Dragonfly

By: Leila Meacham

Narrated by: Christine Lakin, Jefferson Mays, Karissa Vacker, Maxwell Hamilton, Will Collyer, Zach Villa, Nicholas Guy Smith, Neil Dickson, Matthew Waterson, Moira Quirk, Jim Meskimen

Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

At the height of WWII, five idealistic young Americans receive a mysterious letter from the OSS, 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 his or her own. They bond immediately, in a group code-named Dragonfly.

Soon after their training, they are dropped behind enemy lines and take up their false identities, isolated from one another except for a secret drop-box, but in close contact with the powerful Nazi elite who have Paris under siege.

Thus begins a dramatic and riveting cat-and-mouse game, as the young Americans seek to stay under the radar until a fatal misstep leads to the capture and the firing-squad execution of one of their team. But...is everything as it seems, or is this one more elaborate act of spycraft?

©2019 Leila Meacham (P)2019 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Meacham ratchets the suspense ever tighter, while providing fascinating backstory on the intrepid five [American spies] as well as delivering a detail-rich portrait of Paris during the Occupation." (Booklist)

"Gripping...In this fast-paced and enjoyable WWII espionage tale, Meacham takes readers to 1942 Nazi-occupied Paris to follow five American spies as they attempt to gather information to assist Allied and French Resistance forces.... Meacham's nail-biting tale will please fans looking for an intricate story of spycraft and deception." (Publishers Weekly)

"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." (Adriana Trigiani, New York Times best-selling author of Tony's Wife)

Loved it!

I always know I like a book when is soon as I’m done I miss the characters. The main characters in this book becomes so real and the story is fantastic with many twists and turns. They are definitely got wrenching moments and those moments that light shines through in the green backdrop of World War II.

Good Book!

Well done. It was a complicated story with lots of characters and storylines. Definitely not boring! The narrators were very good. I had to concentrate to follow all the details but I thought it was worth the effort.

Intriguing and complex

Engaging and very human characters! Hard to put down book. Leila Meecham is a great storyteller.

One of my new favorites!

Most intriguing WWII novels I’ve read in a long time! Planning to buy the hard copy which I do not do often! Spies, the good and bad of human nature, the cost of war. May we never forget...

Wonderful!

I loved this book. It would be gotten 5 stars if it hadn't lost me a few times with the jumping around. Other than that, I loved this book and will definitely read again to catch what I missed the first time.

A great WW2 story. Wonderful characters

Although it was often hard to remember all the characters, it matters not. You will love listening to this complex story. Great narration and believable characters.

Very Good Story

The introduction was too long, but once the story began, it was much better. Having multiple narrators really helped the story, and it kept me interested and engaged.

Rich and Wonderful!

Loved this book! Planning on buying the hard copy (first time I've done that since Resistance Women). I also cried at the end (as well as points throughout the book). I cried with sadness, joy and frustration. The only other book that did that to me is All The Light I Cannot See.
I highly recommend!

Intriguing spy story

A must read if you are a fan of spy stories circa WWII. There are many characters in this book and each will capture your attention in their own way. The inclusion of different narrators for the characters brought the story to life.

Even at 18 hours it didn’t seem long

The mark of an engaging story is one that doesn’t seem long. I’ve listened to 8hour stories that felt endless, and 20+hour books that seemed half that length. This was really enjoyable. There are some slight inconsistencies, and some the the plotting was predictable, but none of this detracted from the overall story. The use of multiple narrators was excellent. I do wish that each had been identified with their character in the credits.