Starvation Heights by Gregg Olson

Reviewed by: Sarah Baker, Circulation Assistant

Genre: Nonfiction, True Crime

Suggested Age: Adult

What is this book about?: Fad diets and quack medicine have been around pretty much since civilization began. So when Dr. Linda Burfield Hazzard proposed that fasting treatments could help everything from nerves to blindness to cancer, it got folks’ attention. This was the case for Dora and Claire Williamson. The two British sisters were in good health, but both had “complaints” they thought Dr. Hazzard’s treatments would cure. A “cure” that cost Claire her life, and nearly robbed Dora of hers as well. As Dora and her childhood nurse fought back to expose fraud and outright theft, more cases came to light of patients who perished under Hazzard’s care. But the legality was tricky – Hazzard was certified with the state, and the county she resided and possibly killed in was too poor to prosecute. And with the Williamson sisters being British, this was under threat of becoming an international scandal.

My review: I was first made aware of this story by the excellent podcast “Tanis.” If you like urban mythology and the Pacific Northwest “odd vibe,” give them a listen. You won’t be disappointed. And this story is a roller coaster. Linda Burfield Hazzard was a hard woman, and a crafty one as well. Time and again she managed to dupe folks into believing that fasting could cure what ailed them. And when they were weak and delirious, she would have them sign documents that gave her control of their finances and absolved her of any and all blame. Her husband and secretary, Sam, often typed up last wills and other documents and then “lost” the originals. In one case, it was suspected that Hazzard herself falsified a diary by imitating the owner’s handwriting. The trial was nothing short of a spectacle, with the press whipping things into more of a frenzy. Things wrapped up as life always does – some good, some bad, some disappointing. All in all, if weird history is your thing, this one is well worth your time.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Fascinating, Sad, Unusual

Give this a try if you like… Unusual true crime, the “Tanis” podcast, weird history

Rating: (out of 5)​​​ 4.5/5

​Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.

Code Name:  Lise by Larry Loftis

Reviewed by: Becky Houghton, Reference Assistant

Genre: History -Nonfiction

Suggested Age: Adults

What is the book about?  British housewife and mother, Odette Sansom, became known as the most highly decorated spy of World War II.  Sansom, born in France, but living in England in 1942, answered a request from the British Admiralty for pictures of the French coastline but mistakenly sent the photos from her youth to the War Office.  As a result, Sansom was recruited to become a part of Britain’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) sometimes called “Churchill’s Secret Army.”  The mission was to engage in sabotage and espionage in France against the Nazi forces.  After rigorous training, Odette was stationed in southern France as a courier, successfully helping the Resistance movement undermine the Nazis from within France.  In April 1943, however, Sansom and her handler, Peter Churchill were taken captive and incarcerated in Fresnes Prison, outside of Paris.  She was interrogated by the Gestapo 14 times and tortured with a branding iron, the painful extraction of her toenails, deprivation of food, showers, and other creature comforts but she never disclosed any information about other agents.  She, in fact, devised a scheme which most likely saved her life and the life of Peter Churchill.  By claiming that Peter was a relative of the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and that Peter was her husband, both Peter and Odette became exchangeable commodities for the Nazis.  While this tale did not prevent them both from being sent to Nazi concentration camps in Germany and receiving horrendous and horrific treatment, it did keep both barely alive and both were eventually brought back to Britain in 1945. Odette received the Order of the British Empire, a Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur,  and was the first woman awarded the George Cross, an award for “acts of the greatest heroism.”  After the war, Odette and Peter Churchill did marry although they later divorced.  Peter died in 1972 at 63 years old; Odette died in 1995 at age eighty-two.

My Review:  This is an amazing true story of bravery, heroism and survival.  Loftis used voluminous archives and official documents, books and articles to reconstruct Odette’s story as evidenced by the extensive bibliography and notes contained in the book.  He also was able to include personal and emotional elements that brought the story to life for the reader in a sometimes frightening way. I learned information about World War II that I did not know previously and gained insight into the time period and its people.  I can not say that I enjoyed this book because it was a difficult and disturbing read, but it is an important story that testifies to the strength and resilience of the human spirit.  I would recommend it to history buffs and connoisseurs of spy thrillers.

Three Words That Describe This Book:  True, Challenging, Deep

Rating: 4.5/5 Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.