Operation Paperweight

In the turbulent days after World War II, the Cold War emerged, ushering in a period of international threats, and clandestine subterfuge. As the Soviet Union extended its grip over Eastern Europe, over its newly annexed territories after WWII, the United State in response to the emerging Soviet threat, passed the National Security Act in 1947 which created The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to protect the U.S. from dangers in this new world. Grandfathered from its days as the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the CIA had more teeth as a formal American agency to act on behalf of the United States in the international arena. With America’s growing international influence, the CIA expanded its operations to include young, multilingual women. They sought women like Laura Schmitt—the heroine of this Young Adult novel—whose skills, patriotism, and courage influenced the outcome of the Cold War and the Space Race. Set against this backdrop, Operation Paperweight tells the story of Laura, a young German American woman coming of age who is aggressively recruited by the CIA. Laura is reluctant at first, but she soon discovers she is well suited for spycraft. Her unique abilities make her exceptional for CIA work, skills that even the CIA isn’t aware of yet. “Operation Paperweight” pulls Laura into the blue flame of international tension and a cold war fought in the shadows of international espionage. Laura learns that things are not always what they appear, for spycraft is the art of the illusion—the art of deceit.<br><br>“As she worked, adrenaline coursed through her veins. Every creak of the floorboards and every rustle of the curtains sent a shiver down her spine. She felt a bead of sweat trickle down her temple as she carefully rifled through his papers…”