by Shari Randall
I’m traveling a lot this summer, packing my wooly socks and
pashmina for the flight, my brand new Kindle, and one of my most delightful
travel companions – Dorothy Gilman’s Mrs. Emily Pollifax.
I discovered the first Mrs. Pollifax book, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax, in an
airport in Bermuda many years ago, before cell phones and Kindles made travel
so easy for book lovers. The thin paperback was perfect for slipping into a
beach bag or pocket. This was also before publishers decided that paperbacks
had to be several pages longer. Have you noticed that? Perhaps vacations are
longer today? A Mrs. Pollifax book was perfect for my long weekend.
Mrs. Pollifax is a senior citizen and widow from New Jersey.
Her children are grown. She’s an intelligent woman who longs for more than
garden club and charity teas. So, she decides to serve her country by joining
the CIA.
What!
Great credit goes to author Dorothy Gilman who made this scenario
work for 14 books. Mrs. Pollifax faces danger – and stubborn CIA bureaucrats –
with aplomb, picking up karate, yoga, shadowy tails, and many devoted friends
over the course of the series.
She’s definitely of the Miss Marple pattern – the lady of a
certain age who hides a razor sharp mind under a sweet exterior. But Miss
Marple never traveled too far from St. Mary Mead (there was a trip to the Caribbean,
maybe?)
What sets Mrs. Pollifax apart is the exotic travel that is
part of her job as a spy. Gilman wrote these books during the Cold War, so Mrs.
Pollifax matches wits and karate moves with operatives with a decided Russian
accent. But her itinerary – Mexico, Istanbul, communist China, a safari in
Africa – take her around the globe.
Escapism? You bet. If you’re looking for a perfect summer
read, take Mrs. Pollifax on vacation with you.
If you’d like to know more about the series, check out the
fan page:
Have you ever read a Mrs. Pollifax book? What book is your
summer read this year?
