I have enjoyed the previous books I read by Ben Macintyre. I picked this one up not knowing anything about Ursula Kuczynski. She grew up to be a very successful spy for the Soviet Union and received the code name Agent Sonya. I looked forward to reading this. Shortly after I began reading I was hoping I would read about when she would be caught.

Ursula lived a remarkable life. Born in Germany and coming of age in the 1920’s she was exposed to a world of turmoil. She became a committed communist early in life and would not be deterred from her ideology.

She traveled the world first leaving Germany for the United States partially to avoid marriage. She became a member of the Communist Party of the United States. After a stint in the USA she returned to Germany and married the man she had left behind. His career took them to China where her career as a spy began. From there she traveled to the Soviet Union for additional training and continued to work as a spy throughout Europe.

I found it remarkable how her commitment to communism didn’t falter as she spent time in Moscow during the great purges. Many of the people she worked with were falsely accused and arrested. She avoided that fate and continued to spy for the Soviet Union.

The dichotomy between her family life and spy life was portrayed well. Her life began before the Bolshevik revolution and it ended after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Overall this was a good book. I give it 4 out of 5 stars.