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A review by amandabethrose
The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy
slow-paced
3.75
This was a really interesting topic, but I struggled to make my way through the book. It is LONG and the writing at times can be detail heavy and dry. I appreciated the fact that Liza Mundy was able to interview and share accounts of so many of the women in the CIA, however at times I lost track of who someone was and what their history with the organization was. Some kind of chart or glossary with names, roles, and dates of service would have been helpful for this.
It was interesting to read accounts of what women in the CIA did, particularly during the post 9/11 years, You could tell the author was trying to not gloss over the horrific things that the CIA - and yes, some women - were involved in. But at the same time, it is a book about women's accomplishments in a field, not their flaws. There was much to consider while reading this. Were women less culpable in the actions the CIA has taken throughout its existence by virtue of them largely being kept out of positions of power? Would the CIA have a different history if women had been more involved in higher positions from the get go? Normally I am all "Go girl, get it!" when I read stories of women breaking through the glass ceilings and fighting to be respected by the men in their fields but when it comes to the CIA.... there are some mixed feelings.
The book did not tackle any of these questions or issues and was a fairly straightforward history of women's involvement from the start of the CIA to mostly current times. For what it was, I did enjoy it and I respect the women who had to fight so hard to make their contributions to their country.
It was interesting to read accounts of what women in the CIA did, particularly during the post 9/11 years, You could tell the author was trying to not gloss over the horrific things that the CIA - and yes, some women - were involved in. But at the same time, it is a book about women's accomplishments in a field, not their flaws. There was much to consider while reading this. Were women less culpable in the actions the CIA has taken throughout its existence by virtue of them largely being kept out of positions of power? Would the CIA have a different history if women had been more involved in higher positions from the get go? Normally I am all "Go girl, get it!" when I read stories of women breaking through the glass ceilings and fighting to be respected by the men in their fields but when it comes to the CIA.... there are some mixed feelings.
The book did not tackle any of these questions or issues and was a fairly straightforward history of women's involvement from the start of the CIA to mostly current times. For what it was, I did enjoy it and I respect the women who had to fight so hard to make their contributions to their country.