Lisa Rogak has created a marvelous look at not just one but four women who changed the outcome of World War Two.

Wow! What a fabulous book! It entranced, mesmerized and amazed me at each page turn. This will undoubtedly be a favourite of the year for me. I was impressed by the sheer tenacity, courage and ingenuity of the four women who were entrusted and given free reign to pull out all the stops in espionage, forging letters, rigging radio broadcasts, creating black propaganda, changing postcards and inventing publishers. During World War II, these women called Donovan's Dreamers were sought out because they were women, a highly unusual move but a stroke of genius.

Elizabeth "Betty" MacDonald, Jane Smith-Hutton, Barbara "Zuzka" Lauwers and Marlene Dietrich were all very different yet fiercely loyal to their cause and to Morale Operations Branch. They were trained in languages, translating, intercepting messages, disseminating materials, starting rumors, trailing people, firearm mastery, and eavesdropping. Marlene buoyed spirits with her seductive voice and live broadcast messages. All four worked tirelessly and after the war, some felt bereft without purpose. I like that the author described their lives before and after the war and gave a great sense of their personalities.

I learned more about Operation Sauerkraut and propaganda in general. The Pearl Harbour boy story particularly tugged at my heart. These women could think on their feet and were risk takers and adventurers.

This book is an important one, powerful and interesting, and the author manages to include a lot of information without any stuffiness or drudgery. It was a pleasure to read.

I received a free copy of, Propaganda Girls, by Lisa Rogak, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Zuzka Lauwers, Marlene Dietrich, Jane Smith-Hutton, and Betty MacDonald, conspired together to break the morale of Axis soldiers. These amazing ladies did so much for the war effort, unrecognized until now. This was a very interesting read.

I love reading accounts of women and their impact on society, and in this case war efforts, but hate that we often have to wait generations and decades to do so. While I was already aware of Marlena Dietrich's war time efforts, I don't recall learning about Betty MacDonald, Zuzka Lauwers, or Jane Smith-Hutton. These four incredible women were instrumental in one of WWII most covert missions; the creation and spreading of propaganda amongst Axis soldiers with the sole purpose to break their will and ensure the forces were demoralized. From forging "official letters", writing and producing entire fake newspapers, and developing rumors to root out spies and double agents, these women were critical to our success in the European front.

If you enjoyed Radium Girls, Hidden Figures, or Code Girls this is one to add to your TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the advance copy.

Wow I had no idea about any of this. Propaganda Girls the Secret War of the Women in the OSS tells the story of four brave women Marlene Dietrich, Betty McDonald, Jane Smith Hutton and Zuzka Lauwers who participated in the secret propaganda campaigns that contributed to the Allies winning the war.
This was a fascinating read! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC.

During WWII these four "girls" (why not "women"?) generated black propaganda, which is disinformation, lies, and rumors calculated to sap morale and encourage surrendering:

...defined as any leaflet, poster, radio broadcast, or other public or private media that appeared to come from within the enemy country, either from a resistance movement or from disgruntled soldiers and civilians. In essence, black propaganda was a series of believable lies...


* Betty MacDonald was a 28-year-old reporter from Hawaii. "One day she interviewed Lieutenant Howell M. Forgy, a Catholic priest who told her of one time when he was traveling with a group of soldiers and their boat came under attack. He mentioned that the men ferried ammunition from one end of the boat toward the other side where the guns were stored. When the priest jumped into the line to help, one of the men shouted at him to stop. “He yelled back, ‘Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition!’ and19 I wrote that up,” said Betty. In 1942, songwriter Frank Loesser would use her story with that quote to write “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,” which bandleader Kay Kyser recorded and which hit number two on the music charts in late 1942."
* Zuzka Lauwers grew up in a tiny Czechoslovakian village and knew five languages by the time she was 21, but that didn't help her fit in. "They called me DF, for Damn Foreigner...I ate like a European, knife in right hand and fork in left, and the other girls would just stare at me in the mess hall."
* Jane Smith-Hutton was the wife of a naval attaché living in Tokyo and suffered interment. "On New Year’s Eve, with no release in sight, they grimly accepted that they had to settle in for the long haul. Since they had diplomatic immunity, the Japanese knew that they couldn’t beat them or hurt them in any way. The only option was to starve them. ...the resulting article, “Americans Return from Jap Prison Camps: American Diplomats Held in Tokyo Lived in a Virtual State of Siege,” appeared in a two-page spread in the September 7, 1942, issue of Life, featuring ten of her photographs."
* Marlene Dietrich, the famous German-American actress and singer, was one of the biggest stars of the 20th century. "Marlene wanted to hit back at the Nazis. 'What people don’t know is that I couldn’t resist twisting the knife in the arrogant hearts of those gentlemen,' she admitted. On June 6, 1939, Marlene declared the ultimate revenge when she renounced her German citizenship and officially became a US citizen— she had applied two years earlier— which created a huge ruckus in the media back home."

Dietrich rather outshines the others for her courage, zeal, and unique displaced perspective.

...Everything changed in 1929 when she was cast as Lola Lola, a cabaret singer in a Weimar nightclub who has an affair with a local high school teacher, in the movie The Blue Angel. In the film, she sang the song “Falling in Love Again”— the song she would become most famous for— and her on-screen presence absolutely smoldered. Two versions of the movie were filmed, one in German and one in English; Marlene’s language lessons had paid off. When the movie was released in 1930, it was an instant hit, first in Germany and then internationally, primarily due to her screen presence and a couple of things that were shocking for the time: First, in an era where most women never wore pants, on-screen or off, Marlene wore a tuxedo and a top hat.
...
Just as quickly as her popularity had plummeted just a couple of years earlier, it was resurrected in 1939, starting with the Western Destry Rides Again with James Stewart.


Both European theatres, where Dietrich initially worked, and the Pacific are covered in the scope of the work of "MO" (Morale Operations, I think). Betty had harrowing flights and memorable parties:

The Hump was known for violent storms, wind shears, and unpredictable squalls caused by crosswinds that could cause a plane to drop six thousand feet in altitude in less than ten seconds. It’s estimated that between 1942 and 1945 more than three thousand American, British, and Chinese planes crashed while traveling over the Hump.
...
Sitting across from her on the flight was an annoyingly calm woman named Julia McWilliams, who serenely read a book for the entire flight while most people closed their eyes, prayed, and/ or got sick. McWilliams worked in the Research & Analysis branch of MO and would later be known as Julia Child, who introduced French cooking to Americans.
...
Charles Fenn, an OSS colleague who would later write At The Dragon's Gate: With The OSS In The Far East ... remembered these parties, where each night approximately eighty men and thirteen women easily finished off three cases of rum and whiskey. “Betty205 was queen of the ball, and wore a dress so tight you could read her pulse,” he wrote.


All four lives are followed out of the OSS and to the grave. Betty carried on productively and in thorough reflection:

“Did I hate the Germans? The Japanese? Not really. I helped make up the slogans to make the other people hate,” she said. “Packaged hate, like packaged breakfast foods, produced by the ad man in uniform. And249 a prize of a promise in every package— the corner drugstore, ice cubes, America.”
...
After she quit, Betty started writing a book about her years in the OSS for the Macmillan Company, a New York publisher; Undercover girl

It was neat learning that one of the most covert and successful military campaigns in WWII. Betty MacDonald a reporter, Zuka Lauweres who knew five langagues, naval attache Jane Smith-Hutton and Marlene Dietrich. Out of these four women that I knew anything about was Marlene. So I did learn about WWII history that I did not know that anyone knew.

Four women, all intelligent, spoke multi languages, were driven to do something during war time and having that streak of bravado stepped into places that men were supposed to be. This is a different war story. Selected to be part of the OSS, Office of Strategic Services many women (and men) created "black propaganda" including pamphlets, mail, radio messages, even cartoons to influence the enemy into believing untruths about the war. Using newspaper, magazines, intelligence reports, diaries of fallen or captured soldiers to insert just enough truth and knowledge and breed discouragement and mistrust among the enemy and civilians.
I received an advanced reader's copy of this book from the author and St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. This is my unsolicited opinion about the book.
I honestly don't do well reading nonfiction. I have good intentions when I pick up a book, but the words begin to drag, even though the history is important the read starts to feel like I will never get through it. It's an embarrassing truth for me. This book just drew me in, and I was caught up in the lives and service of these four women. They lived during a time, just 80 some years ago, that women were to be immersed in certain roles and that was that.
"Donavan's Dreamers" including, Zuzka, of Czechoslovakian birth, a writer and holder of a law degree; Betty, a young newspaper reporter; Jane, an embassy wife who had been held hostage for months with other allied citizens in Japan and Marlene Dietrich, German born actress and singer' all served the U.S. in the OSS. The book gives a brief history of each woman and information of how they served along with the general atmosphere toward women in service during the 1940's.
I've read a lot of World War II history and fiction based on the horrific reality that took place during my parent's childhood. This book, the stories of these women, taught me more history that needs to be shone in a better light. I did recognize the actress, Marlene Dietrich. I had no clue as to the fierce way she regarded the destruction and horror of her homeland. She entertained "her boys", visited the wounded and dedicated a portion of her life to serving the Allies against the Nazi Regime. It is interesting to me also as the author wrote of how each woman dealt with returning to civilian life when the war was over. These women had made sacrifices, lost time with husbands and children in some cases. More than one saw marriage come to an end for a variety of reasons.
To me, this is a book that teens, women and men should read. I give it a 5 star. It's not a perfect read but it is history that shows the strength of women and really, a turning point and acknowledgement of the accomplishments that females are capable of. (I think of the women who were hidden away at NASA, too.)

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This is the story of four women who joined the Morale Operations branch of the OSS during World War II to run a campaign of black propaganda. Basically, it is disinformation or misinformation generated to appear as though it is from the enemy’s own sources. These women had distinct skills fitting for this mission:

Betty MacDonald, the society and women’s editor at the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Betty was a passionate student of Asian culture, and she and her husband had previously lived with a Japanese family to immerse themselves in the language and customs.
Zuzka Lauwers, an attorney from a village in Czechoslovakia. Zuzka worked as a ghostwriter for the press attaché at the Czech embassy, and was fluent in five languages.
Jane Smith-Hutton, the wife of a naval attaché living in Tokyo. Jane loved Japanese art and culture, and was also fluent in its language.
Marlene Dietrich, the German-American actress and singer, who had a bounty on her head once she became a US citizen.

The author provides sections (before, during and after) with a chapter dedicated to each woman. The “before” section contained plenty of facts and information, but lacked that indefinable quality of providing a level of understanding of their motivations or deeper insight into their personalities. The “during” section was pretty dry, and I would have liked more examples of their “rumor mill” at work. I think we understand the gender inequality of the times, but the constant repetition of these women not being recognized for their achievements became tedious. I wasn’t sure if this was the position of the author or the women as Jane at one point complains about people whining about what they don’t have, saying “Our men, they are the ones who must get everything. We don’t count, we aren’t important any more.”

The author does note that three of these women looked at marriage as a means to an end, providing personal, social and professional opportunities. Unfortunately, their early marriages didn’t end well. On the other hand, Marlene Dietrich was married to her husband from 1923 to 1976, and he wasn’t mentioned until the day he died. I would have liked to have learned more of their story. Marlene was certainly feisty, insisting on bearing witness to the war by visiting soldiers in the hospital and at the front lines of the war zone.

While I never seemed to get a good grasp on what made these women tick, especially how they coped with their work that could result in deaths, the book was still enlightening.

https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/

February 11, 2025
thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

Expected publication date: Mar. 4, 2025

An account of the MOSTLY unknown women who worked in the OSS in positions of great impact. Creativity and out of the box thinking made these women (and others I'm sure) an integral part of the male dominated M.O. This was a great read !

Lisa Rogak’s Propaganda Girls - The Secret War of the Women in the OSS offers a compelling deep-dive into the roles four women played in the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and Morale Operations (MO) during World War II. While the book’s premise holds promise for history enthusiasts and feminist readers intrigued by untold wartime stories, its execution leaves several questions unanswered.
Exploring Women’s Contributions in a Male-Dominated World

One of the central themes of Propaganda Girls revolves around the struggles and achievements of women in a predominantly male-driven war effort. Rogak paints a clear picture of the systemic inequalities these women faced—lower wages, fewer promotions, and the constant challenge of proving their worth in the shadow of their male counterparts. The book underscores an important truth of wartime service rarely detailed in historical accounts: manipulation and deception were not only acceptable but essential tools when fighting the enemy.

However, the individual women themselves—Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene—don’t quite shine as unique personalities. Instead, they come across as a homogeneous group of discontented women, portrayed largely as “bored” individuals who longed for greater autonomy and resented being under male control. While their frustrations in a patriarchal environment are understandable, Rogak’s depiction lacks nuance, making the characters feel one-dimensional.

The book focuses on Betty, Zuzka, Jane, and Marlene, four women recruited to work for the OSS and MO, using psychological tactics to influence Nazi morale. The work these women contributed—from disinformation campaigns to propaganda production—played a part, albeit a subtle one, in the Allied victory. However, the portrayal of their roles often feels repetitive, with little to distinguish one woman’s contributions or personality from another’s.

Rogak highlights their determination and skill, but the narrative seems to lose sight of some critical human elements. Questions surrounding their personal sacrifices, such as the care of their children while they were stationed overseas, are left unresolved, leaving readers with an incomplete picture of what their contributions truly entailed—both professionally and personally.

A Feminist Lens, Yet Room for Balance

For feminist readers, Propaganda Girls attempts to provide insight into the frustrations of women forced to work against societal norms of the time. Yet, at times, the tone crosses into questionable territory, such as when the book subtly implies that the women could have single-handedly “won the war” had it not been for the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. While meant to amplify their importance, this stretch veers into hyperbole, undermining what should instead be a strong and authentic narrative of their labor, skill, and grit in an unjust system.
Disappointment in Genre and Execution

Perhaps the greatest point of contention for me was that Propaganda Girls fell flat in terms of genre expectations. I had anticipated a richly woven narrative akin to historical fiction, only to find it rooted firmly in nonfiction. While that isn’t inherently a flaw, the lack of depth in character exploration and storytelling made the book feel monotonous. The four protagonists, who should have stood proudly as individual figures with unique stories, were simply too similar—leaving the reader wanting more variety in their personalities and experiences.

Final Thoughts

Propaganda Girls is an informative read that scratches the surface of untold wartime narratives, especially for readers interested in the intersection of women’s contributions and psychological warfare during World War II. While Lisa Rogak delivers on historical details and feminist commentary, the book misses opportunities to humanize and differentiate its subjects, leaving a somewhat mechanical recount of events.

Ultimately, the book may appeal to readers keen on the factual intricacies of women’s involvement in wartime propaganda efforts. However, those hoping for dynamic storytelling with vibrant characters may find themselves underwhelmed.

If I were St. Martins Press, I might want to wait at least another year before releasing it because of all of the negative press around the USAID (modern day OSS) controversy. The book may not be well received at this time in history.

Recommended for history buffs and feminist readers curious about a less-explored aspect of World War II.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are own.

Story of four women - Marlene Dietrich, Betty MacDonald, Zuzla Lawrence and Jane Smith-Hutton who helped
produce the propaganda during WWII that helped the Allies win the war. The detail that went into planning and
producing the propaganda materials make for a fascinating read.
Marlene's contribution was her vocal opposition with Hitler and being declared an enemy of Germany. Singing
songs with lyrics changed to support the Allies and the willingness to do whatever she could to entertain and
support the Allied troops.
#PropagandaGirls #StMartinsPress #NetGalley

I love finding new WWII book with a unique subject line. This one followed some women that worked for the OSS. THE OSS was the Office of Strategic Services, I had to look up exactly what it was….an intelligence agency set up during WWII and later became the CIA. Now that we know that let’s talk about what this group of women did. We have Betty, Marlene, Zuzka and Jane, each with a different story as to not only why they joined the OSS, but also their adventures. I think Betty’s story was my favorite and I would love to hear which one of the four you liked best.

Well researched and well written. I was engaged the whole time, very interesting and informative. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Propaganda Girls is an informative and inspiring look at the women who played a role in shaping and spreading messages during pivotal moments in history. The book effectively highlights the sexism and other challenges these women faced, yet it also showcases their resilience, loyalty, and determination. Their stories are compelling, but I found myself wanting more—more depth, more personal details, and more time spent on their individual experiences rather than quickly moving from one figure to the next. While the book provides a strong introduction to these remarkable women, it sometimes feels a little thin, leaving the reader wishing for a deeper exploration of their lives beyond their public roles. Still, it’s a worthwhile read for anyone interested in history, media, and the power of women’s voices in shaping narratives.

What an interesting glimpse into how dynamic women helped to win the fight in World War II. Well done, easy read and a good book to add to your reading stack!

I'm studying this novel like a 2025 textbook and fetching my 2001 glitter pens, because how else will the intellectuals survive.

Lovingly,

A child who was formerly American propaganda with the DoD

Propaganda Girls tells the true story of four energetic, highly intelligent and brave women who helped the Allies win WWII with their contributions to the OSS (precursor to the CIA). With varied backgrounds and fluency in numerous languages these women pushed traditional gender roles and dedicated themselves to contributing as much as possible to the victory. The book follows these women in Europe, Asia and Washington DC and provides insight into some of the psychological impacts of war and how the Allies attempted to disrupt and demoralize the opposition. I greatly enjoyed each of their stories during the war, and also the overview of their lives after the war. Transitioning from meaningful, respected work and returning to daily life in a society who understandably wanted to get back to normal. A normal which didn’t always value women’s work outside the home. Women’s contributions which are often overlooked in history and Propaganda Girls provides a record of four brave women (as well as their female colleagues).
Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The utterly fascinating true life story’s of four women who fought the Nazis and the Japanese with rumor and disinformation.

Wow! I have always loved reading stories about WW2 and this is no different. I loved learning about Betty, Zuzka, Jane and Marlene and their lives before Pearl Harbor, during the war and after. I learned so much from this book. I had no idea about the OSS and women involvement in the war to the extent of spreading propaganda throughout enemy areas and more. If you're studying WW2 in school or just looking to learn more about different aspects of WW2 this book is for you!