Women & Storytelling

Red Widow by Alma Katsu, a former female Operations Officer, is receiving high praise from retired senior CIA Cipher Brief expert, Alison Bouwmeester.for its accurate depiction of women in espionage.

She comments that the portrayal of women as astute leaders in the FBI and CIA is accurate. The usual damaging stereotypes of women as only involved in sexpionage fall away in Katsu’s well developed characters. And, Red Widow brings forward the cultural shadow aspect of the old boys network which ‘circles the wagons’ to protect one another when the rules aren’t followed.

Women story tellers and reviewers validating women’s roles in espionage and as leaders, is vital to rebuilding the loss in historical memory of women’s narratives in their communities. Greater empowerment for women is generated by well informed and accurate story telling. We can be, what we see and who best to deliver that than other women.