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Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Velvalee Dickinson: The "Doll Woman" Spy by Barbara Casey (Book Spotlight & Giveaway!)


Once again Barbara Casey has written about the life story of a fascinating woman. Who was Velvalee Dickinson? Take a look at the book details and enter to win this book!

Book Details:

Book Title: Velvalee Dickinson: The "Doll Woman" Spy by Barbara Casey
Category: Adult Non-Fiction, 184 pages
Genre: True Crime / Historical / Biography
Publisher: Strategic Media Books
Release date: April 2019
Tour dates: May 27 to June 7, 2019
Content Rating: PG - Velvalee Dickinson is appropriate for all ages.

Book Description:

Velvalee Dickinson was born in Sacramento, California, graduated from Stanford University, married three times, and then in the early 1930s moved to New York City where she eventually opened her own exclusive doll shop on the prestigious Madison Avenue. It was there that she built her reputation as an expert in rare, antique, and foreign dolls. She traveled extensively around the country lecturing and exhibiting her dolls while building a wealthy clientele that included Hollywood stars, members of high society, politicians, and other collectors.

​When medical bills started to accumulate because of her husband’s poor health and business started to fail with the onset of World War II, she accepted the role as a spy for the Imperial Japanese Government. By hiding coded messages in her correspondence about dolls, she was able to pass on to her Japanese contacts critical military information about the US warships. After surveilling Velvalee for over a year, the FBI arrested her and charged her with espionage and violation of censorship laws. She became the first American woman to face the death penalty on charges of spying for a wartime enemy.

Velvalee Dickinson: The “Doll Woman” Spy is a carefully researched glimpse into the “Doll Woman’s” life as a collector of dolls, and as the highest paid American woman who spied for the Imperial Japanese Government during World War II.

To read reviews, please visit Barbara Casey's page on iRead Book Tours.


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Meet the Author: ​



Barbara Casey is the author of several award-winning novels for both adults and young adults, as well as book-length works of nonfiction, and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Her nonfiction true crime book, Kathryn Kelly: The Moll behind Machine Gun Kelly, has been optioned for a major film and television series. Her nonfiction book, Assata Shakur: A 20th Century Escaped Slave, is under contract for a major film. In addition to her own writing, she is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency.

Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. In 2018 Barbara received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and other areas. Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with her husband, and three pets who adopted her: Benton, a hound-mix; Reese, a black cat; and Earl Gray, a gray cat and Reese’s best friend.

Connect with the author: Website


Enter the Giveaway!
Ends June 14, 2019


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7 comments :

  1. Laura, I sincerely appreciate your interest in my book about Velvalee Dickinson. Her story is certainly a fascinating one. Thank you for sharing it. I wish you and your bloggers my very best.

    ~ Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  2. Really unique cover! Sounds like a very interesting read.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Janet. The dolls displayed on the cover were in Velvalee's original doll collection. I am glad you stopped by.

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  3. I've read quite a bit of historical fiction, particularly WWII era, but, this one is unique, in that instead of the usual spies working for the Allies, against the Nazis, this one tells the story of a woman who spied FOR Japan. I would love to read this book!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think that was one of the main reasons I was interested in writing about Velvalee. It is just hard to believe that someone--particularly an American woman--would spy for the Imperial Japanese Government against the United States. Thank you for your comment.

      Delete
  4. This sounds like an interesting read. I enjoy non-fiction.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Angela. I hope you get a chance to read my book. Velvalee was quite an interesting character.

      Delete

Thank you for commenting! I appreciate your feedback.

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