Read the USA Today bestseller from the author of Roses, a “sumptuous, full-bodied, and emotional” novel about five young spies embedded among the highest Nazi ranks in occupied Paris (Adriana Trigiani, NYT bestselling author of Tony’s Wife). At the height of World War II, a handful of idealistic young Americans receive a mysterious letter from the government, asking them if they are willing to … receive a mysterious letter from the government, asking them if they are willing to fight for their country. The men and women from very different backgrounds — a Texan athlete with German roots, an upper-crust son of a French mother and a wealthy businessman, a dirt-poor Midwestern fly fisherman, an orphaned fashion designer, and a ravishingly beautiful female fencer — all answer the call of duty, but each for a secret reason of her or his own. They bond immediately, in a group code-named Dragonfly.
Leila Meacham is a gift to readers everywhere. With scope and daring, she creates worlds in her fiction that keep us turning pages long into the night. Sumptuous, full bodied and emotional, Dragonfly soars.
Dragonfly tells the story of five young Americans sent to Paris as spies during WWII. There’s more love and friendship and less graphic violence and darkness than one might expect from an espionage novel. The story depicts human beings at their best more often than their worst. I found myself caring a lot about the characters, including a couple of the Nazis who are disillusioned with Hitler and try to aid the young spies.
I was immediately taken by the powerful and poetic storytelling of Leila Meacham. Dragonfly is a meticulously researched novel filled with unforgettable characters during the darkest time in history. Simply unstoppable!
I will probably not do this review justice but I’ll tell you right off the bat I LOVED this book and could not put it down. The intrigue, the danger, the interwoven storylines….all of this make Dragonfly one of the best books I have read all year.
“One loose thread can unravel the whole ball of twine.”
Truer words were never spoken when it comes to this book. This book follows five spies for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services, a real government agency during WWII in case you didn’t know) and their various missions in Paris to seek information about the Germans and help end this war sooner rather than later. While they know all five will be there, where the drop box is located to pass along information, and the mural for coded messages, they do not know each other’s cover names, stories, or missions. Yet, as this story progresses their missions become intertwined and it is just a matter of time before all hell breaks loose!
This story kept me up many late nights because I could not put the book down! I felt my breath catching and my heart skipping a beat as I followed these five spies across Paris serving their country but also for some personal reasons. The story starts out as we are introduced to the six main characters – the five spies and their handler. The book opens in 1962 which is approximately 20 years after they are recruited and it is about time for a reunion that they planned before they set off to Paris. There are actually two reunions, one more immediate after the war and then this one twenty years later. As the last reunion is about to commence, Alistar (the handler) discovers a book that tells the story of their mission, Dragonfly. This starts a journey for the author and his source and brings back many memories of the war and how the situations played out for everyone.
“On into late fall and throughout the rest of the year, Dragonfly hovered close to waters teeming with an increasingly frantic enemy.”
This line reflects the pace of the book for me. Most of it was quick but there were times where the story played out in a calmer fashion. Having both types of situations made the story that much more appealing to me. I watched one of the characters mourn for the loss of someone close to her, another rejoice in finding family, and all of them learn something about themselves that they probably never would have expected – the fortitude to continue despite the circumstances or situations. It also reflected the mindset of some of the Germans in Paris and what they truly thought about Hitler and what was coming down the pike regarding the war.
I found the story well crafted and for the author to be able to intersect the missions of the various characters was genius. There is so much more that could have been written about the war and potentially even expanded the missions of the characters, but it was wrapped up quite nicely and I found myself shedding a few tears at the end. So be prepared and have a tissue on hand.
If I could give this book more than 5 paws I would in a heartbeat. If you love historical fiction you will want to pick up this book and read it soon.
Oh my! What a tale of pain, suffering, secrets, love, and war. This is a keeper!
I’ve wanted to get this book since I saw it on the shelves in B&N a year ago, now I finally got it! I was not disappointed! The story intrigued me since the starting chapters and I never knew what was coming. You’ll have mixed emotions throughout the story. The only reason why I am giving this novel four stars instead of five is because of the ever-changing POVs. To me, there were too many. I know that there were five main characters, but there were more POVs than just them. It got a little confusing and irritating after a while since it is a 500+ novel. Other than that, this novel is worth the read! Go check it out! (
I am a huge fan of books that take place during WWII and the Holocaust. Leila Meacham’s story is one that will have you traveling to Paris during the Nazi invasion. The five main characters are so real that you feel as if you know them personally. The author’s tale of courage, dedication, love, loss, fear, and selflessness will touch the reader deeply.
While the events occur during the time of atrocities committed by Hitler’s regime, you are not inundated by the graphic details as in many WWII books. You get a taste of the horrors but you really have more of a sense of fear and trepidation that the five young people experienced during their time serving as spies while living and working side-by-side with the enemy.
There are no words that do justice in describing the bravery of these individuals, as well as countless others, who were willing to sacrifice themselves to stop the evil that was spreading throughout Europe. And I truly believe there were Nazi officers and staff members who did what they could internally, at great risk to themselves, to stop Hitler’s reign. They may have initially been taken in by his mesmerizing speeches and his ability to promote achievements that he claimed as his own. But they eventually realized the charismatic leader was pure evil. Their willingness to thwart the Führer’s efforts were self-sacrificing.
I appreciated the information the author provided at the beginning of the book (details about characters, etc.). And she provided a few details at the beginning of each chapter so that you knew which character was highlighted. With so many points of view, this was extremely helpful.
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
I was drawn in the from the beginning and had trouble putting the book down. I didn’t want to stop reading!
A sweeping historical focused on character that will keep you turning pages long into the night.
This book was so good I really enjoyed a WWII book set in France 5 different people from different states in the US all played a key role in the team Dragon Fly.
Each one had a different reason to accept joining the cause and most were personal reasons. Three men and two women made up a group of secret spy’s to help the Allied Forces over take the war in this epic historic novel.
I think it was just a little long I know that she set it up so it almost felt like 5 different stores but it was a good read.
France was hit differently than Germany. This book took place in Paris mostly. Not that Paris didn’t suffer and have the same issues as the rest of the war. It just didn’t focus on the concentration camps or that aspect of the war. I really enjoyed it. It took a different spin on the officers and what was going on behind the scenes of a spy in German occupied France.
This is one of the best books about the young people who risked their lives during WW II to fight against the Nazis. The characters were believable and sympathetic. I was a little surprised when things worked out for all of them, but the writing was vividly descriptive of the fear and danger they faced. Uplifting to see how people can react to help their country.
I loved this book. I found myself worrying about the characters safety even when I wasn’t reading the book! I got totally immersed in this story.
I loved this!! Everything about it. I looked up the author and found that she lives in my city. So glad I downloaded it to my Nook. One of my favorites.
Loved this book; one of my favorites.
I read this book in about 2 days because I loved the characters and the way the story was told. It got just deep enough into the horrors of the Nazi’s and all that WWII brought. I had to see what happened and found myself even liking the enemy, I was glad for that.
Excellent!
Geed read if you like historical fiction in the WWII period.
Loved the book. Great character development Appreciated this historical fiction book on wwII
Great read
informative spy info people used in WW11
This was a wonderful book and I would highly recommend it to anyone; don’t let the number of pages scare you off. I was sucked in from the first chapter and really enjoyed seeing the characters grow and work towards a main goal together. I am excited to read more books from this author!