Breakaway Books

Authored by Dorothy Gilman; Published 1966; Thriller

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🏖️🏖️🏖️🏖️

The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax is undoubtedly a classic, reaching back further than the average throwback Thursday. 1966 is a long time ago, but this novel has retained its fun, comical quality.

The titular Mrs. Pollifax is an elderly widow, but she’s not dead yet. So when her doctor detects signs of depression and asks her to consider doing something to bring some joy and excitement back into her life, Mrs. Pollifax does: She travels to Washington, D.C., to put in an application with the CIA. Of course, she is met with incredulity, but it turns out the U.S. government has need of an innocent tourist just like her. Mrs. Pollifax thus finds herself on an all expense paid trip to Mexico. But her mission doesn’t go quite as planned, and suddenly, she is planning her escape from a Communist prison. 

This novel is a delightful return to what feels like a much simpler time. There are clear heroes and clear villains; America is a beacon for justice, democracy and fairness for all. Even the narrative itself is simple: mission, capture, escape. And through all of this, we know we can depend on the sturdy, practical, resourceful Mrs. Pollifax. There is something both comforting and inspiring about this older woman who is determined to keep going, putting one foot in front of another and solving the problem right in front of her. There is also something compassionate about her, because in spite of the fact that Mrs. Pollifax is on a CIA mission, she hasn’t lost her humanity, and she can’t help but build ties to and have sympathy for her enemies, even her own prison guards. She helps them with their sore backs and connects with their aspirations. Her companions may have sneered at her naïveté, but I smiled at her compassion.

Of course, it’s not the most realistic set-up in the world, a woman essentially plucked off the street for a secret mission, but I’ve definitely read less plausible premises. Even the geopolitics of it has more nuance than I was expecting, with the rivalry between Communist China and also Communist Russia shining through. Truly though, the most realistic element of the novel for me was the malaise that pushed Mrs. Pollifax to embark upon the adventure in the first place—surely there are many middle aged and elderly people who just want to feel useful again. Her rapport with her companions on her journey brings her to life again and reminds her that the world is wide and full of possibility. It is these wholesome connections that brought me the most joy and laughter throughout the novel, even when parts of the narrative dragged on.

If you want to escape with a quirky, old time-y spy thriller, The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax is an excellent choice.