A Woman I Know: Female Spies, Double Identities, and a New Story of the Kennedy Assassination

by Mary Haverstick

The true story of a filmmaker whose unexpected investigation of her film’s subject opened a new window onto the world of Cold War espionage, CIA secrets, and the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Independent filmmaker Mary Haverstick thought she’d stumbled onto the project of a lifetime — a biopic of a little-known aviation legend whose story seemed to embody the hopeful spirit of the dawn of the space age. But after she received a mysterious warning from a government agent, Haverstick began to suspect that all was not as it seemed. What she found as she dug deeper was a darker story — a story of double identities and female spies, a tangle of intrigue that stretched from the fields of the Congo to the shores of Cuba, from the streets of Mexico City to the dark heart of the Kennedy assassination in Dallas.

As Haverstick attempted to learn the truth directly from her subject in a cat-and-mouse game that stretched across a decade, she plunged deep into the CIA files of the 1950s and 60s. A Woman I Know brings vividly to life the duplicities of the Cold War intelligence game, a world where code names and doubletalk are the lingua franca of spies bent on seeking advantage by any means necessary. As Haverstick sheds light on a remarkable set of women whose high-stakes intelligence work has left its only traces in redacted files, she also discovers disturbing and shocking new clues about what really happened at Dealey Plaza in 1963. Offering new clues to the assassination and a vivid picture of women in mid-century intelligence, A Woman I Know is a gripping real-life thriller.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Crime, True Crime, Espionage, Biography

548 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 14, 2023

About the author

Mary Haverstick is a director, writer, and cinematographer. Her most notable work as director was for Home, 2009, which starred Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden. She is currently chronicling the turbulent political landscape of her home state, Pennsylvania, for her documentary, Tipping Point, PA.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m giving this four stars as there is an amazing amount of research and detail in the book, but that became a downfall for me after the first half. I ended up skimming the second half. The author has so many facts and explains in great, necessary detail on how she comes to her conclusions. The story is fascinating, and especially if you have any interest in espionage, the CIA especially during the 1950s and 1960s, the Kennedy assassination, double identity, and women in this work. I’d love to see a documentary or movie based on this book.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 1960, at the dawn of the space race 13 American women were tested for astronaut training during Operation Mercury 13. One undertook the tests first, organising the opportunity for the others to follow – her name was Jerrie Cobb. In her mid-70s, this trailblazing character, enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame, Nobel Peace Prize nominee for devoting her life to delivering medicine and supplies to the indigenous people of the Amazon jungle, is approached for a biopic by independent filmmaker Mary Haverstick.
Initially elusive, they finally meet and a 12 year process of interviews with the cagey Jerrie and extensive research begins. There are staggering similarities between the lives of Jerrie and a woman named June Cobb, whose CIA cryptonyms, pseudonyms and aliases reveal she has 10 personas. Early on Mary is warned off the project by someone claiming to be a DOD federal agent. Undeterred, but wary, she follows the clues in redacted CIA operational files, encountering misinformation and misdirections typical of covert Cold War intelligence subterfuge. She hunts down associates not inhibited by government secrecy agreements to unlock the puzzle of who Jerrie Cobb is.
Compiling timelines that checkerboard and synchronise the events and locations (Mexico City, Cuba, the Congo, Venezuala, Belgium) of Jerrie and June’s movements another identity emerges: Catherine Taafe – a CIA spy and arms dealer. Then another: Wanda Baran who runs a multi-million dollar smuggling syndicate with Eastern European customers. Like only a tenacious filmmaker would do Mary has zoomed in on the details, and when she pans for a full picture it seems likely to unmask the hero.
For Mary, was it ‘a woman I know’ who as QJWIN arranged the assassination of Prime Minister Lumumba in 1960 in the uranium rich Congo?
Was it ‘a woman I know’ who as AMUPAS attempted in 1961 to assassinate Fidel Castro in Communist Cuba?
Was it ‘a woman I know’ who, as has become known as the Babushka Lady, in 1963 pressed the magic button on an innovative weapon that ended the life in Dealey Plaza Dallas of JFK, yet failed to whisk Lee Harvey Oswald to safety in Cuba, his stepping stone to the Soviet Union?
Mary Haverstock’s attention to detail, persistence and analysis provides a body of work with over 400 verifiable notes. Her overwhelming task is presented in a fascinating page turning mystery - a true crime thriller.

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely amazing read! I was 11 years old the day JFK was assassinated and to this date, 60 years later, it is still such a vivid event in my mind. It shaped so much of my world view from that early at until today. What I wonder/see now, from Haverstick's writing about Jerrie/June and HER views, had we given aid to Castro when he asked, how different would things be today? And is this, in part, why we are giving so much aid to countries like Israel and Ukraine -- that in at least one area we learned from our mistakes.

I'm in the camp that has always believed there was more than one shooter that day. What Haverstick posits and how she explains her theories shows how viable that belief is. She tells June/Jerrie's story in such a compelling manner. Yes, she is an independent movie producer and that requires beyond excellent writing and research skills, but Haverstick is a once in a lifetime writer. The way she takes readers through her research, presents her facts and beliefs and then leaves it to the reader to decide what he or she thinks is just fabulous. I read Ackerman's book on the Mercury 13 women astronauts and felt strongly how women were short changed in the program. Hearing June/Jerrie's experiences in the program and what it may have also been was an eye opener. Cobb had definite beliefs about Castro but I have to wonder as well if some of her possible actions against Kennedy derived from her being denied the experience to go into space.

What a super read. Even if you were not alive or have memories of JFK, this is a must-read.

[Maureen Grigsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I didn’t care for the writing style used in this book, Mary Haverstick tells a very intriguing story of a spy, and a new (to me) interpretation of the Kennedy assassination.

[Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Woman I Know? More like A Book I Recommend ! Staggering, explosive, groundbreaking. I can't think of grand enough descriptors to address this important historical work. So I'll just say that as a JFK researcher of lesbian experience, this one hit different for me.

Director Mary Haverstick set out to create a documentary about one of our midcentury feminist heroes of America - Jerrie Cobb, a sharpshooting pilot and potential first lady astronaut. What she found, however, was that Jerrie Cobb was only one of several identities worn by the octogenarian CIA agent Haverstick had chosen as her subject.

As I read along, I realized what a perfect cover it was for women in the 50s and 60s to do intelligence work. The prevailing flavor of misogyny worked in their favor to conceal them. Women weren't suspected of being capable of such horrific acts as necessary to maintain the empire. In fact, Jerrie Cobb may have gotten away with shooting JFK because she was right out in the open and no one suspected her. I can't explain it further except to say that Mary Haverstick has the goods in regards to this. She has a reasonable case. You're going to have to read it and find out.

[Laura McGee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this down. It’s about a well known female aviator who was also deeply involved in the CIA and HOT DOG! My mind is spinning and I feel like I know some secrets of history!
Or- it’s some FASCINATING and well researched nonsense. (But I don’t think so…)
I hope this book does well. Also, anyone else who reads this and is obsessed- please come talk to me!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adding this to the book category of: why aren’t more people talking about this?

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is among the most fascinating books I’ve read and raises some new deeply troubling questions about JFK’s assassination. The book is a roadmap to answering many of them thanks to the author’s meticulous and exhaustive research, and her obsession with her subject. I was impressed at her immersion in spycraft and all things CIA, despite the agency’s refusal to release critical records. My only criticism is there were a couple tedious tangents into characters of questionable value to the overall story. The book could have been 75 pages shorter, but well worth reading through to the finish.

[Robert Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, how do I sum this up? This is possibly the most fascinating non-fiction book I’ve read. You can tell the author knows she’s taking a very unorthodox approach to history, and could be accused of positing some WILD theories.
She goes into painstaking detail laying out verified sources, also including photos and procedures to unlock this information that she insists is public record.
I would encourage anyone interested in women’s history, the Cold War, NASA, and/or the Kennedy Assassination to read this.

[Kim Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, to me, epitomizes the phrase, "truth is stranger than fiction". Fascinating story that I won't soon forget, even though after the first couple of amazing chapters, I had to skim much of the detailed research Mary Haverstick so thoroughly collected and analyzed. My brain doesn't need to be bogged down by all that, but it might be super interesting for aficionados of the Kennedy assassination who read all the viewpoints. I got the jest of the story, and wow, I've been schooled!

[Emmi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, the author has THOROUGHLY researched this topic. The read was difficult at times due to the HUGE amount of information and data. The author also moves around time-wise which is hard to follow at times. The book itself is about 400 pages, the rest are just the reference notes which shows how much research was done. I really wish there was more on this topic so that I could continue learning.

[WM D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having finished reading this book. I was shocked and surprised by what I found out in regards to the Kennedy assassination some 60 years ago. This book opened up a lot of new information and insights into how and why Kennedy was killed.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost, this book opened up a few new rabbit holes and enlarged the jigsaw puzzle .The book reads like a suspense novel in places .
The author explained the tools of the trade of Spycraft and gave examples . I learned about false defections, borrowed identities, falsifying 201 files, open code.

I started reading this book right around the time when the JFK hearing started up again a few weeks ago

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is fascinating but it is very involved. Haverstick does a great job of laying out the information but there is a lot of it. Sometimes I had to take a break or go back and reread to clarify in my head what was going on. Kudos to the actual agents that had to keep it all straight in the moment!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an endlessly fascinating read! I really loved the personal narrative bent here, especially since it continues all the way through to the end of the book. I could never be a spy lol.

[Bill Tress · Rating 3 out of 5]

When politicians win office the first questions for the CIA and FBI are “who killed Kennedy” and “are UFO’s real”. This book attempts to provide answers to the first question.
Mary Haverstick (MH) is the narrator. She explains that she started out to make a film about Jerrie Cobb, a woman who was a pioneering aviator and part of the Mercury 13 mission. While performing research for the movie, a stranger warns her to be careful and not to continue her work.
Her curiosity drove her into some deep research that indicated that Jerrie Collins could be several people, and all the names are associated with spying and assassination of President John Kennedy.
As Haverstick lays out her case in minute detail and with extraordinary research, this reader recalled a book titled “The Reporter who knew too much”. Dorothy Kilgallen, a TV star and New York Journalist went to Cuba to investigate the assassination of Kennedy and came home claiming that she knew about the conspiracy to kill him, and she knew who the real killer was. When she told people that she knew, she was murdered. So, as I read Haverstick’s narrative, I thought she will be killed also, yet she lived to author the book.
MH works hard to discover who June Cobb, Jerrie Cobb, Catherine Taaffe and QJWIN really are. Are they one person or 4 people and what did they have to do with the Kennedy assassination? She lays out elaborate spreadsheets that track where each person was at a certain time. Her analyses points to interaction between these people even to the point that they are one in the same person. We never get a complete answer, but it adds to the suspense and is an example of how thorough MH is.
A couple of things puzzle me. The first puzzle is at a certain point MH becomes an expert on spy speak, she reads a passage and knows what it is really saying beyond just the words. Is this the result of her study or something more? The second puzzle is the lack of discussion about Rusia and its spy’s. Certainly, they were in Cuba, they had to know what was going on with assassination plots and what was their reaction and or involvement? Also, it is documented that Lee Harvey Oswald went to the Russian embassy while in Mexico. Their spy network just sat by and watched.
After the many chapters describing the Cobbs cloak and dagger movements around the world, and the implication of many suspects in the Kennedy assassination, finally MH concludes it was Jerrie Cobb who killed Kennedy.
I have never believed it was Oswald, alone, but even this suggestion gives me pause. The more people involved the more likely there will be leaks! And there were hundreds involved according to MH.
MH’s theory and detailed explanation is that William Harvey, a high-ranking CIA manager, who oversaw the assassination group went rogue, and he orchestrated the killing and used Oswald as a decoy and Jessie Cobb and associates as the killer.
The subplot in this entire book was the question, who was Jerrie Cobb and did she use the name June Cobb and Catherine Taaffe. MH confirmed this at the end of this book by identifying scares on Jessie that were like June’s scares.
MH conjecture was that Jerrie Cobb identified as a babushka stationed 30 feet from Kennedy. She used a gun hidden in a camera to kill him. She walked away after the shooting and other similarly dressed women took her place. This scene gets back to my point about too many participants, yet nothing has ever leaked out.
This story of Kennedy’s killing is new. Other story lines had the mafia involve, Cuba involved and even Russia. MH has certainly documented her assertion, but much is left for her own point of view; I am not convinced that her version is the most correct. She certainly verified for me that Oswald was not the killer, just a decoy set up to lead in the wrong direction. That is why he was killed as soon as possible by Jack Ruby.
The subject of this book was quite interesting, and MH certainly invested much effort and research into telling her story. Sometimes it became tedious reading, but it did paint a picture of our CIA that is not very pretty. The assumptions and interruptions by MH may or may not have been accurate, yet it made for enjoyable reading. Jerrie Cobb was an amazing woman and in MH’s view a cold, cool killer; maybe!
I would have suggested the title for this book as " A Woman I think I knew".

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal book. Could Jerrie Cobb be June Cobb? Was she an aviator or a spy working from the early days of the OSS and later the CIA? In the 1960’s was she a part of a rogue faction of the CIA involved in orchestrating the plot and assassination of JFK? Was she working for Castro? Was she working with the Soviets? Who was the woman being interviewed for this book? All of these questions blossom from the author’s research in making what she thought was a simple yet intriguing documentary film about the first ladies who trained for space travel but were denied the opportunity. Author Mary Haverstick is the documentary filmmaker who through 12 years of deep research and interviews penned this real life story of spy craft, mystery and espionage.

I listened to the audiobook and declare this is definitely a great read. Or listen. I definitely recommend it if the title and the synopsis intrigue you.

[Karen Nelapati · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was such a slog, I felt like I was doing research for an essay, you can keep your non-fiction and I’ll stick to my girly romance novels ty xx

[Sara]

DNF. I don’t have enough brainpower at the moment to tackle this rabbit hole.

[Julie Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fact oriented, but necessary leading up to the final conclusion.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

True story - What starts as research of the first female astronaut candidates turns into a much deeper story about multiple identities, Cold War espionage and a possible JFK assassination theory. Audiobook narrated by the author.

[Noah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another DNF, a rarity for me, at about halfway through. The story of June/Jerrie Cobb is intriguing and exactingly researched, but just exhausting and tedious to read.

[Csparrenberger · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a very, very interesting book for the first 60 pages. After that, it became so tedious that I gave up by page 84. By the time I stopped, the intense detail of the book had just worn me out. The more I learned about the subject of the book, the less I cared about her and knowing how this would all end. I jumped ahead and read the epilogue.

[Richard West · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling research leading to a less than convincing conclusion. Great narrative until 11/22/63. That day does not ring true. Every other day in the narrative paints a compelling story.

[Julie Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I have never been a Kennedy assassination conspiracist. I’ve read articles and books where it featured prominently, and I saw Oliver Stone’s JFK and a few shows on it throughout the years, but I’ve never gone down any rabbit holes or had a lot of opinions about it beyond thinking Oswald didn’t act alone and somehow certain entities within this country were involved. I chose this title to listen to because I ran across it during an Audible sale, and I’ve recently really gotten into listening to non-fiction while walking and driving. The female spy during a time when women were mostly housewives angle was the attractor for me. Well, this is about that AND SO MUCH MORE! It is a twisty, multi-charactered, insanely complicated mind fuck. I highly recommend it and suggest you read instead of listening. I absolutely LOVED the author-narrator’s voice, but there are numerous charts and diagrams referred to throughout that you don’t get to see if listening. It is my opinion that Mary Haverstick has solved the “Who shot JFK” mystery. Regardless of what really happened or what you think you know, this will turn that on its head. It is absolutely fascinating for anyone interested in spy craft, women working against and within the patriarchy, women of adventure, and/or the JFK assassination.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haverstick has done amazing research on a woman that all most no one has ever heard about. Haverstick tries to answer as many questions as possible but is hindered by the secrecy of her subject and the CIA records that may shed light on Jerrie Cobb that may never be released any time soon.

If you want to learn about some of the tradecraft of women spies this book is a great read. How many different personas did Cobb have?

Cobb should be recognized for her work to get women into space. She tried to become an astronaut and at every turn was told "NO" even when she had more time in the cockpit and was more or equally qualified as the early astronauts. Was she denied because she was a woman or because the CIA did not want the press digging into her background and learning about her years as a spy?

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great true spy book!

If you are interested in the world of espionage, especially during the 1950’s and 60’s, and the JFK assassination, this book is for you! All I can say is that truth is stranger than fiction! I absolutely loved this book and was riveted from page 1 to the final page. Extremely well written and researched.

[Ed Bernard · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, well, this book will surely blow your mind, especially if you are at all interested in the JFK assassination. Briefly — Mary Haverstick is an independent film maker who was invited to consider making a movie about the life of aviator Jerri Cobb, the most prominent member of the Mercury13, women who were recruited to train as astronauts. As she got to know Jerri, she uncovered a lot of weird things, but it started with the existence of a JUNE Cobb, whose life was eerily similar to Jerri’s. The more she looked into it, the clearer it became that Jerri was actually very likely a CIA operative, and that the CIA often uses “impersonators” to provide cover for operatives. June was a real person, but Haverstick does a ton of research showing that they had frequently “checkerboarded” timelines. She started digging into what Jerri/June’s missions might have been, and it includes political assassination in the Congo, undercover work in Cuba (including working directly for Castro as an office worker) and finally, having a role in the JFK assassination. This leads Haverstick to examine the whole JFK file, and what she finds is incredibly provocative — for example, she openly speculates whether the fatal shot was fired by the “Babushka Lady” who seemed to be filming the motorcade but was unafraid after the shots (every other bystander was crouched or laying on the ground) and has never been identified. This is set up earlier in the book by the CIA director looking to create a new kind of weapon, which he called the “Magic Button”, a diagram of which looks kinda like it could be built into a handheld camera. She even implies that one of the CIA operatives she discusses in the book might’ve BEEN the Babushka. Meanwhile, Jerri/June Cobb admitted to waiting at Redbird Airport, anxious to pilot a flight out of Dallas before the air space would be closed by Air Force 1 taking off — Haverstick straight out states that she believes Jerri was Oswald’s getaway plane, since the plane ultimately goes to Cuba via Mexico City with a passenger. She certainly implies that the CIA killed Kennedy, that the underworld connections associated with the assassination came through the CIA (it was a technique they had used before) and that it was a conspiracy that involved Oswald but not him exclusively. There is nothing close to a smoking gun and I’m sure others will pooh-pooh her ideas, but this is riveting stuff. As a read, it can get a little into the weeds with the timelines and all, but that’s basically unavoidable. But as a series of ideas, well, it was impossible to stop reading.

Grade: A-

[Judy]

I just finished reading it and wow! Fascinating. One of my rare steps into non-fiction, but the promise of revelation on the JFK assassination prodded me. I'm still not sure I understood it completely - was there a real June Cobb that Jerrie impersonated? Jerrie herself is an amazing character and kind of scary. At the end, Haverstick says she liked Jerrie, yet earlier in the book she said that June Cobb, if she tortured that cat, was a monster. Clearly she was a psychopath who wanted her deeds (in her mind, her heroism) known, yet years of tradecraft rendered her unable to unmask completely.

Haverstick has done a tremendous amount of research and gone to great lengths to dig in deep and chase every angle. I sometimes lost track of all the names, and wasn't sure if Taafe was one of Jerrie's impersonations - because of the "26" scar,'It was but she had 6 kids. No faking that.

It was incredible that there were such women, so confident and so able, whether it was in aviation, in con artistry, or in shooting. And in taking lovers. The author made a lot of assumptions, she had to as the records are fudged, but now I can believe anything of the CIA. Yes, they associated with and used mobsters, were involved in drug trading and were basically amoral. And immoral.

I still am not sure what to think of Judith Exner; was she one of Jerrie's impersonations or another spy, the blonde to brunette thing was never explained sufficiently to me. It's hard to believe JFK was fooled as to who he was sleeping with. Also, it said that June had many lovers, yet Jerrie in the end was a lesbian - I think that's why she felt a kindred spirit to the author.

It certainly is a brand new answer to the JFK assassination. The story of taking off from Redbird is a real nail-biter. I wonder if Oswald knew what he was getting into. The associations to the CIA are chilling - Clare Booth Luce - for heaven's sake and it made me think that the world of power is really very small. I'd be interested to see what other people made of this book.

[Zachary Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

a filmmaker wants to make a documentary about Jerrie Cobb, an early aviation pioneer for woman in the 50s and 60s, but accidentally discovers that Jerrie Cobb has an extremely similar background to a June Cobb, a CIA agent. this brings the filmmaker down a rabbit hole trying to determine if aviation pioneer Jerrie Cobb was actually CIA agent June Cobb.

Haverstick decides to shelve her documentary about aviation and spend the next decade plus maintaining a relationship with Jerrie, who is now an old lady, and dove into the world of Cold War era espionage. she studies Jerrie and June’s timelines and matches up that when one disappears from the public record, another appears. their backgrounds identical. much of the book is a study into June/Jerrie’s potential role in CIA operations, but the most interesting part is the relationship between Haverstick and Jerrie. how Haverstick wanted Jerrie’s secrets and how she went about maintaining her interpersonal relationship with Jerrie while trying to unearth her potential political mysteries

Jerrie hints to Haverstick that she was in Dallas the day of JFKs assassination, waiting on a runway, and Haverstick believes she could’ve been Oswald’s getaway, making this book not just about espionage but another lens in which to study the JFK assassination. Haverstick notes that Oswald had named his child June and that Oswald had taken out the book written about Jerries aviation career right before the assassination. very intriguing espionage stuff. Haverstick attempts to prove that Jerrie/June could’ve been the famous “Babushka lady” present right at the moment of JFKs murder

a must read for people interested in the Cold War, espionage, the CIA, and the JFK assassination