Secret Agent Noor

Princess. World War II spy. International hero. Noor Inayat Khan was all three—and much more. Acclaimed novelist Padma Venkatraman makes her nonfiction debut with this mesmerizing biography that reads like a thriller. Perfect for readers of Candace Fleming, Steve Sheinkin, and Ruta Sepetys.

Imagine an Indian princess. Do you hear the swish of her gold-threaded sari? See the glow of her diamond-studded necklace? Think again. Take a step back in time. The Second World War rages across the globe. France is reeling under Nazi occupation. Across the English Channel, the British are rallying to withstand Hitler’s ruthless bombing campaigns while devising ways to attack his deadly regime from the inside. Britain must find people willing to risk everything in the fight for freedom: spies who will serve in enemy-occupied territory.

A descendant of South-Indian royalty, Noor Inayat Khan is not what most British intelligence officers might envision as the “ideal” recruit. Despite her smarts and drive to protect her beloved France (where she spent much of her childhood), Noor is underestimated at every turn. Armed with the codename Madeleine and her father’s Sufi teachings, she is sent to Paris, where the Gestapo prowl the streets, the line between ally and enemy blurs, and each dangerous mission could be her last.

In Secret Agent Noor: The True Story of the Indian Sufi Princess and WWII Spy, readers will meet a real-life hero whose unbreakable spirit and daring feats of espionage helped ensure the success of the D-Day invasion and beyond.