My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World’s Most Notorious Terrorists
by Tracy Walder and Jessica Anya Balu
Publisher’s Description
When Tracy Walder enrolled at the University of Southern California, she never thought that one day she would offer her pink beanbag chair in the Delta Gamma house to a CIA recruiter, or that she’d fly to the Middle East under an alias identity.
The Unexpected Spy is the riveting story of Walder’s tenure in the CIA and, later, the FBI. In high-security, steel-walled rooms in Virginia, Walder watched al-Qaeda members with drones as President Bush looked over her shoulder and CIA Director George Tenet brought her donuts. She tracked chemical terrorists and searched the world for Weapons of Mass Destruction. She created a chemical terror chart that someone in the White House altered to convey information she did not have or believe, leading to the Iraq invasion. Driven to stop terrorism, Walder debriefed terrorists—men who swore they’d never speak to a woman—until they gave her leads. She followed trails through North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, shutting down multiple chemical attacks.
Then Walder moved to the FBI, where she worked in counterintelligence. In a single year, she helped take down one of the most notorious foreign spies ever caught on American soil. Catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. Walder left the FBI to teach young women, encouraging them to find a place in the FBI, CIA, State Department or the Senate—and thus change the world.
Details
- Title: The Unexpected Spy
- Authors: Tracy Walder and Jessica Anya Balu
- Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (February 25, 2020)
- Hardcover, Digital Audio, e-book: 272 pages
My Thoughts
Walder’s memoir as a counterterrorism officer in the CIA, especially in the aftermath of 9/11, and as a special agent in the FBI sounded interesting. But to be honest, when I saw that the book had areas that were redacted due to CIA vetting, I became concerned.
Redacted words? Redacted sentences? Redacted paragraphs! Would it be possible to make sense of any of it?
I mention this mostly in jest, and not to scare readers. But my message is this: don’t worry when you see that at times large areas are redacted. It will make sense. The redacted areas are few and far between.
This is a book that I think you will really enjoy. No. I’m sure you will enjoy. And hopefully, this post will give you enough reasons to put The Unexpected Spy on your TBR (to be read) list ASAP (as soon as possible. 🙂 (smiley face)
Childhood
Tracy’s childhood was less than ideal. By eleven years old she had grown to her full height of 5′ ll”. And before she had braces put on there was a gap between her teeth. So not only was she tall, her teeth weren’t perfect and she wasn’t what was thought to be perfectly slim. Also, like many teenagers, she suffered from years of severe acne. Now, none of this is life-shattering unless, of course, you’re around thoughtless kids.
And let’s face it, kids can be horribly cruel. But as bad as it sounds, the continual bullying caused Tracy to become a much stronger individual. And she would need these traits in the future more than she or anyone else might imagine.
Like most women and their careers that I’ve read about, most recently Jet Girl by Caroline Johnson, Tracy faced gender discrimination. In fact, she faced it to such a degree in the FBI that . . . well, you just have to read it to believe it.
But I can guarantee that what she experienced in the FBI, and how she handled it, will cause you to be extremely proud of her.
Both books, Jet Girl and The Unexpected Spy are memoirs that are sure to inspire women for generations to come.
My thanks to #Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of #TheUnexpectedSpy. This #bookreview is the result of my thoughts.
What Concerned Me
While totally understandable, the redacted areas might be a slight concern for some readers.
What I Like Most
I loved reading some of the experiences involved with being in the CIA and FBI. I think many of us are not aware of how many people are working to keep us safe, and what they are sacrificing.
About the Author
Macmillian Publishers
Tracy Walder is a former Staff Operations Officer (SOO) at the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center and a Special Agent at the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office specializing in Chinese counterintelligence operations and has taught high-school history and government courses at Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas. Now Walder is the Board of Directors for Girl Security, a non profit, non partisan group that brings national security curriculum to girls in high school throughout the US.
