Lonely Courage

The Actress-Spy Who Risked Everything to Save American Prisoners

Genre/Category: Narrative nonfiction – biography: history, espionage

A rebellious, star-struck teenager drops out during the Depression and becomes a talented actress and vocalist. Singing in a Manila cabaret on the eve of World War II, Claire Phillips falls for a handsome American sergeant. When the Japanese invade, he is captured and dies in a prison camp. Vowing revenge, Claire becomes a leader in the underground. Posing as a glamorous Filipina madam, she opens an exotic nightclub, entertaining Japanese military officers while smuggling food bought with their money into the camps, saving hundreds of American prisoners. Claire cleverly coaxes military intelligence from her customers for use in the war effort, as secret police come ever closer. She is arrested, tortured, tried and condemned as a spy. How she escapes execution, wins America’s highest civilian honor and inspires a Hollywood film is a compelling narrative of triumph and tragedy.

Specifications: Twenty chapters, 345 text pages