi occupation of Europe, she realized that she must do something to combat this evil
Pros: The author has provided a richly detailed portrait of Noor’s life. The story is well written and reads easily.
Cons: The author spends the first few chapters explaining Sufism, a mystical religion in more detail than I liked.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a story of courage, and resourcefulness in the face of the true depths of evil.
Two quotes:
Noor’s father, Inayat Khan: “Rather, he taught the value of meeting the quotidian challenges of life with the wholeness of one’s spirit and the truth of one’s soul. ‘We should first try to become human,’ Inayat wrote. ‘To become an angel is not very difficult; to be material is very easy; but to live in the world, in all the difficulties and struggles of the world, and to be hum an at the same time, is very difficult.”
Noor’s upbringing: “We were brought in such a way,” Vilayat later said, “that we could not be like other children. The whole atmosphere was rarefied…It was as if we looked at life through stained glass windows.”
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Thank You Goodreads, WW Norton and Arthur J. Magida for sending me this book.
What an amazing woman, talented and brave with a remarkable upbringing.
I can’t help but think that some of the objectors during her training might have been correct in their assessment. On the other hand there wasn’t sufficient training for what was needed mostly due to the time restrains. They really treated these agents as disposable not expected to survive more than a couple of months. It really amazes you how careless some of these agents where often risking their lives and others. Wanting to know a little more about Noor’s r writing I ordered the “Jātaka Tales” on amazon.
This book is well written which makes it an easy read with a lot of details. Obviously a lot of research went into this book. Highly recommend it