Tells the story of a Sufi-raised woman who has to flee France with her family as the Nazis march in. Arriving in England, Noor and her brother decide they can serve in the war effort without turning their backs on their Sufi upbringing so Noor begins training as a radio operator and is sent to Paris to transmit information back to England on Nazi whereabouts and plans as well as helping to bring other SOE personnel to France to disrupt the Nazi program.

Noor is a quiet person. She does not seem to be a good fit for the SOE in England but she becomes one of their best agents eluding the Nazis far longer than other radio operators. She is a vital link in the line to defeat the Nazis. I liked that her upbringing was discussed as was a brief lesson on Sufism and how her teachings could affect her ability to serve during the war but how she was able to live true to her faith and yet successfully serve. Noor did not seem that she would fit into that world but to watch her was amazing. She was courageous even after her capture. I was saddened that no one would tell or knew how her life ended but she was an inspiration. I am glad I won this book on Goodreads. I learned much as I had never heard of her or heard much about SOE and their part of WWII. ( )

Noor Inayat Khan was born in Moscow, grew up outside Paris and lived her early adulthood there and in England before WW II turned her known world upside down. Her father was an Indian Sufi mystic who believed in harmony, beauty and tolerance and he practiced and taught it while living in the world as it was, not as he would have liked it to be. And this was the legacy he left his daughter. As she told one British Special Operations Executive (SOE), you don’t tell a lie, you say nothing. He didn’t believe it possible but she did it.

Noor Khan was a beautiful young woman, a musician, a writer with the ambition to write children’s books when the war was over. She did have one published in 1939. She could be very organized - or not, calm - or not, in which case she lost her voice. People either believed in her or not when it can to being a member of the SOE.

Unfortunately she landed in France in late 1943 when the Germans had just taken over the last large resistance cell around Paris and the SOE didn’t know. She made many mistakes and broke the SOE rules and was saved and corrected by others and luck or intuition. The expected lifespan of a radio operator was eight weeks, Noor operated for twice that and some before a former neighbour gave her up to the Gestapo. But not before she sent off information that was crucial in pre D-Day planning.

Once captured she was not tortured instead had ‘conversations’ about music, literature and the like once it was accepted she wouldn’t answer any questions about her work. She escaped twice and was recaptured and after D-Day (she didn’t know it had happened) she was moved to Dachau and killed with three other women. Noor has been officially honoured by the French and British governments as well as individual groups.

The book is based on extensive research, including manuscripts and documents, as well as interviews. At times it was a ponderous read particularly when dealing with some of the Sufi teachings, as well as the SOE. I think it is the author’s writing style as well as the subject matter. Having read a number of researched historical fiction on the resistance in France and the role of the SOE learning how it operated with Noor was an eye-opener. It wasn’t the smoothly operating organization portrayed in other books. This could be because of timing, it was published in 2020 so more documents may have been made available to researchers. It is worth reading.

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Please note that I received this via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

This was really good. I don't know what else to say. Magida did a great job with telling us the story of Noor and how she came to be a spy. Magida also has pictures of Noor's family and different locations that helped tell her story. I also loved that he included further reading for those out there that want to read more information. I finished this book at 80 percent, the remaining parts of it were notes.

"Code Name Madeline: A Sufi Spy in Nazi-Occupied Paris" follows Noor Inayat Khan. She is flying in a plane under the cover of night during a full moon into France. From there Magida traces her family's history (her father was Inayat Khan and was descended from nobility, her mother was Ora Ray Baker, an American). Magida goes into Khan's family and their disapproval of Ora and then we get to Ora's birth in Moscow of all places. The book jumps forward and then we are following Noor as she decides to do what she can to resist Hitler and the Nazi regime. Her story is one of determination and also sadness because you find out what became of her. I had never heard of her before this book and I have to say that Magida did her justice.

The writing I thought was crisp and was filled with so many historical tidbits it keeps you reading. Magida is able to fan your interest with not boring you to death which many writers of history are not that great at.

The flow of the book was really good and was broken up with pictures of Noor, her family, and other things. It really made her came alive to me with the addition of the pictures.

The setting of Europe during the Nazi regime is heartbreaking. Finding out what became of Noor and others during the war still boggles my mind. You wonder how human beings can be so cruel to each other.

The ending to me is bittersweet:

At the close of the day when life's toil fades away,

And all so peaceful sleep,

No rest do I find since Thou left one behind, 'Till

Death around me doth creep.

Bitter nights of despair hath made fragrant the air,

Tear drops hath turned into dew,

I watch and I wait 'till Thou openeth the gate, And

Thy love leadeth one through.

"untitled," Noor Inayat Khan

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Code Name Madeleine is a rare combination: a work of history that is quick, compelling, and substantive. It's the perfect gift book for anyone interested in WWII or women's history, but it's also just a great—and true—story about what one woman can accomplish, despite her own imperfections (and we all have them).

Code Name Madeleine tell the story of Noor Inayat Khan, daughter of a Sufi mystic father and an American mother. Khan worked as a British agent in occupied France during WWII. Khan's upbringing focused on spiritual values: truth, a refusal to judge others, and non-violence. Her father, however, also taught her that failing to take action against an evil, even if taking action requires violence, can be worse than the original violence itself.

Khan is a quirky woman, ill-suited in many ways for undercover work, but her ill-suitedness actually creates its own kind of competence, not by the book, but effective nonetheless. She may be the only undercover operative ever who was committed to never lying, whether to her handlers or the enemy she way spying upon.

Whether or not you usually read nonfiction, you should read Code Name Madeleine. It will introduce you to a remarkable woman and help you think about the ways we can respond to injustice and cruelty in our own time.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via EdelweissPlus. The opinions are my own. ( )

Although I thought the writing got bogged down at times with names and details (it was well researched), this is a fascinating story about someone whom I had never heard about. Although her story has been told in other books and on film, it bears retelling.

I did find frustrating that despite her intent and bravery Noor was careless in so many facets of her operations. Perhaps that was just indicative of wartime operations; her handlers also seemed careless at times, especially when there were indications that her radio had been captured, yet they continued believing it was her transmitting, sending many other operators into traps set up by the enemies.

I am not a big fan of nonfiction, but am glad I read this and encourage others to do so as well. I learned a lot about the SEO and its wartime activities and met an incredible woman. ( )