Pertinent and deadly!

Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal 

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An extraordinary story based loosely on real people who belonged to the far right in the early 1940’s, Nazi Americans and sympathizers in California.

Violet Engle Grace and Veronica, a mother and daughter of Aryan descent, come into contact with members of the America First Committee. The group wants to keep America neutral and anti semetic  

The America First (where have we heard that before?) Committee supported Hitler and planned third column attacks on various key points of American infrastructure. The United States is not at war—yet. These groups wanted to keep America out of Europe. They didn’t want Roosevelt to win the 1941 election. If he did they made plans to have the results over turned, and threatened democracy with a wave of attacks on various institutions. They had their own arm of militiamen—the Copperheads, based on the German Bund, the Silver Shirts and the Hitler Youth Movement.

Violet and Veronica’s infiltration of the organization was two pronged. Although a journalist, Veronica could type. She happened to be given a recommendation to a job whilst out to dinner for a Donald Pierce McDonnell who worked for the organization, the Educational Services Bureau. At the same time Violet was asked by a woman who admired her blouse to embroider one for her. Complete with Nazi symbols. That became Violet’s entrée into the circle of wives of the leaders of the movement.

A fascinating look into the reasons behind such movements and a cautionary tale of how easily our democracy can be eroded.

A frightening read given what we see today.

A Random House - Ballantine ARC via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher.