Mother, Daughter, Traitor, Spy: A Book Review

We usually think of World War II happening far away in Europe. But this book tells a different story. It's about a Nazi plot that was happening right in Los Angeles.

Susan Elia MacNeal's novel, Mother, Daughter, Traitor, Spy , is about this forgotten part of American history. It’s more than just a spy story. It’s a cautionary tale that feels important even today.

Final Verdict: 5 out of 5 Stars. This book is a must-read. It’s a powerful story about family, duty, and betrayal that shows MacNeal is a master of the genre.

What Is This Book About? (No Spoilers)

The story starts in June 1940. France has fallen to the Nazis, and Britain is in trouble. The main character is Veronica Grace, a smart college graduate who wants to be a journalist.

Her plans in New York City fall apart after an affair with a married man. This mistake gets her blackballed from a great journalism internship.

For a fresh start, Veronica and her mother, Vi, move to Los Angeles. Vi is a widow and feels a bit lost now that her daughter is grown.

Veronica takes a simple typing job to make ends meet. She is horrified to find out her new boss is one of the most vicious pro-Nazi propagandists in the area. She has stumbled upon a secret fascist movement, a "California Reich," where Americans are trying to recruit other Americans for their cause.

Veronica and Vi try to report this to the police. But the authorities dismiss them. The police and the FBI were more interested in catching communists than Nazis at the time.

So, Vi uses her connections as a Navy widow to call an old friend of her late husband. This friend puts them in touch with Ari Lewis, a spymaster running a civilian anti-Nazi spy ring.

Ari sees a unique opportunity. Veronica and Vi, with their German background and blonde hair, look like the perfect Aryan ideal. He recruits both of them to go undercover.

The story is about a mother and daughter spying together. They have to join the Nazi community in Los Angeles to gather information. As America gets closer to war, the plots they uncover get more dangerous, and one mistake could cost them their lives.

The novel is a powerful look at family loyalty versus national duty. It shows the shocking amount of Nazi activity in America. It also explores the complex relationship of a mother and daughter who find courage while facing terror.

Is This Book Based on a True Story?

Many readers ask if the book is based on a true story. The answer is yes.

The names are changed, but Mother, Daughter, Traitor, Spy was inspired by a real mother-daughter spy team. The characters Veronica and Violet Grace are based on Sylvia and Grace Comfort, who really did foil Nazi plots in Los Angeles during WWII.

Author Susan Elia MacNeal was inspired by the nonfiction book, Hitler in Los Angeles: How Jews Foiled Nazi Plots Against Hollywood and America . She learned about the Comforts while researching another novel. She said she "couldn't stop thinking about them" and felt she had to imagine the rest of their story.

The authenticity doesn't stop there. The spymaster Ari Lewis is based on Leon L. Lewis, a real lawyer who ran a spy operation in Los Angeles. Many other characters in the book, both good and bad, are also based on real people.

Real Groups in the Book

The "California Reich" in the novel was not fake. It was the local part of a large and popular network of pro-fascist movements in the United States before the war.

The America First Committee (AFC)

• This group started in 1940 and became the largest anti-war organization in U.S. history, with up to 800,000 members.
• Its goal was to keep America from getting involved in the war. It fought against sending aid to Great Britain.
• Its most famous spokesman was the pilot Charles Lindbergh. While many members were simply against war, the group was widely accused of spreading Nazi propaganda and anti-Semitism. The AFC broke up right after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Mothers' Movement

• This was a different but related movement that also started in 1939. It was made up of many groups of mostly white, middle-class Christian women. At its peak, it may have had five or six million members.
• Publicly, they wanted to keep America out of the war and held protests at the White House. But this anti-war position was often a cover for deeply anti-Semitic and pro-fascist beliefs.
• Many of the movement's leaders were later put on trial in 1944. They were accused of being part of a Nazi conspiracy.

The book feels so tense because the enemy wasn't a foreign soldier. The enemy was a charming neighbor, a fellow mother, or a national hero. The FBI's failure to act meant that regular people like the Comforts had to become spies.

Mixing Fact and Fiction

Susan Elia MacNeal did a great job writing this historical fiction. She has said that everything in the novel is based on facts from her research. But she sometimes moved events around in the timeline to make the story more dramatic.

There isn't a lot of historical information about the Comforts' personal lives or feelings. This is where the author's skill comes in. She imagined the "why" and "how" of their spying while sticking to the known facts.

The result is a book that feels very authentic and real. The fictional parts seem believable because they are built on solid research. MacNeal also includes historical notes so readers can learn what's fact and what's fiction.

The Main Characters: Veronica and Vi

The heart of this novel is the story of its two main characters. The complex relationship between the mother and daughter is what makes the book so good.

Veronica Grace: The Daughter

The story is mostly about the daughter, Veronica. She starts out as a smart but somewhat naive college graduate. A personal mistake shatters her dream of becoming a journalist, and she moves to L.A. feeling disgraced.

When she finds the Nazi propaganda group, she is appalled. She decides to become a spy out of a sense of duty. She is a reluctant hero, pushed into a role she never wanted.

Veronica soon realizes that her journalism skills are perfect for spying. Her ability to observe people, take notes, and analyze situations are repurposed for her dangerous new job. Her story is about reclaiming her life and finding her strength.

Violet Grace: The Mother

The mother, Violet "Vi" Grace, is the book's other hero. When the story begins, she is a widow who feels lost and is searching for a new purpose.

Vi is not a sidekick. When the FBI dismisses their concerns, it is Vi who takes action. As a Navy commander's widow, she has the connections to get them in the door with the right people.

Their relationship is tested and strengthened by the danger they share. Vi's cover is her ordinary life as a homemaker. Her identity as a "perfect" mother and talented seamstress becomes the perfect disguise, letting her spy on the Nazi movement from the inside.

Why This Book Is Great

What I Liked

• Great Research: The history in this book is excellent. It is clear the author did a lot of work to get the details right, which will please history buffs.
• Unique Setting: Setting the story in Los Angeles is a welcome surprise. It shows a dark and dangerous side to a sunny city.
• Good Pace: The story takes a little time to set up. But once the spying begins, it is a fast-paced and suspenseful page-turner until the end.
• Strong Characters: The mother-daughter relationship is the star of the show. The author does a masterful job exploring their strengths, flaws, and reasons for what they do.
• Feels Relevant Today: This is the part of the book that will stay with you. It is a cautionary tale that feels very important right now and reminds us that dangerous ideas can be found close to home.

Big Ideas in the Book

The author is a skilled writer. Her style is easy to read, which turns this complex history into a gripping story.

Underneath the spy plot, the novel explores some deep themes:

• The Banality of Evil: The most shocking thing is that the hateful people in the book are often charming and friendly on the surface. It’s a powerful look at the idea that being "nice" isn't the same as being "good."
• Propaganda and Patriotism: The book is a deep look into how propaganda works. It contrasts the loud, slogan-based patriotism of the America First movement with the quiet, true patriotism of the Grace women.
• Moral Ambiguity and Deception: To succeed, the Grace women must become traitors to spy on traitors. This double life forces them into a world of moral questions, betrayal, and deception.

Is This Book for You?

This novel is highly recommended for all fans of WWII historical fiction and intelligent spy novels. It is an absolute must-read for anyone who enjoys stories with strong, complex female characters.

Specifically, readers who love the work of Kate Quinn or Beatriz Williams will be hooked from beginning to end. They will find themselves in the hands of an author at the top of her game.

Book Club Questions

Mother, Daughter, Traitor, Spy is an ideal book for a book club. It provides so much to talk about. The shocking history and its parallels to today will spark great conversations.

Use these questions to guide your discussion.

Discussion Questions

1. Before reading this book, were you aware of the Nazi movement in America before WWII? What was the most shocking historical fact you learned?
2. The novel's antagonists are described as "charming and friendly on the surface." How does this make them more or less terrifying than typical villains?
3. Discuss the moral problem Veronica and Violet face. They must lie and deceive, becoming "traitors" to catch traitors. What would you have done in their position?
4. The mother-daughter relationship is central to the story. How does their bond change under the pressure of their secret?
5. How did your opinion of Violet, the mother, change throughout the novel? She begins as a widow who feels lost but becomes a decisive spy.
6. Discuss the role of other characters like the spymaster Ari Lewis. Who was most impactful and why?
7. The book has been called a "cautionary tale" with "parallels to today." How do the themes of propaganda and extremism connect with today's political climate?
8. What did you think of the ending? Was it satisfying?

About the Author

Susan Elia MacNeal is a bestselling author of the Maggie Hope mystery series and the standalone novel Mother, Daughter, Traitor, Spy . She is a graduate of Wellesley College. Her background is in publishing, where she worked as an editor.

MacNeal is most famous for her long-running Maggie Hope Series. This series follows an American woman who is recruited by wartime intelligence services in Britain and becomes a spy.

It is important for readers to know that Mother, Daughter, Traitor, Spy is a standalone novel. New readers can enjoy MacNeal's writing and style without having to read a whole series first.