Author:  Lucinda Franks

ISBN: 1-4013-5226-X

 

 

My Father's Secret War is not only a glimpse into the clandestine world of an American spy, but at the same time the author shares with us how she and her family were affected by her father's remoteness of spirit and his long absences. This book is an emotionally charged true story, a combination of intrigue, love and heartbreak.

 

The author, Lucinda Franks, has written for many publications, including The New York Times, The New Yorker and The Atlantic.  She was the first woman to be awarded the  Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. Being the probing journalist that she is, Lucinda utilized her investigative skills to unravel her father's past. Later in life Lucinda stumbled across some of her father's old war memorabilia, which included a Nazi hat. This is when her search began.

 

Lucinda's feelings for her father cycled through contempt, love, pride and reconciliation. Her investigation was partly meshed with curiosity for the historical facts, but mostly this search into her father's past, led her to more deeply understand who her father really was and all that he had to deal with during World War ll.

 

Bit by bit the puzzle pieces she discovered fit into place and she began to realize that her father had played a very special role in the war. All evidence pointed to the fact that he had been a secret agent....a very highly regarded government spy. As she began uncovering this information, her father began his steady descent into his private world of creeping dementia. At times Lucinda was merciless as she intensely probed her father's memory for information, which he had sworn an oath not to reveal. On page 165 she writes, "Can you tell me what kind of expertise you had when you were in the military?"  I inquire, knowing as a journalist that asking the same question over and over, in different ways, will draw out more and more information."

 

 It was very difficult for Tom Franks to relive the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps and to deal with  the memories of some of the unimaginable orders he had to obey. But in the long run this "coming to terms" seemed to be theraputic for both Lucinda and her father. When Lucinda found out that her father had loved another woman during most of her childhood, this news explained the strained relationship between her father and mother. She eventually befriends her father's mistress, who reveals to her just how much Tom Franks loved his daughter.

 

When Tom Franks was dying from lung cancer, Lucinda was by his side and shares with us her most touching observations. Be prepared to have some tissues on hand. If you like intrigue and heart tugging emotion, you will enjoy this book.

The above review was contributed by: Marjorie Tietjen. Marjorie is a freelance journalist with a B.S. in nutrition. She writes on various topics but has a special interest in public health, education and awareness. Her writings can be found online and in several print publications.