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Dragonfly

Leila Meacham

4.30 · Rating details · 4,441 ratings · 769 reviews

At the height of WWII, five idealistic young Americans receive a mysterious letter from the OSS, asking them if they are willing to fight for their country. The men and women from very different backgrounds--a Texan athlete with German roots, an upper-crust son of a French mother and a wealthy businessman, a dirt-poor Midwestern fly fisherman, an orphaned fashion designer, ...more

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Hardcover, Large Print, 688 pages

Published July 9th 2019 by Grand Central Publishing

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Jul 28, 2019 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it really liked it

I’ve read a few books by Leila Meacham. They are always sweeping with superb storytelling, and Dragonlfy is definitely my new favorite. Five men and women are contacted by the OSS during WWII to serve for their country. The five couldn’t be more different from each other. Their group has the code name Dragonfly. They are trained and then dropped behind enemy lines to carry out their missions. It’s a suspenseful, well-drawn, compelling story from start to finish. Will all five make it, and will t ...more

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Sep 04, 2019 Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing

Library overdrive Audiobook....read by: Christine Lakin, Jefferson Mays,
Karissa Vacker, Maxwell Hamilton, Will Collyer, Zack Villa, Nicholas Guy Smith, Neil Dickson, Matthew Waterson, Moira Quirk, and Jim Mesklmen......
alternating with the ebook.

All I knew before I started “Dragonfly”:
was something I read on Facebook:
“IT’S A MUCH BETTER BOOK THAN *The Nightingale*...
Given that almost no one says anything even slightly negative about Kristin Hannah’s WWII novel ..... MY EARS PERKED UP!
I wasn’t ...more

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May 14, 2019 Cindy Burnett rated it it was amazing

Leila Meacham’s incredible World War 2 saga chronicles a fictional team of young Americans recruited as OSS agents to infiltrate German-occupied Paris. The team is code-named Dragonfly, and upon arrival in Paris, the group disperses and sets about to fulfill their individual missions while also pursing their own individual agendas. The genius of Dragonfly is Meacham’s ability to vividly portray German-occupied Paris and the treachery that constantly existed for those working to remove Hitler and ...more

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Aug 11, 2019 Ingrid rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What a great book! I have goose bumps and a lump in my throat. Written lifelike, but without emphasis on all the atrocities that the Germans have carried out, so that the book remained legible. Exciting and interesting the whole way through.

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Jul 07, 2019 Zoe rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Poignant, absorbing, and incredibly affecting!

Dragonfly is an immersive, suspenseful tale set in Nazi-Occupied Paris during WWII that follows five young American spies as they use their own unique skillsets to infiltrate, befriend, and acquire special intelligence from the enemy to aid Resistance and Allied Forces.

The prose is eloquent and polished. The characters are driven, courageous, and resilient. And the plot, including all the subplots, intertwine and unravel into a sweeping saga of life, ...more

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Oct 07, 2019 Julia rated it liked it

Two and a half stars. I loved Leila Meacham's historical fiction books set in Texas but I just couldn't get into her latest, DRAGONFLY (I seem to be in the minority, though). Meacham's latest is set in WWII Nazi-occupied Paris and centers on an OSS spy team codenamed Dragonfly. Made of five members, Dragonfly provides valuable intel for the Allies.

My first issue with this book was the sheer number of characters, names, and constantly bouncing around, not just in chapters but even within a same c ...more

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Jun 29, 2020 Cortney LaScola - The Bookworm Myrtle Beach rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I loved this book. Historical fiction is not the type of book I am usually drawn to, but I really enjoyed Roses, so I thought I'd give Dragonfly a try. I'm so glad I did.

Great characters, great story, loved the ending. I was worried that all the different POV's would get confusing, but the author did a really good job reminding you of who each character was within the first sentence or two of each chapter.

Really, really enjoyed this book!

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Sep 19, 2019 Anna rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction

The German's have overtaken Paris, transforming it into a Nazi stronghold. Here in the US, five young Americans have been carefully vetted and selected for a secret mission in France. If they choose to go, they will be risking their lives to provide important to intelligence to the war effort. For each of them they have their own reasons for accepting the assignment.
So begins a harrowing and dangerous journey for each of the young patriots as they gather critical information from their targets, ...more

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Aug 18, 2019 Robin Loves Reading rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewathon, netgalley, 2019-challenge, robin-loves-reading-2019-challenge, 2019-july-september, kindle, print, forever, historical-fiction

World War II is in full throttle and five young Americans are chosen to work with the OSS. They will be fighting for their country and serving in France. Not only do they not know one another at the outset, their families cannot not know that they will soon become spies. They are code-named Dragonfly, and are each given false identities.

They take on their assignments, albeit separately. However, they have an agreed upon rendezvous location when information must be shared. They are always aware o ...more

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Mar 29, 2020 Kerrin Parris rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020-12-4-challenge

Dragonfly by Leila Meacham is a World War II espionage story about five young Americans who are sent on missions in occupied Paris for the Office of Strategic Services. They are recruited by Alistair Renault, an OSS case officer, chief of station for French Affairs. The three men and two women are all fluent speakers of French and/or German and each has special skills necessary for a specific assignment.

The recruits train together even though they will be on their own in Paris. They become insta ...more

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Aug 08, 2019 Taylor rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: cause-its-a-thriller, where-are-my-tissues, one-read-lasts-a-lifetime, brave-bitches, from-publisher, blog-tour, read-in-2019

Thank you so much to Grand Central Publishing, LSBBT, and the author for providing me with a final copy in exchange for an honest review.

From the moment I saw that stunning cover art, I knew I was a goner. I felt the lure of the Parisian setting, the ominous skyline, and that woman I somehow knew had an enthralling yet clandestine story to share. And before I was even aware, I had fallen directly into DRAGONFLY's trap; unable to escape its grasp until I turned the final page.

"They're almost im ...more

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Aug 05, 2019 Sarah rated it liked it · review of another edition

I went back and forth between 3 and 4 stars on this one. It bothered me slightly that the story was so far fetched and was pretty historically inaccurate. However Meacham tells a good story.

The novel follows 5 young adults (3 men and 2 women) who join the Office of Strategic Service (OSS). They train to become spies and then are planted in Paris during WWII. Each makes the decision to join based on various personal reasons. One young woman, Victoria joins in hopes of locating her fallen RAF pilo ...more

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Jan 25, 2020 Toni rated it did not like it

This book was so poorly done that I struggled to write a review to encapsulate HOW MUCH was wrong with it. I’ll just pick a few - of the many - big takeaways of why this book is exceptionally awful and completely senseless. First, it’s story about WWII. Or rather WWII-lite. A WWII where there’s no hunger, no death, no Jews, no destruction. A WWII where all the Nazi SS Top Brass are super nice guys trying to secretly help the Allies. A story about 5 young fabulous looking (of course!) spies who a This book was so poorly done that I struggled to write a review to encapsulate HOW MUCH was wrong with it. I’ll just pick a few - of the many - big takeaways of why this book is exceptionally awful and completely senseless. First, it’s story about WWII. Or rather WWII-lite. A WWII where there’s no hunger, no death, no Jews, no destruction. A WWII where all the Nazi SS Top Brass are super nice guys trying to secretly help the Allies. A story about 5 young fabulous looking (of course!) spies who are the worst spies ever (they ‘happen’ to run into each other on a busy street that just happens to be totally deserted except for ALL 5 of ‘buddy spies’. So what do you do as Americans posing as French men and women in Nazi occupied France when you run into people in your spy cell? That’s easy, you start hugging each other and speaking ENGLISH!!! 🙄 Of course there was one person in the street, a blind beggar (oh my, who’s have ever guessed he could be...wait for it...a collaborator). As the bigwig American spymaster running the cell continues to say, these kids are some of the best spies we ever had’. Hahahaha. Me thinks not! If these were the Allies best and brightest, Hitler would’ve won the war! They all make numerous and ridiculous (big) ‘mistakes’, but lucky them, the evil Nazi’s they’re supposed to be secretly gathering intel from happen to ‘by chance’ be good guys who help them. There’s a scene where a very high up the chain Nazi SS Officer-who just happens to be aristocratic, gorgeous looking and a real gentleman-fakes the death of the beautiful American female ‘spy’ he’s in love with by having her publicly shot in front of many SS by firing squad. After all the bullets she slumps to the ground and they take her away, dead BUT (oh surprise!) she lives, she’s 100% fine, not so much as a boo-boo (except for the great make up job she got before being shot to make it look like she’d been beaten up). Here’s the kicker...they never tell us HOW she was shot in public by a firing squad, no less, and doesn’t have a scratch-and all the SS who came specifically to watch to make sure she died, don’t notice she’s not bullet riddled, bloodied, and dead? Another zinger...many years later all living back in the US since the end of the war, the spy buddies wonder if their female spy friend was actually killed, they think she’s possibly still alive. Somehow, these ‘spies’ and their ‘acclaimed spymaster’ can’t find a young woman living openly in NYC-the very place she was recruited from. They can’t reach out to her family? The spymaster did loads of research to pluck these young people from obscurity because they spoke French and German etc, but for 20 years postwar he can’t find this woman from an elite, wealthy family. A woman not in hiding, living in NYC (who happens to be looking for them too). The big mystery to them is if she’s alive or dead. As I said, worst spies ever!! The inanity goes on and on and on. The writing itself is pedestrian, but that’s secondary to this ridiculously ridiculous story that has so many ‘lucky coincidences’ to push the story in the direction the writer was aiming for that it’s beyond unbelievable. I spent half the book cringing. It also reminded me of the Breakfast Club with its own version of ‘the jock’, ‘the popular girl’, ‘the loner’ etc.... The Breakfast Club: Spy Kids. Cringe! One dimensional characters in a one dimensional story. I’m seriously bowled over by the reviews. Floored. This story is pure WWII-lite utter rubbish. Please save yourself the trouble of a DNF....something I wish to heavens I had done. There are way too many good books out there to waste your time on this drivel. HARD PASS!! ...more

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Jul 18, 2019 Morgan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

WWII– 5 young Americans selected by the OSS for their special attributes are sent into Occupied France.
One of the most intricately plotted spy thrillers you are going to read.
101 Chapters / 559 Pages made into an easy read due to the deft, clever writing of the author.
Apart from each character’s given name there are French names; German names; code names; nick-names. Confusing? No. There is a character list at the beginning of the book but the writing is good enough that you likely won’t need t ...more

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Aug 07, 2019 Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-to-review, 2019

I will probably not do this review justice but I'll tell you right off the bat I LOVED this book and could not put it down. The intrigue, the danger, the interwoven storylines....all of this make Dragonfly one of the best books I have read all year.

"One loose thread can unravel the whole ball of twine."

Truer words were never spoken when it comes to this book. This book follows five spies for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services, a real government agency during WWII in case you didn't know) an I will probably not do this review justice but I'll tell you right off the bat I LOVED this book and could not put it down. The intrigue, the danger, the interwoven storylines....all of this make Dragonfly one of the best books I have read all year.

"One loose thread can unravel the whole ball of twine."

Truer words were never spoken when it comes to this book. This book follows five spies for the OSS (Office of Strategic Services, a real government agency during WWII in case you didn't know) and their various missions in Paris to seek information about the Germans and help end this war sooner rather than later. While they know all five will be there, where the drop box is located to pass along information, and the mural for coded messages, they do not know each other's cover names, stories, or missions. Yet, as this story progresses their missions become intertwined and it is just a matter of time before all hell breaks loose!

This story kept me up many late nights because I could not put the book down! I felt my breath catching and my heart skipping a beat as I followed these five spies across Paris serving their country but also for some personal reasons. The story starts out as we are introduced to the six main characters - the five spies and their handler. The book opens in 1962 which is approximately 20 years after they are recruited and it is about time for a reunion that they planned before they set off to Paris. There are actually two reunions, one more immediate after the war and then this one twenty years later. As the last reunion is about to commence, Alistar (the handler) discovers a book that tells the story of their mission, Dragonfly. This starts a journey for the author and his source and brings back many memories of the war and how the situations played out for everyone.

"On into late fall and throughout the rest of the year, Dragonfly hovered close to waters teeming with an increasingly frantic enemy."

This line reflects the pace of the book for me. Most of it was quick but there were times where the story played out in a calmer fashion. Having both types of situations made the story that much more appealing to me. I watched one of the characters mourn for the loss of someone close to her, another rejoice in finding family, and all of them learn something about themselves that they probably never would have expected - the fortitude to continue despite the circumstances or situations. It also reflected the mindset of some of the Germans in Paris and what they truly thought about Hitler and what was coming down the pike regarding the war.

I found the story well crafted and for the author to be able to intersect the missions of the various characters was genius. There is so much more that could have been written about the war and potentially even expanded the missions of the characters, but it was wrapped up quite nicely and I found myself shedding a few tears at the end. So be prepared and have a tissue on hand.

If I could give this book more than 5 paws I would in a heartbeat. If you love historical fiction you will want to pick up this book and read it soon. ...more

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Jul 21, 2019 Kathy rated it really liked it

This is my first reading of this author's work. It was a new library book available, I'm usually interested in World War II fiction, so I checked it out.
Summary Notes: This is a long book (561 pp) peopled with many and varied characters tracked over a good chunk of time. This is also a story woven in such a way to yield emotional responses rather than depicting horrors of war. Instead, we get Nazis who were humans and sometimes plotting against Hitler or trying to extricate themselves from his m ...more

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Jul 25, 2019 Dawn rated it really liked it

Shelves: wwii-resistance-spy, wwii-fiction

A solid 3.5 stars. It was a great story. There were a lot of moving pieces that were a bit hard to keep track of, although the author did provide a who's who in the front of the book. I was a bit disappointed that the author didn't include a section of where she got her inspiration or research.

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Jul 11, 2019 Renee rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: world-war-ii, favorites, audible-amazing-listens, thriller, romantic, 2019-reading-challenge, paris-wwii, spy-wwii

What a fabulous tale! In scope & feel like a grand Rosamunde Pilcher story. Drama, espionage, patriotism, poignancy, a bit of romance. This book has it all! Loved it! ...more

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Sep 14, 2019 Natasha rated it it was ok

Shelves: historical-fiction

This was just way to over the top for me.

Five American agents are trained and sent to France at the same time? All sharing the same radio operator? The OSS did work not work that way. They barely let one agent into France at a time let alone five in a week,all in Paris.

The Germans and Nazi's and some of the French the agents get to know are all wondering about them but let go about life in Paris as they watch? Uh no the Nazi's would be arresting you before the cafe's opened.

This book was just to ...more

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Aug 26, 2019 Rhonda Ruff rated it it was amazing

It took me a while to read this book! All 500 plus pages of ir! I enjoyed every page every story! This is a book to savor! My first book ever by Leila meachem and it won’t be my last. I was draw in by the beautiful cover and fell in love with the great story! I will remember the characters in this story for a long time!

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May 11, 2019 Sharlene rated it it was amazing

This book is so good. Very moving account of 5 young Americans assigned to Nazi Paris as spies. I could not put this book down and will be added to my favorite's list of war historical fiction. I have loved this author's previous books and this one did not disappoint.

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Oct 19, 2019 Ron rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Enjoyed the book. I couldn't keep the 3 guys straight with them having 3 names. No problem with the girls though.

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Jul 26, 2019 Sydney Young rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, ww-ii, american-fiction, lonestarlit, my-audio-queue, historical, mystery-suspense, advance-reader-copy, texas-fiction, 2019-favorites

Once I received the audio for DRAGONFLY and started listening, I forgot everything I was doing. All I knew was the DRAGONFLY world. I was hooked until the end. After I finished, I had a serious book hangover.

I love big epic books. Especially when they involve life and death stories about both men and women in dire situations. Leila Meacham specializes in such epics, but let me be clear: this is the best book Leila Meacham has ever written. And the DRAGONFLY audio is five star.

DRAGONFLY is what ...more

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May 20, 2019 Marisa rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This novel has given me a wonderful book hangover!!! 864 pages...multiple POV, a mural that works as its on character and beautiful prose.

Leilia Meacham is one of the best story tellers out there. I have loved every book she has written. Her novels are books i read slowly because i dont want to miss a single word.

I.loved this novel so.much and it will stay one of my favorites for years to come!

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Jan 05, 2020 Mechele Clough rated it it was amazing

This book was fantastic! The character development was superb and in-depth, but not overwhelming. I was captivated throughout the book. I was right there with the characters while they completed their missions. I even began to care for unlikely characters. She painted a very accurate picture of german occupied France and the ugliness of war without being gruesome. I experienced so many emotions throughout this book. This is a new favorite of mine.

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Jul 24, 2019 Caryl rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2019-challenge, historical

Dragonfly is a compelling story of a covert team in occupied France. I was immediately immersed into the story. The danger and intrigue kept me turning the pages. I highly recommend this book.

I borrowed a copy from my local library. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

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Jan 12, 2020 Mary rated it really liked it

This is the story of 5 Americans who were in Paris as spies during WW2. It is a really good book but it is long. There is a helpful guide in the front of the book giving you the names of the characters along with their field names. The first part of the book gives you the backgrounds and motivations for each character. The bulk of the story is set in France and at times there is so much detail that the story gets bogged down. I’m glad I read it.

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Aug 07, 2019 Ruthie Jones rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-book, lone-star-book-blog-tours

"No one completes their missions with clean consciences.
Dirty dealing is part of the job."

Dragonfly by Leila Meacham is a literary gem that must not be missed. The writing, the storytelling, the characters, and the plot are all deeply exquisite and will remain with you for a long time.

The five young Americans operating under the code name Dragonfly have willingly chosen to live and work in occupied Paris as spies to help thwart the dastardly efforts of Hitler and his evil regime. These five agen "No one completes their missions with clean consciences.
Dirty dealing is part of the job."

Dragonfly by Leila Meacham is a literary gem that must not be missed. The writing, the storytelling, the characters, and the plot are all deeply exquisite and will remain with you for a long time.

The five young Americans operating under the code name Dragonfly have willingly chosen to live and work in occupied Paris as spies to help thwart the dastardly efforts of Hitler and his evil regime. These five agents have been trained and given code names, and they know next to nothing about each other for safety reasons. Yet the bond they form during their training is unbreakable and timeless and absolutely beautiful. These characters often seem too good to be true, too perfect perhaps, yet that works well here because their wholesomeness and kindness are brilliantly juxtaposed with the horrors of war and the despicable actions of the Nazis and others claiming loyalty to Hitler. That contrast strengthens the idea that good really does eventually prevail and rise from the ashes of hate and misery.

The three men and two women that form Dragonfly are tasked with pulling off a feat that involves cunning, courage, subterfuge, an ingenious way to communicate with each other, and the willingness to choose death rather than betray their country, the members of Dragonfly, or the man who handpicked them for this mission, Alistair Renault. The reader knows from the beginning that one of the five is executed, but which one and why? What really happened that day when three of the other four witnessed the apparent fall of one of their own? There is more here than meets the eye, and the story that unfolds across the many chapters is a journey like no other. The characters are beguiling as the author brings them to life and makes you care about them and about several other characters orbiting around them. As the five become entrenched in their separate yet somewhat linked missions, the inevitable fate of their best laid plans starts to appear.

"Gradually, the cards begin to fall."

And when that house of cards begins to crumble for Dragonfly, the danger and the action become almost too overwhelming, yet closing the book is not an option until that final chapter is devoured. Yes, Dragonfly is lengthy, but the story never feels too slow or even too long. The characterization drives this literary masterpiece, and the author weaves a tapestry of words that will pull you in, fully capture your heart and imagination, and then take your breath away.

Historical fiction bookshelves are filled with war stories about spies and espionage and daring escapades, and Dragonfly has all of that and more. But this story is a bit different in that while WWII is the main backdrop, the overall focus here is more on relationships, betrayal, unlikely allegiances, and hope. These young agents are engaged in a covert and treacherous battle for secrets and survival, and trust is a luxury that they can ill afford. But what if trust is the only thing that can save them?

You seriously do not want to miss this one! ...more

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Jun 19, 2019 Meagan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Brilliantly concocted, Leila Meacham’s newest novel, Dragonfly, is like no other WWII novel you will read. Written with creativity and deeply developed characters that instantly hook the reader, Dragonfly presents an entirely different perspective on espionage during the Era of Evil.

An extraordinarily gifted Meacham takes the reader on a tale of six Americans operating as spies in occupied France’s when their mishaps, obvious flaws and seemingly selfish ambition all collide to create a fascinat ...more

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Aug 15, 2019 Alexis (hookedtobooks) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, 2019

Thank you @grandcentralpub for sending me a copy of this book! It was such a fun read!
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This book centres around 5 Americans who go to Paris during the Second World War as spies in order to help bring victory to the Allies! Each of these five people have their own reasons for wanting to go to Paris during war time, and each member of Dragonfly, their groups code name, makes enormous contributions to the war effort through the connections they make while under cover!
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I really appreciated the time ...more

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