Code Name Madeleine: A Sufi Spy in Nazi-Occupied Paris

by Arthur J Magida

During the critical summer months of 1943, Noor Inayat Khan was the only wireless operator transmitting secret messages from Nazi-occupied France to the Special Operations Executive in Britain. As the daughter of an Indian mystic, brought up in a household devoted to peaceful reflection on the outskirts of Paris, Khan did not seem destined for wartime heroism. Yet, faced with the evils of Nazism, she volunteered to help the British; was trained in espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance; and returned to France with a new identity.

Khan transmitted details crucial to the Allies' success on D-Day, until she was captured and imprisoned by the Gestapo. She attempted two escapes before being sent to Germany. Three months after the Allied invasion of France, she was executed at Dachau. Her last word was "liberte".

• ISBN10: 039363518X
• ISBN13: 9780393635188
• Publish Date: 10 July 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: WW Norton & Co
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

I first learned about Noor from an episode of Doctor Who and then suddenly I learned this book was coming out.

This book spoke to me on so many levels. Noor's devotion to her faith and her job is astounding. Magida shares Noor's family's history and Noor's journey to becoming a spy in a way the keeps you turning the page as you fall in love with the bright ambitious young woman.

The last 50 to 100 pages are the most difficult to read. There is only one way Noor's story ends and I didn't want to leave her. It was a struggle to read the end of the book. There were tears.

I look forward to sharing Noor's story and this book with others.