A fascinating memoir of a woman who served in the CIA and was truly a pioneer in her fields - photography and disguises. I loved reading about what her life was like and her many adventures. She had to deal with a lot of sexism unfortunately and given that, I admire her persistence and ability to navigate and break through barriers. A very informative and enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley and PublicAffairs for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

This was such a fascinating book at a woman's perspective in the CIA, which is becoming more equal between men and women. Truly empowering and inspirational.

Jonna Mendez gives us a whirlwind of a tale of being not only in the CIA, but almost a behind the scenes look at what her job looked like, how she performed it, how she rose through the ranks, even with a few really, really bad apples along the way in positions that could have stopped her (and ultimately DID stop most others), and ultimately how her life looked post-CIA. ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING! Unmasked really gives a glimpse to the inner workings of how hard those are willing to keep our country safe.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

Thank you NetGalley and PublicAffairs!

In True Face is a woman's story of starting at the bottom of the totem pole and fighting her way to the top. This story exposes and sheds light on just how sexist the work force is, and specifically the CIA/Government. Starting out as a "Contract Wife" there seemed to be not much hope for being anything other than a dinner host and arm candy. However, Jonna Mendez does not settle for life behind a typewriter despite literally everyone telling her that is where she belongs and where she will stay. Throughout we gain an insight on her career and on how she climbed from the absolute bottom and fought her way to where she got and it was nothing short of a battle. The world told her no and in response she said "Watch Me".

I gave In True Face four stars because at times it got repetitive and extremely dry. There seemed to be a lack of emotion and connection as the story went on. However, the in depth look at her career was nothing short of fascinating and this was well worth reading.

Here is what I going to say, I understand that she experienced so much misogyny. It was a thing that happened during her time and women's rights were in fact common. My issue was how she dismisses it a lot. "It was how things were" "I never let it stop me, I worked harder and got their respect"

The fact that there was no conversation about the racism, what can I expect from a white woman. She now can see all the misogyny but she never did anything because it never affected her.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In True Face by Jonna Méndez is unfortunately an example of a book which does not live up to its title. A memoir written by Méndez who was a spy in the CIA, In True Face is touted as an inside look at a woman's struggle against the misogyny of the CIA during her career along with a chronicle of her dangerous missions. I don't believe she succeeded on either account. Méndez's writing style in this book is not focused on any one of the topics the book purports to illuminate. It almost feels like she will get bored in the middle of a page and jumps to a different subject.

Admittedly, I was primed for this book after reading two exceptional books on women in the CIA (Wise Gals by Nathalia Holt and The Sisterhood by Liza Mundy). Each of these books dig deep into CIA history and painstakingly document how unfairly women were treated within the agency. I had hoped Méndez would give a more personal, but also detailed, rundown of the challenges she faced. While Méndez called out many people in the narrative, she did not provide in-depth examples of these injustices regularly. Often, she would say she knew she was being treated differently due to her sex, but then moves on to another topic. When she does take the time to detail specific instances of these problems, the book is quite good. However, there is more examples of the former rather than the latter.

Similar problems occur when it comes to recounting her own missions. An anecdote about meeting President Bush the elder while in disguise is fascinating. However, mostly her missions are just a few paragraphs with little detail. The same can be said about her personal life which the author seems to shy away from truly digging into.

There are things to like about this book, but there is too much extraneous information on unimportant topics and not enough information on the subjects which matter.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and PublicAffairs.)

Oh, how I love a good spy book! I think I inherited that “genre gene” from my Dad, who read every spy book ever published (that might be stretching it, but not by much). So, when I had the opportunity to read In True Face: A Woman's Life in the CIA, Unmasked, I pounced. So glad I did.

Jonna Mendez is no stranger to the book world. She and her (now deceased) husband, Tony Mendez, co-wrote The Moscow Rules and Argo, which was made into a movie. In this book, Mendez tells of her unusual rise through the ranks of the CIA, a male-dominated institution. I was fascinated with the variety and extent of what she did and impressed by her dedication to and love for America.

When she retired from the Agency, she had risen from being a “company wife” to international spy to Chief of Disguise at CIA’s Office of Technical Service. The misogyny of the organization plays a huge role in her life and—just like Ginger Rogers had to do everything Fred Astaire did, but in heels and backwards—Mendez found she had to repeatedly prove herself and be twice as good as the male agents.

If you like knowing behind-the-scenes info and gathering details about organizations shroud in secrecy, you’ll love In True Face. Prepare to be inspired by a woman who refused to settle for an ordinary life.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an advance e-copy to read and review.

The view into the CIA as one of the first female operators is extremely interesting. Jonna had to fight for every opportunity she wanted within the old boys club and she succeeded. Her tales of operations she participated in were very entertaining and she is a true crusader for women in a "man's' career. Highly enjoyed this memoir.

Jonna is truly a remarkable woman. She worked in the CIA as a female spy at a time where women in high positions were looked down upon. As a female working in the government sector, I cannot thank Jonna enough for her strength and courage. She broke down many barriers so that women can flourish working alongside men in a male dominated industry. I highly recommend anyone to take the time and read this amazingly written story.

I loved this book! I read it straight through after planning to skim most of it and just stop for the most interesting chapters. Well, they were all interesting! Mendez described how she started in the CIA, how she negotiated the old boy network of the 60s and 70s (and 80s and 90s), how she became a photography specialist and then switched to the art and science of disguises. She told many stories of getting into and out of tight spots, detailed her training throughout her career, and described her post-CIA life helping to start and promote the International Spy Museum, as well as co-writing books with her spy husband, Tony Mendez. If it seems odd that a spy would write a book spilling all the beans about her career, well, she doesn't spill ALL the beans. For instance, several times she would describe being in a new location -- the hotel and the streets and the people and I would realize I had missed exactly what city she was in. Because she never said. I imagine she changed names and details quite a bit, while preserving the atmosphere and tension. Great book, I will be looking up her previous books. Thanks to NetGalley and Public Affairs Books for a digital review copy.

In True Face is Jonna Mendez's memoir of her time as a "contract wife" for the CIA, which led to more significant roles in espionage, and ultimately to her work as a valued international spy. Her fascinating career is even more impressive given the sexism and misogyny she faced within the "Boys Club" of the CIA and political climate. Highly recommend!

Wow, such an inspiring story and life this lady has had. It’s impressive to learn about her career in the CIA, and then becoming a mother at age 47 and more. Really amazing stuff she got to learn and do, and teach as well. I really enjoyed this, more than I expected to.

This book is a personal narrative about the life a female spy in the CIA from the 1960s-1990s. The author describes well her different missions and jobs. I was hooked on the parts where she talked about the different missions she was on. She also details in specificity the sexism she experienced in her work which proved interesting and frustrating. I struggled at times because the story was not always told in chronological order and that wasn't conveyed clearly. I also felt like the author had very repetitive language. Lastly, while the author provides strong criticism of the sexism she faced, she does not address her privilege as a white woman which comes off as a bit short sighted.

I have enjoyed the author's (and her husbands) previous books about "spying" very much. So when NetGalley offered me an ARC of Ms. Mendez's latest book, I jumped at the chance to read it. And I'm happy to say that I am glad that I did. Jonna really opens up about her entire life, from her upbringing to her finding her way to the CIA, to climbing the ranks, and into her retirement. I was very taken by the struggles she faced as a female in the male-dominated "old boys club". And through her method of dealing with it by throwing herself into her work and being the better employee than the men she worked for. I have to applaud her life of service, and the many, many sacrifices she made for it. She is a true hero. And as far as her nemesis, Smallwood, we have all had a Smallwood in our careers, and I hope he eventually got what he deserved. I know that we will never know exactly what the author's adventures were, but I sure would love to know them!