I was curious to read this book as it’s a subject I haven’t explored before, and I’m glad I was given the opportunity to read an advanced review copy from NetGalley.

Agents of Change offers a well written and structured account of women’s experiences in the CIA from the 1960s to present day. I especially liked how each chapter was framed as a case study as this gave the book a strong narrative flow while highlighting individual stories.

It was very interesting to learn how women in the CIA fought for recognition and opportunity over the decades. By the 1970s, progress had begun, but progress is still needed in terms of true gender equality, although significant strides have been made over the decades. One of the book’s strengths is how it shows women supporting one another and the importance of that solidarity in male-dominated institutions. Stories of how women continue to breakdown barriers were and are very inspiring.

That said, I did find myself struggling to stay engaged about halfway through. Some parts dragged for me, and I felt the momentum dipped. It picked up again when the book reached the 2000s and 2010s, as opportunities for women generally, and within the CIA specifically began to improve. The book celebrates the accomplishments of women in the CIA, but makes clear bias and exclusion haven't disappeared but major progress has been made.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that learning element that I was wanting from the description. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and how the story was told perfectly with the research. Christina Hillsberg wrote this well and I learned a lot in this book. It was really interesting and was glad I got to read this.

Having worked in a male dominated industry for my entire adult life, Agents Of Change: The Women Who Transformed The CIA by Christina Hillsberg really spoke to me.

Starting with the sixties and broken down by decade, chapters start with pop culture references that help set the scene and create an easily digestible non-fiction. As a Canadian and someone who doesn't know a lot about the CIA, this book was both informative and well written, never assuming readers have excessive government knowledge.

My big take away from this book, however, is that discrimination, sexism, and misogyny can happen to all women - no matter how bad-ass of a career they may have. This knowledge created a type of comradery I wasn't expecting between myself and those women who helped shape and change the CIA.

The audiobook was well done with Hillsberg narrating her own words, creating a personal touch to the harshness discussed. Additionally, Valerie Plame lends voice to her own words while narrating the forward.

I can see this book being easily gifted to a variety of women and would make for a fantastic book club discussion!

Thank you NetGalley, Kaye Publicity, Kensington Publishing, Citadel and HighBridge Audio for the complimentary copies to read and review.

The stories of women who broke through at the CIA

In the 1960's most people asked to envision an intelligence operative would likely picture James Bond or someone like him, i.e., a man. In truth, women have been equally adept in that profession since the days of William Donovan's OSS...they just weren't generally as accepted or valued (and seldom were paid the same either). In Agents of Change, author Christina Hillsberg, herself a former CIA operative, interviewed a group of women who either now or in the past have served as intelligence officers for the CIA dating as far back as the 1960's. In the best of circumstances it is not an easy job, with the risk of danger always in the offing and personal sacrifices demanded to ensure the success of each mission. But for many of these women, there were additional challenges. Most had to fight in order to be considered for field work instead of being stuck at a desk typing, filing, and maybe (if they were lucky) doing analysis for the men who were out in the field. Promotions did not come as readily...why, many male supervisors would reason, promote someone who was just going to get married and then pregnant? And then there were the sexist attitudes which resulted in anything from inappropriate comments to out and out sexual harassment and assault, both by the people female operatives wanted to recruit and (sadly) by their own co-workers and supervisors. In a clandestine agency the culture of secrecy made it all too easy for those with power to prey on those without, and many women were afraid to push back or speak out knowing that it would likely affect their own careers more than those who were actually guilty of unacceptable behavior. But there were women who fought back in ways large and small, who made it easier for the next generation of women to have more opportunities and fewer barriers, including several of the women interviewed here who stood their ground and persevered. The book is structured sequentially, taking a look decade by decade at what was happening in the world at large vis à vis women's rights (be it the ERA or #MeToo) and what was going on behind the scenes at the CIA. I found it to be easy to read, and though some of the pop culture benchmarks seemed a little weak and I didn't think it necessary to lump women's rights in with the more contemporary catchall of DEI, I enjoyed reading the different women's stories, their successes and losses, the avenues they chose to secure the jobs they wanted and more. For those interested in women's history and/or espionage in general as well as readers of Amaryllis Fox, Liza Mundy and Tracy Walder, this is a must read. My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing/Citadel for allowing me access to this informative glimpse at a secretive world in exchange for my honest review...and my profound thanks to the women who broke through barriers to pave the way for future generations.

Well done. She avoids the melodramatic,, in part due to the women she interviewed. This is a worthwhile read.

Reading the stories of these women who were trying to break into the CIA as agents not secretaries, this book should be eye opening for women of today, but sadly, for those of us of a certain age, all too familiar. I enjoyed the details of some of the cases these women worked and how being a woman actually helped with their assignments. These women were and knew so much more than their handlers thought they could achieve. I recommend this book.

As an Administration of Justice major in college in the early 1970's, this book resonated with all of the difficulties I saw facing women going into law enforcement at that time. I changed my major when I knew that I would have been relegated to a secretarial role. Agents of Change gave me the background to know I made a sound decision a half century ago and pursued a career in medical research.

Thanks to NetGalley and Citadel for the eARC!

Hillsberg has created a well-written, well-researched feminist history of the CIA. It's not a full history of the CIA, rather, it focuses on the CIA's treatment of female agents. Hillsberg starts in the 60s, and dedicates a chapter to each of the decades following (including the 2020s). She introduces us to several female agents and tells us their stories. She also makes a really interesting comparison between how the CIA treats female agents in each decade to what the James Bond films are doing with women in each decade - just a short comparison, but really clever.
Hillsberg is a great writer, and I'd love to read more books by her, whether they have anything to do with the CIA or not. She does a great job of helping the reader know what is going on and explaining context without giving away any national secrets or betraying any trade secrets.

I have previously read two other excellent books on the role of women in the CIA, THE SISTERHOOD and IN TRUE FACE, the material covered was interesting, but not necessary fresh. The research was solid and the anecdotes were interesting.

A well researched chronicle of female agents in the CIA. The book follows several agents through the decades from the 60s to the present. Not surprising, these women experienced the same level of gender discrimination, sexual harassment, misogyny and sexual assault as women in private industries but with seemingly a lot more macho male stereotypes in the spy game. While the book includes references to the significant progress women have made, it also pointed out how much more improvement is needed. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Citadel for an advanced reader copy.

An interesting look into how the role of women in the CIA has changed and shifted over the years. While I don't work in any area even remotely similar, I think it is still a stark reminder of just how recently women have been accepted into the workforce and how far we still have to go. I wish there was more of a discussion around the ethical and moral implications of working in intelligence. It comes across as all the women interviewed for this book look at their careers in a positive light after retiring. I think it would have been interesting to see a dialogue about how their view of the mission has changed over time.

5 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

As fan of all media related to spies/ secret agents, I flew through the book within a couple days. Not only do we get to learn about the history of the CIA and women's role in it, but the author also includes experiences and challenges of BIPOC agents. There are some stories hinted at that I would have loved to hear the details to, but was extremely confidential. When initially conceived, the CIA was very much an old boys club, with women in typical secretary positions. Over time more women were able to train to become agents, though due to limited opportunities a lot of women felt forced to guard access for other women. Each chapter follows a few different agents in a specific decade with alliterate titles such as Second Wave Seventies, Empowering Eighties and the Terrorism Driven 2000's. While the more modern history has comes leaps and bounds from the start (with a female director in charge) there are still aspects of the agency can be be improved upon. I am interested to read the author's other book License to Parent: How My Career as a Spy Helped Me Raise Resourceful, Self-Sufficient Kids. Though I don't have kids (I do have a nephew who is under 1 year) I have a feeling it will still be an interesting read.

From the 1960s through to our current decade, women have endured misogyny and sexism in the workplace, as well as both racial and gender discrimination - the agencies of the secret services are no different nor are they immune. The documented behaviour towards women by men in Hillsberg's book could apply to women anywhere - except in these instances, the women run the risk of exposure, imprisonment and death - all for serving for the greater good of their nation.

This is an eye-opening chronicle of the struggles women faced in the Agency, written by one who had the insider's take on what these women experienced. There are still many more untold stories, but as the synopsis notes, this is a ".... long overdue tribute to the survivors....".

In conjunction with this book, I also recommend reading "Secret Servants of the Crown" by Claire Hubbard-Hall, which looks at the role of women in the British Secret Services.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, as I have a keen interest in stories about secret services, intelligence operations, and especially the significant roles women have played in these fields throughout history. The book captivated me with its detailed and engaging stories throughout years and geographies. However, I felt that the epilogue diverged from the rest of the book, introducing a narrative that didn't resonate with me. Without this unexpected turn, it would have been a solid 5-star read for me.

Loved reading this. I’ve always been curious about the CIA, so it was fascinating to explore it through the lens of women who worked there. And not just what I know from pop culture. I’m always interested in how women navigate systems that weren’t built for them, and these were definitely not ideal conditions. Still, they persevered.

The sacrifices they made and the challenges they faced just to be part of the CIA were intense. The author lays out the history without making it feel dry or overwhelming, which made reading this so engaging.

I especially appreciated the first-person accounts. Christina Hillsberg spoke to some truly inspiring women, and their stories are not only powerful but necessary.

I waited a bit to do this review because I feel as if we are on the cusp of reversing the strides these women have made against overt misogyny. Not to denigrate their hard work and frustrations, but to highlight how far the white male opposition is so fearful of ANY challenge by others and is willing to sacrifice the good works of others just to bolster their own pride.
Back to the book. The transformation referred to is the inroads made by these intrepid women into their rightful place in the work and hierarchy of the US intelligence service since the end of the OSS. It can be hard to read at times (office sexual politics no better than a casting couch) but these women deserve our respect, and we need to educate ourselves to know how hard they worked to implement change.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Kensington Publishing | Citadel via NetGalley. Pub Date Jun 24, 2025
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A very interesting and important read! Agents of Change shares the experiences of several women through all stages of the agency. I loved how this book was structured and how each story was shared through time.

I would have liked perhaps more detail on the current policies and real experiences within the present day agency, although this was discussed in the later paragraphs.

Overall, a great read!

I liked the Widow Spy and really wanted to like this book given the importance of telling women's stories. Especially those in male-dominated fields.

Firstly, I enjoyed the breakdown by decade and the socio-cultural commentary. It put the stories of the women in context. I also appreciated the amount of women interviewed and represented. However, the stories felt to scattered and disconnected over the decade sections. The writing style made it difficult to connect to the women.

Additionally, the constant use of acronyms/CIA speak was distracting and confusing. Perhaps this is because I was reading an electronic copy. A paper copy would afford the reader an easy option to flip to a glossary or other supplemental materials.

Overall, I had high hopes for this book but ultimately did not finish it. Around 17% I started to skim to see if it improved but as I neared around 48% it had not so I stopped reading completely.

Agents of Change is a uniquely intimate portrait of “ordinary” women in CIA operations – those who perhaps didn’t make the national headlines but were pioneers and role models for the women around and behind them.

From the 60’s to the present, Hillsberg’s narrative follows a handful of women over their careers at the CIA. Many of the women initially struggled to be taken seriously by their colleagues, as they were either discounted because of their physical appearance or assumed they would drop out once they had children. Hillsberg describes each of their unique career paths, particularly highlighting the difficult tradeoffs they faced to gain access to advanced opportunities for leadership and experience.

I was struck by how much I could relate to their stories – even though my work in corporate is very different, I too have dreams and face barriers trying to grow and develop a career. I also appreciated Hillsberg’s attention to the women’s myriad and tireless efforts to improve the CIA as a place to work for women. I was both inspired and sobered while reading of their successes and setbacks, and I’m grateful that Hillsberg has shone a light on their work in that area.

Agents of Change is a fascinating look at how “cool life as a CIA agent” stands not just on its own, but also blends with the relatable labor of trying to change an organizational culture, all while keeping the mundane day-in and day-out rhythm of work and family and life going.

Agents of Change by Christina Hillsberg is a fascinating peek into the world of real women CIA agents from the 1960s to the 2020s.

Each chapter focuses on a different decade, weaving together history, societal shifts, and personal stories of career triumphs, family struggles, and the fight for equality.

Hillsberg’s style makes it feel like you’re sitting down with these women over coffee, listening to stories that will make you laugh, gasp, and cheer them on.

Highly recommend for anyone interested in CIA, history, women’s movements, or just a darn good story.

It is a well-written non-fiction account of women’s lives as CIA developed through ww2 and further through the Cold War and to our days. I did expect a lot more for it to be focused on spying schemes than on daily lives, but I guess a book like that wouldn’t be allowed to be published.
It does really well go into detail of how women’s rights movement reflected their positions in CIA. How over time women had to prove and again prove themselves to show they are as valuable asset as a man. They were far and in between. Talented. Dedicated. Many sacrificed aspects of thier kids’ lives to perform. And yet women when women did get into the game it was out of necessity for men. Because apparently women did have particular niches at which they excelled. And they did success despite many turning a blind eye on it.