DRAGONFLY by Leila Meacham
If you have read any of Leila Meacham’s previous novel; ROSES, TUMBLEWEEDS, TITANS, SOMERSET to name a few, then you have learned how exquisitely she captures times and places while populating them with intriguing characters.This talent returns again with a vengeance in the suspenseful and enthralling DRAGONFLY. This nail-biting story of five young people drafted by their government to be spies in France during World War II is mesmerizing in its plot and in its attention to detail about this period in the world’s history.
Five people in their early twenties are contracted by the government during World War II and asked to take on a spy mission into France. They each have a particular talent which gives them cover and also makes them invaluable to the government. The are code named “Dragonfly” and this unit consists of three men and two women. They operate in various sections of Paris and meet as a group only when absolutely necessary to pass on information.
The tension starts immediately upon their arrival behind enemy lines. They can only hope that their professions, their backstories and their accents will not betray them. Then there is the problem of having to live in areas where they are exposed to contact with members of the German rank and file soldiers as well as leaders of that military group. It is a life and death situation lived twenty-four hours a day.
Meacham’s brilliance as a writer is highlighted by her intricate plot. She knows the twists and turns she wants to create, not just to tell her story but to entertain her readers as well. And this she does over and over again. DRAGONFLY is a thrill ride from start to finish keeping you involved in circumstances that make it impossible to put the book down before you read the solution to one crisis or another.
In addition to being highly readable Meacham’s story is full of details that immerse the reader in the living conditions of Paris during World War II. She knows the buildings, the clothing, the atmosphere and the attitudes that infused this city with danger and in some instances hope. Her group of heroes is not hidden away in this story but are a part of the city and the life that goes on there. To describe the situations this entails takes knowledge of detail and Meacham has done her homework.
If I had to make a criticism it would be that I missed the romance. Meacham is a master of creating passionate, soul stirring love stories. There is love in DRAGONFLY – the love between friends and between family members is highlighted over and over again. Still I wanted there to be that one big love affair that stands out in all Meacham stories, but is not created here. Still that is a small quibble when the story of DRAGONFLY is so emotional and so intense.
Meacham created a high bar for storytelling with her previous books but she clears it with space to spare in DRAGONFLY. This is the book of the summer and perhaps into the fall.
DRAGONFLY is published by Grand Central Publishing. It contains 576 pages and sells for $28.00.
Jackie K Cooper
www.jackiekcooper.com
