America in the late 1940s is a nation characterized by significant transformation and unwavering resilience. Nobody feels this more keenly than Laura Schmitt, a sensible young woman working as an au pair for a powerful Russian family. Both an immigrant and an orphan, Laura has become adept at overcoming challenges in her twenty years. Though the detached Orzov parents treat Laura with little respect, she takes her caretaking assignment seriously as she loves and educates the two children. But it’s time for Laura to think about her future. The kids will soon be sent off to boarding school and the Orzovs will have little use for an au pair. A coincidental encounter between Laura and a woman several years her senior blossoms into a fast friendship. But running into Lena was inevitable, as she is an agent with the CIA who had been watching Laura and waiting for an opportunity to recruit her into the organization. With great composure under pressure, impressive linguistic skills, lack of family ties, and strategic placement close to Viktor Orzov, Laura is a good fit for the agency, despite her inexperience. Not allowing herself to be limited by gender, social status, or a tumultuous upbringing, Laura feels destined for greater things and wants to make a difference. So she accepts the offer to join the CIA and begins her first assignment after a whirlwind training session. Unfortunately, Victor Orzov is the assignment and danger is on the horizon.
Historically enlightening and heartily engaging, Operation Paperweight is a riveting portrait in time. Set in the era of Cary Grant films and Cold War tactics, this uncomplicated novel is an approachable history lesson taught by two strong women navigating treacherous new territory. Bobbie L Wagner crafts this narrative with understated advocacy, organically integrating the message of empowerment with just the right amount of force. However, frequent redundancies, uneven pacing, and other weaknesses in the text diminish the novel’s impact. Still, the plot is engrossing, the characters are endearing, and the nostalgia and historical references are entertaining and educational. Initially recruited for her translation abilities, once Laura is thrust into an unpredictable world of espionage the tension escalates dramatically, though it never becomes terrifying or gratuitous. As Laura hones her spycraft and takes advantage of innovative gadgets utilized by the agency at the time, readers will feel like they are sharing in the clandestine meetings with these two formidable CIA agents. A heartening post-war tale brought to life, Operation Paperweight introduces readers to extraordinary women and their courageous role in a country’s shifting politics.
