Imagine a woman slipping through enemy lines, parachuting into occupied Poland while the Gestapo hunts her family—that's Elżbieta Zawacka, known as Zo. Shortlisted for the 2025 Women's Prize for Non-Fiction, Clare Mulley's biography pulls back the curtain on this forgotten WWII legend, piecing together her story from newly uncovered archives and firsthand accounts from those who fought beside her.
In a war where women's roles were often sidelined, Zo stood out as the sole female in Poland's elite 'Silent Unseen' special forces, trained by Britain's SOE. She trekked from Warsaw to London as the Home Army's emissary—the only woman to do so—then dropped back into hellish territory. Facing betrayal, imprisonment threats, and Soviet erasure post-war, her decorations piled up, yet her name faded for decades.
It's not just dates and battles; feel the tension of evading capture, the bond with fellow resistors, the sting of post-war betrayal. Mulley writes with pace and heart, making you root for Zo like she's family. History lovers get fresh insights into female agency in WWII, challenging what we think we know about the era.
Grab the Kindle edition for late-night reads on commutes or cozy evenings. Share it with friends into spy thrillers or women's history—spark conversations over coffee about unsung heroes. Whether researching WWII resistance or seeking inspiring reads, Agent Zo delivers adrenaline and reflection in equal measure, proving one woman's defiance reshaped a nation's fight.
Through vivid details—the rural British training grounds, Warsaw's rubble-strewn streets—you're right there, parachute harness biting into your shoulders. This isn't dry academia; it's a page-turner restoring a hero to her place in history.
