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The Unexpected Spy: From the CIA to the FBI, My Secret Life Taking Down Some of the World's Most Notorious Terrorists
A highly entertaining account of a young woman who went straight from her college sorority to the CIA, where she hunted terrorists and WMDs
"A thrilling tale...Walder’s fast-paced and intense narrative opens a window into life in two of America’s major intelligence agencies." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
When Tracy Walder enrolled at the University of Southern California, she never thought that one day she would offer her pink beanbag chair in the Delta Gamma house to a CIA recruiter, or that she’d fly to the Middle East under an alias identity.
The Unexpected Spy is the riveting story of Walder's tenure in the CIA and, later, the FBI. In high-security, steel-walled rooms in Virginia, Walder watched al-Qaeda members with drones as President Bush looked over her shoulder and CIA Director George Tenet brought her donuts. She tracked chemical terrorists and searched the world for weapons of mass destruction. She created a chemical terror chart that someone in the White House altered to convey information she did not have or believe, leading to the Iraq invasion. Driven to stop terrorism, Walder debriefed terrorists - men who swore they’d never speak to a woman - until they gave her leads. She followed trails through North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, shutting down multiple chemical attacks.
Then Walder moved to the FBI, where she worked in counterintelligence. In a single year, she helped take down one of the most notorious foreign spies ever caught on American soil. Catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. Walder left the FBI to teach young women, encouraging them to find a place in the FBI, CIA, State Department or the Senate - and thus change the world.
Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
"A thrilling tale...Walder’s fast-paced and intense narrative opens a window into life in two of America’s major intelligence agencies." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
When Tracy Walder enrolled at the University of Southern California, she never thought that one day she would offer her pink beanbag chair in the Delta Gamma house to a CIA recruiter, or that she’d fly to the Middle East under an alias identity.
The Unexpected Spy is the riveting story of Walder's tenure in the CIA and, later, the FBI. In high-security, steel-walled rooms in Virginia, Walder watched al-Qaeda members with drones as President Bush looked over her shoulder and CIA Director George Tenet brought her donuts. She tracked chemical terrorists and searched the world for weapons of mass destruction. She created a chemical terror chart that someone in the White House altered to convey information she did not have or believe, leading to the Iraq invasion. Driven to stop terrorism, Walder debriefed terrorists - men who swore they’d never speak to a woman - until they gave her leads. She followed trails through North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, shutting down multiple chemical attacks.
Then Walder moved to the FBI, where she worked in counterintelligence. In a single year, she helped take down one of the most notorious foreign spies ever caught on American soil. Catching the bad guys wasn’t a problem in the FBI, but rampant sexism was. Walder left the FBI to teach young women, encouraging them to find a place in the FBI, CIA, State Department or the Senate - and thus change the world.
Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
272 pages, Hardcover
First published February 25, 2020
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12432 people want to read
About the author
Tracy Walder
2 books88 followersTracy Walder trabalhou como staff operations officer do Centro de Contraterrorismo da CIA e foi agente especial da delegação de Los Angeles do FBI, especializada em operações de contrainformação chinesa. Faz atualmente parte da direção do grupo Girl Security, que pretende dar a conhecer o tema da segurança nacional às raparigas das escolas preparatórias dos Estados Unidos de modo a torná-las numa força transformadora num mundo tradicionalmente dominado pelo género masculino.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 747 reviews
December 3, 2020
This was fun actually, even though the protagonist came across as a teensy bit too naive. a lot of globe trotting, a lot of office work. Lots of image recognition and plenty of illustration of how our thinking and our doing are 2 different things.
Love how spunky -the MC is about pretty much everything. Great into to her family history. Had a laugh at the evasion driving lessons. LOL. A great way to sit exams.
Q:
And every time I was stateside, I made sure to get highlights in my hair or touch up my roots. No matter how far away I went in the world, I needed to hold on to the sorority girl in me—I needed to believe that she, I, could survive all this. (c)
Q:
Sanity required a little reckless joy, some make-believe, and the whimsy of those ridiculous pink flamingos staked into the crumbling ground like big, plastic bouquets. (c)
Q:
... when your life depends on the intelligence and efficiency of the people around you, respect takes on a whole new meaning. (c)
Q:
“I can’t think of anything…” There was the fake ID I had given to my mother on the plane, but that didn’t seem worth mentioning. This was, after all, an organization that operated under fake IDs. (c)
Q:
My maternal grandfather, Jack Davis, was my biggest champion, supporting me and cheering me on in all I did with great enthusiasm. I’ve come to realize that everyone needs at least one person like this in their life. We need an audience of some sort, an admirer who fully, openly, and unabashedly adores us and is always happy for us. For me, it was my grandpa. No one was more proud of the various certificates and medals I was awarded in school, and eventually in the CIA, than he. Often it seemed like the only point in getting a certificate or award was so that I could take it home and show my grandpa.(c)
Q:
I had taken the time to curl my hair and had put on bright red lipstick that perfectly matched my nail polish. I don’t particularly like the attention of strangers, and I hate to be the focus of any group, but I love clothes, makeup, and dressing up. Since my time in the sorority, I have fully rejected the idea of anyone—any man, woman, or institution—telling me I have to dress a certain way to play a role I’ve been assigned through the expectations of others. So even as an intelligence officer working mostly with men, I wanted to be taken seriously while exercising the right to curl my hair into long ringlets, because I like my hair that way (c)
Q:
… we practiced driving our eighties drug lord cars into a cement wall that stood at the long end of the track. If the car could still be driven, you did it again. If you totaled it the first time, your job was done. (c) Maybe those braincells that got scrambled in such exercises could be what drove all the batshit weirdness we've all been able to see the last decades? Now, that's a thought.
Q:
“Do you ever look into the woods… and wonder how many pairs of eyes are looking back out at you?”
“Of course,… I’m in intelligence. Like you.” (c)
Q:
The whole thing felt like a nutty funhouse game. Only dangerous. No matter what we reported to the administration, they turned it around, turned it inside out, and spat it back out into some non-truth version of what had been said. (c)
Q:
On Monday, February 4, I handed a finished chart to the office of the White House. On Wednesday, February 5, Colin Powell made a speech to the United Nations in an effort to garner support for the invasion of Iraq. My colleagues and I watched the speech on television. As Powell presented his case, he held up the chemical terrorists chart. But it was not the chart I had turned in. The words Iraqi-Linked had been added to my words Terrorist Chart.
...
Now I understood why the CIA had been denied approval to pick up Zarqawi and take out the Ansar al-Islam labs in northern Iraq. All our information was being reframed and then submitted as proof that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Zarqawi, who had no known connections to Hussein, was mentioned 21 times in that one speech. Yes, 21.
...
(Soon enough, they’d congeal with the Bush-anointed Zarqawi as their leader and rebrand themselves as ISIS or ISIL.)
...
When it became clear that this war was a lot messier than most people had expected, and that there were no WMDs in Iraq, the CIA was blamed for the whole shebang, falsely accused of having provided faulty intelligence.
...
I must say this in response to that accusation: I was there. I’m one of the people who supplied the intelligence. Not a single bit of anything my team turned in was faulty. How it was changed and twisted by the White House was faulty.
...
The CIA did not betray the White House. The White House betrayed the CIA.(c)
Love how spunky -the MC is about pretty much everything. Great into to her family history. Had a laugh at the evasion driving lessons. LOL. A great way to sit exams.
Q:
And every time I was stateside, I made sure to get highlights in my hair or touch up my roots. No matter how far away I went in the world, I needed to hold on to the sorority girl in me—I needed to believe that she, I, could survive all this. (c)
Q:
Sanity required a little reckless joy, some make-believe, and the whimsy of those ridiculous pink flamingos staked into the crumbling ground like big, plastic bouquets. (c)
Q:
... when your life depends on the intelligence and efficiency of the people around you, respect takes on a whole new meaning. (c)
Q:
“I can’t think of anything…” There was the fake ID I had given to my mother on the plane, but that didn’t seem worth mentioning. This was, after all, an organization that operated under fake IDs. (c)
Q:
My maternal grandfather, Jack Davis, was my biggest champion, supporting me and cheering me on in all I did with great enthusiasm. I’ve come to realize that everyone needs at least one person like this in their life. We need an audience of some sort, an admirer who fully, openly, and unabashedly adores us and is always happy for us. For me, it was my grandpa. No one was more proud of the various certificates and medals I was awarded in school, and eventually in the CIA, than he. Often it seemed like the only point in getting a certificate or award was so that I could take it home and show my grandpa.(c)
Q:
I had taken the time to curl my hair and had put on bright red lipstick that perfectly matched my nail polish. I don’t particularly like the attention of strangers, and I hate to be the focus of any group, but I love clothes, makeup, and dressing up. Since my time in the sorority, I have fully rejected the idea of anyone—any man, woman, or institution—telling me I have to dress a certain way to play a role I’ve been assigned through the expectations of others. So even as an intelligence officer working mostly with men, I wanted to be taken seriously while exercising the right to curl my hair into long ringlets, because I like my hair that way (c)
Q:
… we practiced driving our eighties drug lord cars into a cement wall that stood at the long end of the track. If the car could still be driven, you did it again. If you totaled it the first time, your job was done. (c) Maybe those braincells that got scrambled in such exercises could be what drove all the batshit weirdness we've all been able to see the last decades? Now, that's a thought.
Q:
“Do you ever look into the woods… and wonder how many pairs of eyes are looking back out at you?”
“Of course,… I’m in intelligence. Like you.” (c)
Q:
The whole thing felt like a nutty funhouse game. Only dangerous. No matter what we reported to the administration, they turned it around, turned it inside out, and spat it back out into some non-truth version of what had been said. (c)
Q:
On Monday, February 4, I handed a finished chart to the office of the White House. On Wednesday, February 5, Colin Powell made a speech to the United Nations in an effort to garner support for the invasion of Iraq. My colleagues and I watched the speech on television. As Powell presented his case, he held up the chemical terrorists chart. But it was not the chart I had turned in. The words Iraqi-Linked had been added to my words Terrorist Chart.
...
Now I understood why the CIA had been denied approval to pick up Zarqawi and take out the Ansar al-Islam labs in northern Iraq. All our information was being reframed and then submitted as proof that Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. Zarqawi, who had no known connections to Hussein, was mentioned 21 times in that one speech. Yes, 21.
...
(Soon enough, they’d congeal with the Bush-anointed Zarqawi as their leader and rebrand themselves as ISIS or ISIL.)
...
When it became clear that this war was a lot messier than most people had expected, and that there were no WMDs in Iraq, the CIA was blamed for the whole shebang, falsely accused of having provided faulty intelligence.
...
I must say this in response to that accusation: I was there. I’m one of the people who supplied the intelligence. Not a single bit of anything my team turned in was faulty. How it was changed and twisted by the White House was faulty.
...
The CIA did not betray the White House. The White House betrayed the CIA.(c)
February 24, 2020
This was an interesting and at times riveting memoir. While I don’t read a ton of nonfiction, I’m a fan of memoirs, biographies, and true stories that almost feel like reading fiction. I figured the true story about a real life female spy would be right up my alley. This was a little different than I expected, but I thought it was very good. It’s very readable and I finished it in one sitting since I didn’t want to put it down.
What made this story really interesting to me was that Tracey was in her first year at the CIA when 9-11 happened. While of course Tracey can’t give away national secrets in this book, but getting her take on what is what like working for the CIA during that time was quite gripping. Tracey was also still in the CIA when the Bush administration kept asking for proof of saddam Hussein having WMD’s (bio terrorism was one of her specialties) but there were none for her to give them. They actually used Tracey’s poison terrorist chart (after they changed and tampered with her info) to help sell the war. Tracey really was right in the middle of many important moments and it was very interesting reading.
The book is a little tough to read at times, but not as much as you would expect for someone working in counter terrorism. There were references to many deaths and graphic pictures, but some of the toughest parts to read were about the sexism she faced. I also found it very interesting that while she visited countries where women have hardly any rights at all, the worst sexism and misogyny was from our good ole FBI. The teachers at Quantico are a bunch of dicks including the women teachers too. She actually had to write a letter of apology to a male instructor because he was “distracted” by the fit of her suit. A suit she had bought and worn while in the CIA. She had to write an apology and buy suits that were sized too big for the rest of her time in training. This is just one small drop in the bucket about how shitty the FBI treats women but I’ll leave the rest for you to read about.
I do have to say I had an issue with the information blackouts in this book. This book was sent to the CIA and parts where blacked out that they felt may risk national security. I get it, and it makes sense, but it seemed to be overboard at times. I think they cut out more than even what the Trump administration wants to cut from John Bolton’s new book. While it was a word here and a sentence there, other times whole paragraphs and even pages where cut. I’m reading and all of a sudden I don’t quite know what happened. It just drove me nuts. I wish in the parts that were cut, Tracey could have just changed names, places, whatever enough to keep the flow and meaning and just make it clear that these parts where “faked” for security reasons instead of just leaving things blank.
Since this is a memoir it doesn’t cover Tracey’s whole life. There is a little as a child and college age so you can see why the CIA appealed to her, but most of the book is about working in the CIA, FBI, and where Tracey is now. This book is filled with a lot of meat so to say, so it’s very easy to keep turning the pages. While Tracey mentions a guy she dated and her current status at the end, this is really about her fascinating career, not her personal life. The work she was doing didn’t leave much time for a personal life so you don’t feel like you are missing anything by not having those parts. I enjoyed this read and I would recommend this book to people who like stories about strong women. Tracey has been through a lot in her life and her story is well worth the read.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
What made this story really interesting to me was that Tracey was in her first year at the CIA when 9-11 happened. While of course Tracey can’t give away national secrets in this book, but getting her take on what is what like working for the CIA during that time was quite gripping. Tracey was also still in the CIA when the Bush administration kept asking for proof of saddam Hussein having WMD’s (bio terrorism was one of her specialties) but there were none for her to give them. They actually used Tracey’s poison terrorist chart (after they changed and tampered with her info) to help sell the war. Tracey really was right in the middle of many important moments and it was very interesting reading.
The book is a little tough to read at times, but not as much as you would expect for someone working in counter terrorism. There were references to many deaths and graphic pictures, but some of the toughest parts to read were about the sexism she faced. I also found it very interesting that while she visited countries where women have hardly any rights at all, the worst sexism and misogyny was from our good ole FBI. The teachers at Quantico are a bunch of dicks including the women teachers too. She actually had to write a letter of apology to a male instructor because he was “distracted” by the fit of her suit. A suit she had bought and worn while in the CIA. She had to write an apology and buy suits that were sized too big for the rest of her time in training. This is just one small drop in the bucket about how shitty the FBI treats women but I’ll leave the rest for you to read about.
I do have to say I had an issue with the information blackouts in this book. This book was sent to the CIA and parts where blacked out that they felt may risk national security. I get it, and it makes sense, but it seemed to be overboard at times. I think they cut out more than even what the Trump administration wants to cut from John Bolton’s new book. While it was a word here and a sentence there, other times whole paragraphs and even pages where cut. I’m reading and all of a sudden I don’t quite know what happened. It just drove me nuts. I wish in the parts that were cut, Tracey could have just changed names, places, whatever enough to keep the flow and meaning and just make it clear that these parts where “faked” for security reasons instead of just leaving things blank.
Since this is a memoir it doesn’t cover Tracey’s whole life. There is a little as a child and college age so you can see why the CIA appealed to her, but most of the book is about working in the CIA, FBI, and where Tracey is now. This book is filled with a lot of meat so to say, so it’s very easy to keep turning the pages. While Tracey mentions a guy she dated and her current status at the end, this is really about her fascinating career, not her personal life. The work she was doing didn’t leave much time for a personal life so you don’t feel like you are missing anything by not having those parts. I enjoyed this read and I would recommend this book to people who like stories about strong women. Tracey has been through a lot in her life and her story is well worth the read.
An ARC was given to me for a honest review.
February 19, 2020
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and Sara Beth Haring for approved access to an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Tracy Walder takes readers into the heart of her experience with both the CIA and FBI in the post-911 world. Overcoming obstacles in her childhood, Tracy emerges as a fiery spirited woman who cares deeply about people and her country. Often labeled as a "Malibu Barbie," at home and abroad, Tracy dealt daily with sexism on the job. I am still thinking of that instructor at Quantico. What a villain! Admittedly, I would like to use stronger language, but my mother and my boss follow my reviews.
But this isn't a "tell-all", names are changed(except for the political people in Washington that were in government at the time)and details from certain missions are marked with----------- for pages. But since the note at the beginning warned me of this, I never felt irritated. Instead, I found Tracy to be a fascinating, honest, hardworking woman who I would really want to have as a friend. I also REALLY appreciated the focus on her career stories. You won't find details about hook-ups and her trying to keep herself "girly" by wearing pink. I wish Tracy all the best in her new career as an educator. Those young women are lucky to have you in their lives!
Goodreads review published 16/01/20
Expected publication date 25/02/20
Tracy Walder takes readers into the heart of her experience with both the CIA and FBI in the post-911 world. Overcoming obstacles in her childhood, Tracy emerges as a fiery spirited woman who cares deeply about people and her country. Often labeled as a "Malibu Barbie," at home and abroad, Tracy dealt daily with sexism on the job. I am still thinking of that instructor at Quantico. What a villain! Admittedly, I would like to use stronger language, but my mother and my boss follow my reviews.
But this isn't a "tell-all", names are changed(except for the political people in Washington that were in government at the time)and details from certain missions are marked with----------- for pages. But since the note at the beginning warned me of this, I never felt irritated. Instead, I found Tracy to be a fascinating, honest, hardworking woman who I would really want to have as a friend. I also REALLY appreciated the focus on her career stories. You won't find details about hook-ups and her trying to keep herself "girly" by wearing pink. I wish Tracy all the best in her new career as an educator. Those young women are lucky to have you in their lives!
Goodreads review published 16/01/20
Expected publication date 25/02/20
March 9, 2020
4 stars
I was really excited to read this book because of my huge interest in politics and history and on a fun note, Alias was one of my favorite shows in college (remember Jennifer Garner totally kicking butt as a spy?) and reading the story of a real life, badass woman in the CIA and FBI checked all the boxes I needed to read this with gusto. I am happy to say that this did not disappoint. It just so happens to have come at the perfect time too - I had just finished the audio of the oral history of 9/11 so all the feelings and emotions from that event (which deeply impacted Ms. Walder's life in the CIA) was a seamless transition into this story.
I thought this book was an appropriate length and the pacing was spot on. I greatly admire Ms. Walder's wish to tell her story with the knowledge that a) she is writing about two very notorious organizations b) inevitably there would be a lot of redactions (even though I'm sure she spent an enormous amount of time trying to write with enough vagueness so as to honor her pledge and duty to withhold classified information and c) putting herself out there for all us regular citizens during what is one of the most controversial times in our recent history.
It takes guts to write something like this and the respect for our country and the CIA/FBI as organizations comes through, despite her very reasonable criticisms of events she experienced in both. I think she walked the line of praise and criticism very well, but my one small critique is that at times this distracted from the story. I think she went almost a little too overboard trying to justify her feelings through certain situations, but in the next breath, I completely understand her wish to be balanced and objective. I believe one of the stigmas women face in a male dominated field is to justify our beliefs or always have an explanation for what we say/wear/look like, etc. Personally, I suffer from this myself! I "turtle" my opinions on things because I don't want to seem dismissive/condescending/professorial because I somehow have it ingrained at the newly minted age of 38 that I shouldn't speak with confidence because it could be misconstrued as me being a "know it all". It's so fun being a girl! (Right??) So here I am critiquing someone for doing the same thing I do, which is maddening to me. So I apologize if that is confusing to follow. (I'm keeping it in the review because I think its important to illustrate how frustrating it is to be a girl.)
I thought the end is extremely poignant as Ms. Walder has a daughter and so do I. You definitely see the world through a different lens with a child and I really appreciate how even though she isn't a part of the CIA/FBI anymore, she created a very meaningful niche for herself at an all girls college in Dallas, TX. It sounds like her class is amazing and inspirational and I wish it were something I could have taken when I was in college!
I really am so glad that I was able to read this book. I only wish I had been younger so that I could have walked up to the CIA table at my college career fair. It would have been nice to know that there was a career path for me with all the nerdy stuff I love to consume.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Sara Beth Haring & the author, Tracy Walder for the gifted copy and an opportunity to provide honest feedback.
Review Date: 03/09/2020
Publication Date: 02/25/2020
I was really excited to read this book because of my huge interest in politics and history and on a fun note, Alias was one of my favorite shows in college (remember Jennifer Garner totally kicking butt as a spy?) and reading the story of a real life, badass woman in the CIA and FBI checked all the boxes I needed to read this with gusto. I am happy to say that this did not disappoint. It just so happens to have come at the perfect time too - I had just finished the audio of the oral history of 9/11 so all the feelings and emotions from that event (which deeply impacted Ms. Walder's life in the CIA) was a seamless transition into this story.
I thought this book was an appropriate length and the pacing was spot on. I greatly admire Ms. Walder's wish to tell her story with the knowledge that a) she is writing about two very notorious organizations b) inevitably there would be a lot of redactions (even though I'm sure she spent an enormous amount of time trying to write with enough vagueness so as to honor her pledge and duty to withhold classified information and c) putting herself out there for all us regular citizens during what is one of the most controversial times in our recent history.
It takes guts to write something like this and the respect for our country and the CIA/FBI as organizations comes through, despite her very reasonable criticisms of events she experienced in both. I think she walked the line of praise and criticism very well, but my one small critique is that at times this distracted from the story. I think she went almost a little too overboard trying to justify her feelings through certain situations, but in the next breath, I completely understand her wish to be balanced and objective. I believe one of the stigmas women face in a male dominated field is to justify our beliefs or always have an explanation for what we say/wear/look like, etc. Personally, I suffer from this myself! I "turtle" my opinions on things because I don't want to seem dismissive/condescending/professorial because I somehow have it ingrained at the newly minted age of 38 that I shouldn't speak with confidence because it could be misconstrued as me being a "know it all". It's so fun being a girl! (Right??) So here I am critiquing someone for doing the same thing I do, which is maddening to me. So I apologize if that is confusing to follow. (I'm keeping it in the review because I think its important to illustrate how frustrating it is to be a girl.)
I thought the end is extremely poignant as Ms. Walder has a daughter and so do I. You definitely see the world through a different lens with a child and I really appreciate how even though she isn't a part of the CIA/FBI anymore, she created a very meaningful niche for herself at an all girls college in Dallas, TX. It sounds like her class is amazing and inspirational and I wish it were something I could have taken when I was in college!
I really am so glad that I was able to read this book. I only wish I had been younger so that I could have walked up to the CIA table at my college career fair. It would have been nice to know that there was a career path for me with all the nerdy stuff I love to consume.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Sara Beth Haring & the author, Tracy Walder for the gifted copy and an opportunity to provide honest feedback.
Review Date: 03/09/2020
Publication Date: 02/25/2020
December 17, 2021
This book is the true story of how a sorority girl worked hard to join the CIA and the FBI and helped foil terrorist activities across the globe. It is a story of inspiration, of silent heroes and their dedication in whatever they choose to do. The spy memoir also lingers around the topic of prevalent misogyny in the said agencies, and conveys how our protagonist gracefully dealt with it all.
Across the length of the prose, several parts have been erased out in order to maintain confidentiality as seen fit by the publishers and/or the government agencies. While I understand the need to do this, I do not understand why haven't they just been removed and the connecting text re-written to maintain a continuous story flow. The breaks are distracting, to say the least.
Thanks to the author and the publisher for the e-ARC.
One-time read.
Across the length of the prose, several parts have been erased out in order to maintain confidentiality as seen fit by the publishers and/or the government agencies. While I understand the need to do this, I do not understand why haven't they just been removed and the connecting text re-written to maintain a continuous story flow. The breaks are distracting, to say the least.
Thanks to the author and the publisher for the e-ARC.
One-time read.
April 27, 2020
This was a really interesting book! I found the differences between the CIA and FBI from a female perspective chilling - I'd like to know if there are other female agents who also feel such a level of misogyny in the FBI. And perhaps (hopefully) a lot has changed in the last 20 years.
Except for the distraction of having entire paragraphs redacted, I found the story engaging. Walder did a great job characterizing her fellow teammates; that gave a level of humanity to the horrors they faced while searching for the terrorists. I thought her ways of coping with the stress of her job to be quite relevant today, as many are facing during this global pandemic.
*Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Except for the distraction of having entire paragraphs redacted, I found the story engaging. Walder did a great job characterizing her fellow teammates; that gave a level of humanity to the horrors they faced while searching for the terrorists. I thought her ways of coping with the stress of her job to be quite relevant today, as many are facing during this global pandemic.
*Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 29, 2019
I stayed up late the first night reading this, until I just couldn’t hold my eyes open any longer. I might have read it right through if I hadn’t been so tired from just inhaling another book before this one. A really good read about a young lady spy for the CIA who goes after bad guy terrorists after 9/11. She later changes jobs to work for the FBI. I found it a good book and hope it might give some young women different goals for the future about making a difference. I found this to be another book I got right through, as I enjoyed it so much and recommend if you like this type of subject. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, authors Tracy Walder & Jessica Anya Blau, and the publisher.
First published on my WordPress blog viewable here:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
First published on my WordPress blog viewable here:
https://wordpress.com/post/bookblog20...
December 17, 2023
Thoughtful, well written perspective of one woman's experience pursing a vocation in a very male dominated field. It's not always easy to distinguish the good from bad actors, that's for sure. You can catch Ms. Walder these days as a contributor on News Nation.
September 1, 2023
Just reread for the 5th time lol idk why this is the perfect travel book for me but I always reread on the plane
March 15, 2020
Fantastic book for everyone who likes thrillers, mystery, suspense, and current events.
Walder--about whom I knew only as a parent of a Hockaday alum--explains her background, her work for the CIA in terrorist takedowns including regrets over the bad guys she didn't get, and the fiasco that was (no real surprise given evidence from more recent events at the Bureau) the relentlessly sexist attitude of the FBI towards her CIA background, e.g. "you didn't really do that."
She finishes with an insightful, true, upbeat chapter about her Hockaday students and about her life after the CIA.
Highly recommended.
Walder--about whom I knew only as a parent of a Hockaday alum--explains her background, her work for the CIA in terrorist takedowns including regrets over the bad guys she didn't get, and the fiasco that was (no real surprise given evidence from more recent events at the Bureau) the relentlessly sexist attitude of the FBI towards her CIA background, e.g. "you didn't really do that."
She finishes with an insightful, true, upbeat chapter about her Hockaday students and about her life after the CIA.
Highly recommended.
December 18, 2021
An interesting woman and an interesting subject matter, but what a drain it was to push through. My mind kept wandering because of the bland and superficial prose. There is a lack of world building, Walder simply presents a laundry list of activities she engaged in. She provides little insight into her experiences and emotions, presenting everything in a surface level manner. Her naivety, black and white thinking and childishly dogmatic opinion that the US is right, the CIA is good, everything America does is for the betterment of society. There is no room in her one-dimensional mindset to account for the experiences of others. This was the most grating aspect of this memoir, her irritating American bravado, that, and her inability to even consider that perhaps others have been hostile towards her, not because they are sexist, but because she is blunt, narrow minded and socially obtuse. The memoir identified activities one might engage in as an operative, but provided zero insight into the emotional palette of the experience, rendering it a flat, dull and forgettable narrative.
June 20, 2020
Tracy Schandler Walder writes about her fascinating careers in her memoir: first as a CIA operative right out of college; then as an FBI special agent working to stop hate crimes in the LA area; and currently as a history teacher in an all-girls school where she tries to empower young women.
The CIA section is a little frustrating to read because portions were redacted by the government as containing too sensitive information. This really disrupts the flow of the story and one wishes Tracy had found a way to write about the details of the situation that would have been more acceptable to the CIA. But Tracy worked with the CIA around the time of 9/11 and much of her work was in trying to find weapons of mass destruction for the Bush administration as well as spotting signs of planned terrorist attacks. When her group misses a major one in Europe, Tracy thinks it's time to move on to the FBI and work to stop domestic terrorism.
A thread throughout this memoir is how women are treated in these positions. Things got pretty nasty in the FBI training school and, on the job afterwards, Tracy felt the she was being underutilized because of her gender. Her dream became to work with young women to help them find ways to empower themselves and use their full potential.
Interesting stuff. It's almost hard to believe that the young introspective sorority girl that Tracy describes became this remarkably strong woman but her story is very inspiring so more power to her!
I received an arc of this new memoir from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks for an interesting read.
The CIA section is a little frustrating to read because portions were redacted by the government as containing too sensitive information. This really disrupts the flow of the story and one wishes Tracy had found a way to write about the details of the situation that would have been more acceptable to the CIA. But Tracy worked with the CIA around the time of 9/11 and much of her work was in trying to find weapons of mass destruction for the Bush administration as well as spotting signs of planned terrorist attacks. When her group misses a major one in Europe, Tracy thinks it's time to move on to the FBI and work to stop domestic terrorism.
A thread throughout this memoir is how women are treated in these positions. Things got pretty nasty in the FBI training school and, on the job afterwards, Tracy felt the she was being underutilized because of her gender. Her dream became to work with young women to help them find ways to empower themselves and use their full potential.
Interesting stuff. It's almost hard to believe that the young introspective sorority girl that Tracy describes became this remarkably strong woman but her story is very inspiring so more power to her!
I received an arc of this new memoir from publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks for an interesting read.
April 23, 2020
Nope. Not good at all. Half of the book is redacted and the rest of it is self glorifying list of author’s achievements.
May 26, 2020
The Unexpected Spy, by Tracy Walder, has to be one of the most fascinating memoirs I have ever read!
This is her account of as a young woman going straight from her college sorority to hunting terrorists for the CIA. Under an alias identity she flew to the Middle East, post 9/11, and helped to foil terrorist activities. She then became a Special Agent for the FBI where she had to deal with the relentless sexist attitude towards her CIA background. She is currently a history teacher at an all-girls school where she tries to empower young women to aim for bigger careers and responsibilities that some believe only men can have.
Tracy Walder is a true inspiration!
Her story is absolutely fascinating and highly recommended!
This is her account of as a young woman going straight from her college sorority to hunting terrorists for the CIA. Under an alias identity she flew to the Middle East, post 9/11, and helped to foil terrorist activities. She then became a Special Agent for the FBI where she had to deal with the relentless sexist attitude towards her CIA background. She is currently a history teacher at an all-girls school where she tries to empower young women to aim for bigger careers and responsibilities that some believe only men can have.
Tracy Walder is a true inspiration!
Her story is absolutely fascinating and highly recommended!
February 23, 2020
Welcome to the world of the CIA and the FBI, described by a former agent who views the world through serious glasses while sharing occasional humorous views as part of what is primarily an intense landscape.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. It isn’t a book of chapters, each taking a talking point and ripping her former agencies. It is a chronological story of author Tracy Walder’s life, beginning with a brief description of her younger years before joining the CIA shortly before 9/11. As she informs us in the Author’s Note, Ms. Walder shares as much as she can without endangering others connected with her work as well as protecting the secrets she will not talk about due to her “…loyalty…to the CIA, the people of the United States, and the safety of the people of the United States.” Rather than make us guess, she chose to leave the redacted sections in place (appearing as ~~~~~), which I appreciated.
I mentioned humor before, though I am not sure if Ms. Walder always intends to be funny. The result is an intimate look into her thought processes while lightening the mood of the book. Consider the eating habits she adopted during her time in the CIA: “I usually ordered whole wheat roast and egg whites, a fruit bowl, and sometimes a half grapefruit…because I feared that my odd hours would lead to odd illnesses like scurvy.” At other times, the humor becomes incredibly dark and a scary form of truth: “Terrorists were out-serial-killing even the most notorious serial killers by far.”
In various passages the author examines her thought processes, explaining how personal experiences changed her view of the world yet always set her forward toward new goals. Some dealt with the challenges of being a woman in her past positions, while others considered that perceptions of people from different countries might not match the beliefs of those living in America.
I appreciate the work that she and others performed. In the shielded world where most of us dwell, we only hear about the awful and misguided acts that operatives are accused of performing. Reading a personal account from an agent’s point of view is enlightening. Based upon one’s background, I suppose it could be debated that Ms. Walder’s accounts should be taken with a grain of salt. I can only offer a shrug to that and recommend for everyone to read the book and decide for yourselves. Five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. It isn’t a book of chapters, each taking a talking point and ripping her former agencies. It is a chronological story of author Tracy Walder’s life, beginning with a brief description of her younger years before joining the CIA shortly before 9/11. As she informs us in the Author’s Note, Ms. Walder shares as much as she can without endangering others connected with her work as well as protecting the secrets she will not talk about due to her “…loyalty…to the CIA, the people of the United States, and the safety of the people of the United States.” Rather than make us guess, she chose to leave the redacted sections in place (appearing as ~~~~~), which I appreciated.
I mentioned humor before, though I am not sure if Ms. Walder always intends to be funny. The result is an intimate look into her thought processes while lightening the mood of the book. Consider the eating habits she adopted during her time in the CIA: “I usually ordered whole wheat roast and egg whites, a fruit bowl, and sometimes a half grapefruit…because I feared that my odd hours would lead to odd illnesses like scurvy.” At other times, the humor becomes incredibly dark and a scary form of truth: “Terrorists were out-serial-killing even the most notorious serial killers by far.”
In various passages the author examines her thought processes, explaining how personal experiences changed her view of the world yet always set her forward toward new goals. Some dealt with the challenges of being a woman in her past positions, while others considered that perceptions of people from different countries might not match the beliefs of those living in America.
I appreciate the work that she and others performed. In the shielded world where most of us dwell, we only hear about the awful and misguided acts that operatives are accused of performing. Reading a personal account from an agent’s point of view is enlightening. Based upon one’s background, I suppose it could be debated that Ms. Walder’s accounts should be taken with a grain of salt. I can only offer a shrug to that and recommend for everyone to read the book and decide for yourselves. Five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.
March 4, 2020
2.5 I recently read Amaryllis Fox’s CIA Book so it was interesting to read this one soon after. As is par for the course, she had to run her book by the CIA and they redacted parts which blacked out redactions were actually included in the book— at times interesting, but at times annoying as I felt the thread was lost, particularly when entire paragraphs were excised. What’s the point? I also found certain parts vague. Again, I understand the need for secrecy, but then write about some other incident.
Book focuses on the aftermath of 9/11 When she hunted down terrorists and tried to stop WMD plots. She then went on to join the FBI to help catch foreign spies on American soil bwhen she hunted down terrorists and tried to stop WMD plots. She then went on to join the FBI to help catch foreign spies on American soil but interestingly found the organization more sexist. She eventually left to teach at a girls school in Texas. She notes that the girls in the room, “wearing their plaid skirt and white blazers, represent the target of every single hate group in the United States: African-Americans, Jews, Muslims, immigrants, women and LGBT”. Interesting she didn’t think Asians were worth mentioning or not a target?
Also, while she is undeniably entitled to her opinions, I could have done without the snarky commentary about the Bush administration.
I did like the way she stuck up for the Navy SEALs—they never acted in a way that was sexist, sexually suggestive or dismissive. She surmises, “maybe in living together and witnessing first hand what I and the other ... women ... were doing, they knew better than anyone that though we had different tasks and skills, we were undeniably equals. And when your life depends on the intelligence and efficiency of the people around you, respect takes on a whole new meaning.”
Also pet peeves, the constant references to her sorority (I get it!!) and how she was so awkward growing up (yet she is a homecoming princess really?). Lastly, she mentions several times she is blonde and that is unusual for the Middle East. Why wouldn’t she dye her hair dark so as to blend in more???
Book focuses on the aftermath of 9/11 When she hunted down terrorists and tried to stop WMD plots. She then went on to join the FBI to help catch foreign spies on American soil bwhen she hunted down terrorists and tried to stop WMD plots. She then went on to join the FBI to help catch foreign spies on American soil but interestingly found the organization more sexist. She eventually left to teach at a girls school in Texas. She notes that the girls in the room, “wearing their plaid skirt and white blazers, represent the target of every single hate group in the United States: African-Americans, Jews, Muslims, immigrants, women and LGBT”. Interesting she didn’t think Asians were worth mentioning or not a target?
Also, while she is undeniably entitled to her opinions, I could have done without the snarky commentary about the Bush administration.
I did like the way she stuck up for the Navy SEALs—they never acted in a way that was sexist, sexually suggestive or dismissive. She surmises, “maybe in living together and witnessing first hand what I and the other ... women ... were doing, they knew better than anyone that though we had different tasks and skills, we were undeniably equals. And when your life depends on the intelligence and efficiency of the people around you, respect takes on a whole new meaning.”
Also pet peeves, the constant references to her sorority (I get it!!) and how she was so awkward growing up (yet she is a homecoming princess really?). Lastly, she mentions several times she is blonde and that is unusual for the Middle East. Why wouldn’t she dye her hair dark so as to blend in more???
January 6, 2020
This was a fascinating, sometimes frightening book but it was consistantly eye-opening. I do not understand how cruelty and narrow-mindedness can exist in our day, but I am glad that there are people working to shut it down.
The author has had an interesting life and it was good to see a driven woman in a position to do all she could to keep the world a little safer. The many redacted sections were a little distracting, but I understood the necessity for them.
This line "...trying to hold the terrorists in Afghanistan was like trying to hold water in a colander. Yeah, there are places where the water can't get out, but there are so many holes that it's going to get out anyway." really made me stop and think. Terrorists outnumbered the good guys in that instance, but terror is everywhere we look these days. I think Tracy and her colleages were fighting a losing battle, but I appreciate their dedication.
Overall, a gripping, highly readable and engaging book. I hope it does well when it comes out.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.
The author has had an interesting life and it was good to see a driven woman in a position to do all she could to keep the world a little safer. The many redacted sections were a little distracting, but I understood the necessity for them.
This line "...trying to hold the terrorists in Afghanistan was like trying to hold water in a colander. Yeah, there are places where the water can't get out, but there are so many holes that it's going to get out anyway." really made me stop and think. Terrorists outnumbered the good guys in that instance, but terror is everywhere we look these days. I think Tracy and her colleages were fighting a losing battle, but I appreciate their dedication.
Overall, a gripping, highly readable and engaging book. I hope it does well when it comes out.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.
Read
February 25, 2020This highly readable. absorbing memoir has already received a huge number of reviews, so I don't feel I need to summarize Tracy Walder's background, or the general layout of the book.
It's a very intense look at her experiences overseas while a CIA Agent as part of the Poison Squad (her name--I have no idea if that is a real thing). There were some very grim descriptions (severed heads, anyone?) but what I found most disturbing was the hate-filled misogyny aimed at her, especially during her FBI training. From her perspective, she was already judged for being a woman, a Jew, and blonde. At the FBI she was ostracized for being part of the CIA.
Her motivation for writing this book seems to be aimed at women, young women especially, whose brains and talent and skills are so very needed to fix this world full of toxic masculinity. Which sums up Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Otherwise she largely stays away from politics, outside of a few remarks here and there. Her focus was on her experiences as an agent of the CIA and then of the FBI, and the people she encountered within the service, and as targets.
It can be unnerving at time, and also moving, such as the incident after she fell down a stone stairway and lay in a military hospital bed at an undisclosed Middle Eastern hotspot. While she was there, a bombing happened elsewhere and a bunch of local women were badly wounded, suffering burns over most of their bodies.
As she lay in the hospital bed, she turned her head to meet the eyes of the woman next to her, whose face was badly burned. Walder describes how she stayed there, blending their gazes, their breathing even synchronized, a conscious effort after a nurse told her quietly that none of the women had made it--and they didn't have hope for this one either. But Walder wanted to give this woman as much human contact as she could until the end, and did.
The only negative observation I have to make is the long bits of redacted text marked with tons of ~~~~~. A substitute word such as thingy or McGuffin could have served just as well for the short bits, and as for the long paragraphs of ~~~~, they were unnecessary. It was sufficient to state at the outset that portions of her memoir were redacted for security reasons; this was not a report, or even a white paper, with footnotes noting every resource. The memoir was full of opinion, emotional reactions, and changed names, so the ~~~ seemed pointlessly intrusive.
But other than that I found it an absorbing read, and I hope that women like her are paving the way for a new generation of women.
Copy provided by NetGalley
It's a very intense look at her experiences overseas while a CIA Agent as part of the Poison Squad (her name--I have no idea if that is a real thing). There were some very grim descriptions (severed heads, anyone?) but what I found most disturbing was the hate-filled misogyny aimed at her, especially during her FBI training. From her perspective, she was already judged for being a woman, a Jew, and blonde. At the FBI she was ostracized for being part of the CIA.
Her motivation for writing this book seems to be aimed at women, young women especially, whose brains and talent and skills are so very needed to fix this world full of toxic masculinity. Which sums up Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Otherwise she largely stays away from politics, outside of a few remarks here and there. Her focus was on her experiences as an agent of the CIA and then of the FBI, and the people she encountered within the service, and as targets.
It can be unnerving at time, and also moving, such as the incident after she fell down a stone stairway and lay in a military hospital bed at an undisclosed Middle Eastern hotspot. While she was there, a bombing happened elsewhere and a bunch of local women were badly wounded, suffering burns over most of their bodies.
As she lay in the hospital bed, she turned her head to meet the eyes of the woman next to her, whose face was badly burned. Walder describes how she stayed there, blending their gazes, their breathing even synchronized, a conscious effort after a nurse told her quietly that none of the women had made it--and they didn't have hope for this one either. But Walder wanted to give this woman as much human contact as she could until the end, and did.
The only negative observation I have to make is the long bits of redacted text marked with tons of ~~~~~. A substitute word such as thingy or McGuffin could have served just as well for the short bits, and as for the long paragraphs of ~~~~, they were unnecessary. It was sufficient to state at the outset that portions of her memoir were redacted for security reasons; this was not a report, or even a white paper, with footnotes noting every resource. The memoir was full of opinion, emotional reactions, and changed names, so the ~~~ seemed pointlessly intrusive.
But other than that I found it an absorbing read, and I hope that women like her are paving the way for a new generation of women.
Copy provided by NetGalley
August 29, 2020
WOW... I never realized how much you had to give up.
First off, reading/listening to The Unexpected Spy did really get me thinking that I need some cooler “badassery” skills.
True story: Tracy Walder goes from being a USC sorority girl to a CIA agent in a semester. And then she’s thrown into some of the most notorious and prolific cases that the CIA has been a part of since September 11th.
This isn’t a full tell-all of every CIA secret because - paragraph redacted - you really think the CIA would allow that?? What it is, is a tell-all of life as a CIA operative. The responsibilities, the missions, the pressure, the unspeakable things you are faced to witness. Yeah, there’s some heavy shit in this book.
I recommend it if you’re into this kind of thing. It gets 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me. I am so glad Tracy told her perspective.
First off, reading/listening to The Unexpected Spy did really get me thinking that I need some cooler “badassery” skills.
True story: Tracy Walder goes from being a USC sorority girl to a CIA agent in a semester. And then she’s thrown into some of the most notorious and prolific cases that the CIA has been a part of since September 11th.
This isn’t a full tell-all of every CIA secret because - paragraph redacted - you really think the CIA would allow that?? What it is, is a tell-all of life as a CIA operative. The responsibilities, the missions, the pressure, the unspeakable things you are faced to witness. Yeah, there’s some heavy shit in this book.
I recommend it if you’re into this kind of thing. It gets 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me. I am so glad Tracy told her perspective.
July 5, 2020
As Delta Gamma from the University of Southern California (1958!) I felt compelled to read this book, as it was touted in the DG publication the Anchora. I thought the writing was very immature.
I am not a fan of spy stories and this was no exception. Way too me, me, me. You’d think she wiped out al Qaeda and killed Osama bin Laden all with the swish of her streaked blonde hair.
The Delta Gamma motto is “Do Good” and I’m sure she did, but I just couldn’t read one more boring chapter. DNF
I am not a fan of spy stories and this was no exception. Way too me, me, me. You’d think she wiped out al Qaeda and killed Osama bin Laden all with the swish of her streaked blonde hair.
The Delta Gamma motto is “Do Good” and I’m sure she did, but I just couldn’t read one more boring chapter. DNF
April 10, 2020
Why in the world wouldn’t they just change the names and references instead of putting “redacted, CIA REVIEW”. It’s distracting and makes for a terrible reading experience!
April 19, 2020
Had to stop after second chapter. She's really into herself. Book had possibilities but her mascara and highlight and sorority got in the way.
August 1, 2020
Almost DNFed this early on but I'm glad I didn't. It gets off to a rough start--even with the author's note that explains why many passages are redacted at the CIA's behest--it still makes swaths of the book dissatisfying to read (not her fault!). You'll get to a juicy bit and--redacted! That plus in her first few chapters, Walder's descriptions of herself are A Bit Much. She takes delight in really paying up the sorority girl angle and I wasn't sure I could read a whole book by that person... but I forged on and she's not that person at all! Wish she hadn't OPENED with "got blind drunk on my birthday and crawled into my trunk and drunk-dialed my dad!" (I assume it was an editorial decision to open with a ton of color, re: the young, blond Californian angle, which I get--I just connected much more deeply to the other aspects of Tracy as a person, which I'm glad came out as I read on.) Once I pushed past the very beginning, Tracy became a more relatable person whose story I enjoyed. I was truly rooting for her, especially in the FBI sections.
This is a good book if you're curious about the process of being recruited to/trained at the CIA, as well as the FBI. It gives an interesting glimpse of counter-terrorism in the years following September 11, though as mentioned a lot is redacted. Still I had fun trying to guess the locations (Walder obscures details/changes things around per the author's note)/match her stories to history. It definitely gave me an appreciation of the CIA (and the opposite effect, re: FBI), and the context for the War in Iraq is definitely stomach-turning. Walder was right there--and she's frank, re: the intelligence she and her team uncovered and the facts.
I enjoyed the characters of Walder's world--many were vivid, and stirred up big emotions. I don't know how she kept her cool in some of the situations she encountered, especially with the sexism/misogyny she faced. The entire FBI/Quantico training section made my blood boil. It has a lovely, inspirational finish (since I too work with teen girls, it gave me the feels). Definitely a nice slice of life--if you're fascinated by what it's really like to work in the CIA/FBI, in counter-terrorism, and particularly as a young woman, I recommend this. A quick, diverting read.
This is a good book if you're curious about the process of being recruited to/trained at the CIA, as well as the FBI. It gives an interesting glimpse of counter-terrorism in the years following September 11, though as mentioned a lot is redacted. Still I had fun trying to guess the locations (Walder obscures details/changes things around per the author's note)/match her stories to history. It definitely gave me an appreciation of the CIA (and the opposite effect, re: FBI), and the context for the War in Iraq is definitely stomach-turning. Walder was right there--and she's frank, re: the intelligence she and her team uncovered and the facts.
I enjoyed the characters of Walder's world--many were vivid, and stirred up big emotions. I don't know how she kept her cool in some of the situations she encountered, especially with the sexism/misogyny she faced. The entire FBI/Quantico training section made my blood boil. It has a lovely, inspirational finish (since I too work with teen girls, it gave me the feels). Definitely a nice slice of life--if you're fascinated by what it's really like to work in the CIA/FBI, in counter-terrorism, and particularly as a young woman, I recommend this. A quick, diverting read.
February 8, 2020
THE UNEXPECTED SPY
This was a nice memoir written by Tracy Walder about her early life and then her time later serving in the CIA and the FBI.
As a youngster, Tracy Walder had some challenging issues to overcome. She was diagnosed as having droopy baby syndrome and as a teenager she was bullied. Although not very socially involved, she was quite studious, participated on the dance team, and was interested in current events. Upon entering college at University of Southern California she began to find her way into adulthood initially through becoming a member of Delta Gamma sorority. Although she visualized her goal to become a teacher, on a whim she applied for a position with the CIA.
Much to Tracy’s surprise, she was accepted into the CIA and began her training in Langley, Virginia. Her descriptions of the time spent in training and her subsequent positions within the CIA, involving analysis and travel throughout the world trying to identify patterns of extremist terrorist behavior, was fascinating. Unfortunately the exact locations of the places she went were redacted in this memoir due to security concerns. It would have been fascinating to learn more specific details on the countries she visited. Upon deciding she would like to stay closer to home and start a family of her own, she applied and was accepted with the FBI. Her insights on the training at Quantico were vivid and I admire her for tolerating many intense personal and employment situations.
I would have liked to learn more about political issues and specifics of the missions she performed in addition to the daily operational and personal challenges she described so well. The challenges of being a young white woman in some extremely rough situations was thoroughly examined, but additional information on the work she was doing would have provided greater depth and interest.
Overall this was an enjoyable memoir, and I would like to thank Net Galley, Tracy Walder, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This was a nice memoir written by Tracy Walder about her early life and then her time later serving in the CIA and the FBI.
As a youngster, Tracy Walder had some challenging issues to overcome. She was diagnosed as having droopy baby syndrome and as a teenager she was bullied. Although not very socially involved, she was quite studious, participated on the dance team, and was interested in current events. Upon entering college at University of Southern California she began to find her way into adulthood initially through becoming a member of Delta Gamma sorority. Although she visualized her goal to become a teacher, on a whim she applied for a position with the CIA.
Much to Tracy’s surprise, she was accepted into the CIA and began her training in Langley, Virginia. Her descriptions of the time spent in training and her subsequent positions within the CIA, involving analysis and travel throughout the world trying to identify patterns of extremist terrorist behavior, was fascinating. Unfortunately the exact locations of the places she went were redacted in this memoir due to security concerns. It would have been fascinating to learn more specific details on the countries she visited. Upon deciding she would like to stay closer to home and start a family of her own, she applied and was accepted with the FBI. Her insights on the training at Quantico were vivid and I admire her for tolerating many intense personal and employment situations.
I would have liked to learn more about political issues and specifics of the missions she performed in addition to the daily operational and personal challenges she described so well. The challenges of being a young white woman in some extremely rough situations was thoroughly examined, but additional information on the work she was doing would have provided greater depth and interest.
Overall this was an enjoyable memoir, and I would like to thank Net Galley, Tracy Walder, and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.
February 23, 2020
Candid, eye-opening, and inspiring!
The Unexpected Spy is the informative, intriguing story of Tracy Walder’s personal and professional experiences, successes, struggles, and accomplishments as a CIA SOO, FBI Special Agent, and beloved history teacher at an all girl’s school.
The writing is clear and precise. The characters are intelligent, focused, and driven. And the novel is a compelling, fascinating, introspective tale of one woman’s life as a covert operative in the wake of 9/11.
The Unexpected Spy is, ultimately, part memoir, part spy novel that is full of valuable, insightful information into counterterrorism and the roles and efforts of counterintelligence agencies worldwide.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Unexpected Spy is the informative, intriguing story of Tracy Walder’s personal and professional experiences, successes, struggles, and accomplishments as a CIA SOO, FBI Special Agent, and beloved history teacher at an all girl’s school.
The writing is clear and precise. The characters are intelligent, focused, and driven. And the novel is a compelling, fascinating, introspective tale of one woman’s life as a covert operative in the wake of 9/11.
The Unexpected Spy is, ultimately, part memoir, part spy novel that is full of valuable, insightful information into counterterrorism and the roles and efforts of counterintelligence agencies worldwide.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 15, 2021
An easy read but did not really care for the memoir. Though I suppose technically the author could call herself a spy, by her descriptions it seemed like she was more of an intelligence analyst/officer. The book itself seemed pretty superficial. She never really describes how, at 23 y/o, she is already making trips abroad where she is always the youngest in the room, etc. I would have liked to know how she so quickly got that type of position - what was her background, what type of training did she get, etc. I wish she had given some background. Too much was missing to make this an interesting read. After only a couple of years with the CIA, she suddenly decides it’s not for her and decides to join the FBI. While training at the FBI Academy, she determines no one likes her and she can’t figure out why. Then, she is upset when she is given the “low man on the totem pole” responsibilities at her first assigned job in L.A., and only lasts a year before quitting the FBI. Only hearing her side of the story, you would think the reader would be on her side. Instead, the tone of her writing had me questioning if maybe she gave off an air of superiority. I’m sure she did experience misogyny and sexism, but it seems odd all of the women in her training class did not care for her either. And the constant references to being a blonde sorority girl got old. Glad this was a short book and didn’t waste too much time on it.
October 20, 2022
Here are my repeated thoughts when someone too young attempts to write a memoir. If you are still bitter about an experience in a way that you cannot set it aside to write neutrally, you are too young and too bitter to write this memoir. Hold on for a bit.
April 2, 2021
This book was a massive miss with me. The stories didn’t seem to serve any purpose and most of them didn’t seem to have a full conclusion. The authors ego was unbearably inflated. She also had a massive victim complex. She came off completely unlikeable and it had me wondering if she didn’t get along with others (especially in the fbi) because she really just wasn’t likable.
Anyway, I had high hopes going into this book but was left ultimately feeling disappointed and like I had wasted my time.
Anyway, I had high hopes going into this book but was left ultimately feeling disappointed and like I had wasted my time.
February 27, 2020
AMAZING memoir. Walder’s story is an inspiration for girls and women. A must read for people who care about the U.S., the world, and waging peace.
May 16, 2020
Couldn't get in to this on audio book because too much is redacted. This makes sense that there is a lot of classified material, but it is far too disruptive to the flow for my liking.
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