AGENT ZO

AGENT ZO
by Clare Mulley.

When the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, 30-year-old  Elżbieta Zawacka is a highly educated maths teacher, as well as an instructor in the PWK.
(Women's Military Training organisation)
When the Germans, followed by the Russians, sweep across the country, Elżbieta would swear her alliegence to one of the many Polish Resistance groups where she would eventually be one of the 40,000 women of 'The Home Army.'
She joins the Home Army's overseas communications department and here she takes the name 'Zo'. Gathering intelligence and working as a courier leads to many plaudits & medals, but would also bring her to the attention of the Gestapo.
Much of her work took her across borders into other occupied countries as well as Germany itself. Eventually she would escape to England.
Her love for her country would see her train for and then return to Poland by parachute, the only woman to do so. Zo would be amongst those trapped in Warsaw at the time of the uprising.

Often a narrative can draw to a close after 1945, but not this one, not Elżbieta's.
The war might have ended but the Poles fight for their own country continued. A mass of arrests and deportations followed. Eventually Elżbieta too would face years in a Soviet prison.
Yet this incredibly brave and determined woman would  continue with her fight for what she knew was right. Despite failing health and old age, she  continued her own intelligence gathering work, building an incredible archive of her fellow women resistors. 
Still held in such high esteem herself, when Elżbieta finally passed away her funeral would be attended by over 3000 mourners.

In writing this review I have tried to give just a hint of the story, without wishing to spoil it. Hopefully I have succeeded. 
Believe me there is so much more to read and so many extraordinary people to meet.

Elżbieta clearly touched so many people's lives. Now that her story has been placed into the safe hands of Clare Mulley and this incredibly researched book, I'm sure she will continue to do so.

The hardback book is available to buy now. Published by W&N.


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