Mona Parsons

Book excerpt: The biography reveals the thrilling life story of a Canadian actress who went from dancing on Broadway to daring acts of survival in WWII. Even as a young girl, Mona Louise Parsons stood out for her elegance and theatrical flair. But despite the many roles she’s played on the stage, the epic story of her real life always stole the show. After growing up in Nova Scotia, she was a chorus girl in 1920s New York City, a Depression-era nurse, a member of the Dutch resistance during World War II, and—after being taken prisoner by the Nazis—she became an escaped fugitive who walked across Germany in the war’s final months. The process of uncovering the story of Mona Parsons took almost as many twists and turns as the life it was piecing together. This book traces the author's own journey as she follows clues from Wolfville, Canada, to New York, Europe and back, leaping across oceans and decades with imagination and grace.