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The Model Spy: Based on the True Story of Toto Koopman’s World War II Ventures
THE MODEL SPY is based on the true story of Toto Koopman, who spied for the Allies and Italian Resistance during World War II. Largely unknown today, Toto was arguably the first woman to spy for the British Intelligence Service. Operating in the hotbed of Mussolini's Italy, she courted danger every step of the way. As the war entered its final stages, she faced off against the most brutal of forces—Germany's Intelligence Service, the Abwehr.
333 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 27, 2022
11 people are currently reading
1944 people want to read
About the author
Maryka Biaggio
10 books107 followersMaryka Biaggio, PhD, is a psychology professor turned novelist with a passion for history and the human spirit. After a successful academic career, she turned to writing historical fiction inspired by real people—figures whose lives illuminate the complexities of their time. Her debut novel, Parlor Games (Doubleday, 2013), was praised by New York Times bestselling author Daisy Goodwin as “a wildly entertaining and constantly surprising ride.” She has since published Eden Waits, The Point of Vanishing, The Model Spy, and Gun Girl and the Tall Guy. Her forthcoming novel, Margery and Me, will be published by Regal House in 2026 and has been hailed by distinguished author Valerie Martin as “a wry, lively, and wicked-good novel.”
She loves the challenge of starting with actual historical figures and dramatizing their lives—figuring out what motivated them to behave as they did, studying how cultural and historical context influenced them, and recreating their emotional world through dialogue and action. She prides herself on carefully researching the period, place, and people to provide readers with an immersive experience.
Her fiction has garnered numerous accolades, including the Willamette Writers Award, Oregon Writers Colony Award, Historical Novel Society Review Editors’ Choice, La Belle Lettre Award, a Michigan Upper Peninsula Notable Book Award, and a Regional Arts and Culture Council grant. She served on the Board of the Historical Novel Society North America Conference from 2015 to 2025 and has mentored writers in the Association of Writers and Writing Program’s Writer-to-Writer Mentorship program since 2020.
An avid opera fan, she also enjoys gardening, art films, and, of course, great fiction. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Learn more at my website.
She loves the challenge of starting with actual historical figures and dramatizing their lives—figuring out what motivated them to behave as they did, studying how cultural and historical context influenced them, and recreating their emotional world through dialogue and action. She prides herself on carefully researching the period, place, and people to provide readers with an immersive experience.
Her fiction has garnered numerous accolades, including the Willamette Writers Award, Oregon Writers Colony Award, Historical Novel Society Review Editors’ Choice, La Belle Lettre Award, a Michigan Upper Peninsula Notable Book Award, and a Regional Arts and Culture Council grant. She served on the Board of the Historical Novel Society North America Conference from 2015 to 2025 and has mentored writers in the Association of Writers and Writing Program’s Writer-to-Writer Mentorship program since 2020.
An avid opera fan, she also enjoys gardening, art films, and, of course, great fiction. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Learn more at my website.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 11, 2022
This books is based on the life of Toto Koopman. And what a life it was. She was a model and part of the crowd of the Bright, Young Things during the 20s. She became something of a spy right before WWII and during the war in Italy. She survived prison and concentration camps.
I don’t know how much artistic license the author took. Much of this book is based on a biography by Jean-Noel Liaut. I would assume the first-person thoughts are made up. There is actually not much known about Toto’s intelligence work. So that part is also speculation. However, it has an authenticity to it that makes it very believable.
Yes, her time in prison camps and a concentration camp are explored in the book. It is not pleasant but the horrors of those places did not overwhelm me. The focus on this book is life. Living it on your terms and finding meaning in it. That is something to be celebrated.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.
I don’t know how much artistic license the author took. Much of this book is based on a biography by Jean-Noel Liaut. I would assume the first-person thoughts are made up. There is actually not much known about Toto’s intelligence work. So that part is also speculation. However, it has an authenticity to it that makes it very believable.
Yes, her time in prison camps and a concentration camp are explored in the book. It is not pleasant but the horrors of those places did not overwhelm me. The focus on this book is life. Living it on your terms and finding meaning in it. That is something to be celebrated.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest opinion.
April 6, 2022
Well written and engrossing, The Model Spy is a historical fiction telling of Toto Koopman's life as a model turned spy during WWII. I knew nothing about this courageous woman prior to reading this novel, and it was an eye opening read.
It definitely should be required reading for high school students, in my humble opinion, as it's such an important part of history. It was interesting to learn what resistance workers went through during the war.
Five out of five stars.
It definitely should be required reading for high school students, in my humble opinion, as it's such an important part of history. It was interesting to learn what resistance workers went through during the war.
Five out of five stars.
June 20, 2022
The Model Spy, Maryka Biaggio
This book turned out to be a far better read than I thought it would be. In the beginning, I thought perhaps it was really written for a Young Adult audience, but soon, I was disabused of that idea. The book is based on the life of Toto Koopman, and as she matured, I changed my mind. At first, she seemed to be a woman of very low morals, selfish and overly self-confident, often changing lovers like some people change their under garments. However, as she matured, became a nurse and then a veritable asset to the war effort as a spy, she seemed to find her calling, wanting more out of life than pleasure; she offered her services in any capacity to the resistance or to Great Britain, sometimes begging to be an asset. She spoke several languages, was very wily, and her beauty and personality were often magnetic, enabling her to charm those she came in contact with, eliciting information to pass on to the spymasters and partisans.
When the book begins, it is 1914, Toto, the child of a Dutch father and Indonesian mother, has suffered the slings and arrows of bigotry. However, when she is sent off to boarding school, her parents had instilled enough self-confidence in her to allow her to use her beauty, intelligence and wit to aid her in her effort to overcome the abusive behavior she sometimes encountered, and to succeed beyond her wildest dreams. She graced the covers of Vogue and other magazines, modeled for Chanel, mixed with dignitaries, politicians and world leaders, corresponding and dating such men as Randolph Churchill, and befriending Pamela Churchill and others of prominent backgrounds. Still, she proposed to give her leisurely, upscale life up, because she truly wished to aid the effort to stop the monstrous behavior of Mussolini at first, and then Hitler’s barbarism.
Still, she seemed to be a woman who gave in to her prurient desires, taking lovers at will, and behaving as she pleased, regardless of social protocols. Her sexuality covered all aspects of her relationships, male and female. Toto, did not mind assuming other identities or even becoming a honey trap when she had to, in order to solicit information. There were few women aiding the war effort in this way, but she trained and learned how to defend herself, pass and receive secrets and, hopefully, how to survive. She didn’t mind using men to get what she wanted, but no matter how loose or unconventional she may have seemed, at first, don’t judge her too harshly because she had the courage to survive in both Italian prison camps and German Concentration Camps, and she never betrayed her fellow spies in spite of beatings, starvation and degradation, in spite of being begged by the enemy to turn and aid them instead. Even to save herself, she would not work for Italy or Germany. Instead, she served her time, escaped, was recaptured, suffered intensely was even experimented upon, but still she aided the war effort as a courier, as an interpreter, helping and leading soldiers and partisans to escape to safety, rescuing Jewish children, rescuing prisoners, saving some from being condemned to death, who were in the prison camps with her, and even carried secrets out of Ravensbruck when she was freed at the war's end.
I have read widely on the subject of World War II. This book covers it from many vantage points, as it explores the life of Toto Koopman, a largely unsung heroine. It illustrates the brutality that partisans, gypsies, political prisoners and all those captured and imprisoned in various places by Mussolini, Hirohito, and Hitler had to endure. While it reveals many things I had heard of, like the cattle cars, the forced marches, cold-blooded murder and torture, and the experiments on the prisoners called “rabbits”, it also revealed something I had not known, and that was that there was anesthetic-free, forced sterilization of those women not considered purely Aryan, like those of mixed races and those of gypsy heritage. Dr. Mengele was not the only maniacal monster. Toto Koopman was forced to live through the ordeal of these brutalized women and suffer the consequences. This book covers a broad spectrum of the barbarism of the Axis countries, and it is worth the time it takes to read it.
It is told in the first person and it soon begins to feel as if, in this fictionalized version of her life, Toto is speaking directly to you, the reader, taking you into her confidence, forcing you, the reader, to sometimes wish you could offer her some comfort. Starved, beaten, imprisoned without proof of a crime, tortured, she weathered the storms of the war years, and then lived fairly quietly thereafter. Biracial, bisexual, a free spirit willing to sacrifice to save others, she deserves your honor, your respect and your praise.
This book turned out to be a far better read than I thought it would be. In the beginning, I thought perhaps it was really written for a Young Adult audience, but soon, I was disabused of that idea. The book is based on the life of Toto Koopman, and as she matured, I changed my mind. At first, she seemed to be a woman of very low morals, selfish and overly self-confident, often changing lovers like some people change their under garments. However, as she matured, became a nurse and then a veritable asset to the war effort as a spy, she seemed to find her calling, wanting more out of life than pleasure; she offered her services in any capacity to the resistance or to Great Britain, sometimes begging to be an asset. She spoke several languages, was very wily, and her beauty and personality were often magnetic, enabling her to charm those she came in contact with, eliciting information to pass on to the spymasters and partisans.
When the book begins, it is 1914, Toto, the child of a Dutch father and Indonesian mother, has suffered the slings and arrows of bigotry. However, when she is sent off to boarding school, her parents had instilled enough self-confidence in her to allow her to use her beauty, intelligence and wit to aid her in her effort to overcome the abusive behavior she sometimes encountered, and to succeed beyond her wildest dreams. She graced the covers of Vogue and other magazines, modeled for Chanel, mixed with dignitaries, politicians and world leaders, corresponding and dating such men as Randolph Churchill, and befriending Pamela Churchill and others of prominent backgrounds. Still, she proposed to give her leisurely, upscale life up, because she truly wished to aid the effort to stop the monstrous behavior of Mussolini at first, and then Hitler’s barbarism.
Still, she seemed to be a woman who gave in to her prurient desires, taking lovers at will, and behaving as she pleased, regardless of social protocols. Her sexuality covered all aspects of her relationships, male and female. Toto, did not mind assuming other identities or even becoming a honey trap when she had to, in order to solicit information. There were few women aiding the war effort in this way, but she trained and learned how to defend herself, pass and receive secrets and, hopefully, how to survive. She didn’t mind using men to get what she wanted, but no matter how loose or unconventional she may have seemed, at first, don’t judge her too harshly because she had the courage to survive in both Italian prison camps and German Concentration Camps, and she never betrayed her fellow spies in spite of beatings, starvation and degradation, in spite of being begged by the enemy to turn and aid them instead. Even to save herself, she would not work for Italy or Germany. Instead, she served her time, escaped, was recaptured, suffered intensely was even experimented upon, but still she aided the war effort as a courier, as an interpreter, helping and leading soldiers and partisans to escape to safety, rescuing Jewish children, rescuing prisoners, saving some from being condemned to death, who were in the prison camps with her, and even carried secrets out of Ravensbruck when she was freed at the war's end.
I have read widely on the subject of World War II. This book covers it from many vantage points, as it explores the life of Toto Koopman, a largely unsung heroine. It illustrates the brutality that partisans, gypsies, political prisoners and all those captured and imprisoned in various places by Mussolini, Hirohito, and Hitler had to endure. While it reveals many things I had heard of, like the cattle cars, the forced marches, cold-blooded murder and torture, and the experiments on the prisoners called “rabbits”, it also revealed something I had not known, and that was that there was anesthetic-free, forced sterilization of those women not considered purely Aryan, like those of mixed races and those of gypsy heritage. Dr. Mengele was not the only maniacal monster. Toto Koopman was forced to live through the ordeal of these brutalized women and suffer the consequences. This book covers a broad spectrum of the barbarism of the Axis countries, and it is worth the time it takes to read it.
It is told in the first person and it soon begins to feel as if, in this fictionalized version of her life, Toto is speaking directly to you, the reader, taking you into her confidence, forcing you, the reader, to sometimes wish you could offer her some comfort. Starved, beaten, imprisoned without proof of a crime, tortured, she weathered the storms of the war years, and then lived fairly quietly thereafter. Biracial, bisexual, a free spirit willing to sacrifice to save others, she deserves your honor, your respect and your praise.
May 22, 2022
Jet-setter, hob-nobber with the famous, and herself a model, Toto Koopman had a movie life. She became a spy and during World War II spent time in concentration camps and prison.
This novelization of her life is told in the first person POV, as if the woman is writing her memoir. The narration is authentic, engrossing, and very readable. Her story is compelling, although anguishing at times. Biaggio shows us what a heroine is - not necessarily someone who does things that no one else can do, but someone who does things no one else wants to do, someone who steps up and does what little she can, which can end up changing the world.
The story is fast-paced and well-written. A great addition to the WWII female-spy historical fiction genre.
This novelization of her life is told in the first person POV, as if the woman is writing her memoir. The narration is authentic, engrossing, and very readable. Her story is compelling, although anguishing at times. Biaggio shows us what a heroine is - not necessarily someone who does things that no one else can do, but someone who does things no one else wants to do, someone who steps up and does what little she can, which can end up changing the world.
The story is fast-paced and well-written. A great addition to the WWII female-spy historical fiction genre.
March 1, 2023
The author has rendered a masterful and gripping story about a complex woman and the development of her character while serving as a spy for the Italian resistance during WWII. Toto Koopman, the much-photographed and adored model during the 1940s left little of her own written documentation, yet through much research, Maryka Biaggio has fashioned a complete, albeit imagined, personality for the reader to ponder.
Toto Koopman was a beauty, born in Java, to parents of mixed race. Her parents sent her to Europe to be formally educated, and from there her future blossomed-- as a model, playgirl, and lover to many of higher-up political stature across Europe, including Mussolini's son-in-law. She had a vainglorious view of herself, yet a strong moral sense about the evils of authoritarianism and racism taking place in Europe. With her fluency in six languages and ease of relating to politicos in high places, she believed she could "make a difference" by becoming a spy. And she succeeded in slipping some valuable information across borders from time to time. But her luck ran out in an instance, and her life of comfort turned to years of despair in Italian detention camps and a Nazi concentration camp.
The author's narratives of Toto's years of imprisonment are detailed and graphic, with some moments of hope and relief. Toto emerges from this novel as a strong person whose focus on finding "goodness" among human beings in all situations is her salvation. From this book I have also learned some interesting inside information regarding the WWII political situation in Italy and among the Allied forces.
Toto Koopman was a beauty, born in Java, to parents of mixed race. Her parents sent her to Europe to be formally educated, and from there her future blossomed-- as a model, playgirl, and lover to many of higher-up political stature across Europe, including Mussolini's son-in-law. She had a vainglorious view of herself, yet a strong moral sense about the evils of authoritarianism and racism taking place in Europe. With her fluency in six languages and ease of relating to politicos in high places, she believed she could "make a difference" by becoming a spy. And she succeeded in slipping some valuable information across borders from time to time. But her luck ran out in an instance, and her life of comfort turned to years of despair in Italian detention camps and a Nazi concentration camp.
The author's narratives of Toto's years of imprisonment are detailed and graphic, with some moments of hope and relief. Toto emerges from this novel as a strong person whose focus on finding "goodness" among human beings in all situations is her salvation. From this book I have also learned some interesting inside information regarding the WWII political situation in Italy and among the Allied forces.
April 4, 2022
The story of Toto Koopman is an incredible one - born to Dutch and Indonesian parents, Toto becomes an intrepid and intelligent world traveler, having connections in influential circles all around Europe. She’s a model in Vogue, and keeps company with the son of Winston Churchill.
When World War II breaks out, Toto is compelled to go to Italy and join the cause of the Allies as a spy. The important work she does - all across Italy during the reign of Mussolini - definitely saves lives.
This was a great story - I found the writing to be compelling so while this is not a total work of fiction, it made for an easy read! Not knowing much about what went on in Italy during the war, this book gave great insight into the work the Italians resistance did, as well as the experience of prisoners in Italian and German camps as the war progressed.
When World War II breaks out, Toto is compelled to go to Italy and join the cause of the Allies as a spy. The important work she does - all across Italy during the reign of Mussolini - definitely saves lives.
This was a great story - I found the writing to be compelling so while this is not a total work of fiction, it made for an easy read! Not knowing much about what went on in Italy during the war, this book gave great insight into the work the Italians resistance did, as well as the experience of prisoners in Italian and German camps as the war progressed.
May 9, 2022
This is an excellent read. A beautiful, exotic woman, a model and living in high society with the approach of World War 2. Her incredible inner strength and belief in what is right and wrong take her on a journey of years of spying for England and being captured and put in "work camps" in Italy and finally a concentration camp in Germany. How she survives, her mindset and strength makes you question how well you'd stand up to the terrible things she experienced. It's not only a good read but I learned some things about the war I wasn't aware. I certainly recommend this book.
April 10, 2022
The dedication to The Model Spy reads: “To the brave and dedicated, then and now, who fight and continue to fight for democracy,” which certainly compelled me to read on. I had never heard of Toto Koopman till reading this book. With her background, Koopman seemed an unlikely person to join the fight for democracy in the 1930s and '40s. She was the toast of Paris and London, well known as a model, and had excellent prospects for a film career. Then she decided to spy for England and for Italians opposed to Mussolini’s regime. She couldn't be anonymous because of her fame, so she quickly attracted the attention of Mussolini’s Blackshirts and the Nazis. Toto shows what true bravery is. I loved her story of intrigue and courage.
May 3, 2022
This was a fast paced novel about a model whose father was Dutch and mother Indonesian, giving her the exotic dark looks the haute-couture of 1920s Paris craved. But Toto keflt she could do more, she needed a sense of purpose.
traversing the balls, parties and exclusive events of upper class society, Toto becomes confidant of publishing magnate Lord Beaverbrook. Beaverbrook introduces her to powerful and influential people, like Randolph Churchill, even has her schooled in espionage.
When war begin, Toto, wanting to be of assistance and do something meaningful goes to Florence Italy to spy on Mussolini's regime and report back to England.
What an interesting person Toto Koopman was. And what an exciting life she led! She experiences everything from glamour and fame on the greatest runways in Paris to the horrors of Nazi concentration cap Ravensbruck, talk about extremes! And through it all she didn't give up, she may have thought about it, but she always managed to find a way to push ahead.
Toto's character is brought vividly to life in Maryka Biagia's The Model Spy. The ups and downs keep you reading, "just one more page" until before you know it you have read the whole book in one sitting. Great novel, I recommend to all historical fiction lovers. On sale now, grab a copy.
Thank you to Sunbury Press and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.
traversing the balls, parties and exclusive events of upper class society, Toto becomes confidant of publishing magnate Lord Beaverbrook. Beaverbrook introduces her to powerful and influential people, like Randolph Churchill, even has her schooled in espionage.
When war begin, Toto, wanting to be of assistance and do something meaningful goes to Florence Italy to spy on Mussolini's regime and report back to England.
What an interesting person Toto Koopman was. And what an exciting life she led! She experiences everything from glamour and fame on the greatest runways in Paris to the horrors of Nazi concentration cap Ravensbruck, talk about extremes! And through it all she didn't give up, she may have thought about it, but she always managed to find a way to push ahead.
Toto's character is brought vividly to life in Maryka Biagia's The Model Spy. The ups and downs keep you reading, "just one more page" until before you know it you have read the whole book in one sitting. Great novel, I recommend to all historical fiction lovers. On sale now, grab a copy.
Thank you to Sunbury Press and to Net Galley for the free ARC, I am leaving my honest review in return.
February 2, 2023
Gripping WWII Heroine’s Story
I’m grateful Author Maryka Biaggio wrote this gripping, provocative book that introduced me to Toto Koopman, a WWII heroine I, and probably most of us, have never heard of.
Written in the first person, this masterful work of fiction reads like the journal of the protagonist, Toto Koopman, born in Java of a Dutch father and Indonesian mother. Her life as a fashion model, high-society denizen, speaker of 5 languages, and world traveler before the war is fascinating. Once the war is upon Europe and Toto decides to spy for the Allies from Florence under the nose of Mussolini and his fascist machine, the story tightens to the near breaking point.
Beautifully told at the perfect pace, “The Model Spy” is first-class historical fiction. I highly recommend it!
I’m grateful Author Maryka Biaggio wrote this gripping, provocative book that introduced me to Toto Koopman, a WWII heroine I, and probably most of us, have never heard of.
Written in the first person, this masterful work of fiction reads like the journal of the protagonist, Toto Koopman, born in Java of a Dutch father and Indonesian mother. Her life as a fashion model, high-society denizen, speaker of 5 languages, and world traveler before the war is fascinating. Once the war is upon Europe and Toto decides to spy for the Allies from Florence under the nose of Mussolini and his fascist machine, the story tightens to the near breaking point.
Beautifully told at the perfect pace, “The Model Spy” is first-class historical fiction. I highly recommend it!
July 9, 2022
*I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*
I've heard of Toto Koopman previously, but I didn't know the extent of her remarkable story until this novel. Born in Indonesia, the mixed-race Toto lived a life of luxury and glamour in pre-WWII Europe. Working as a model, she worked for Vogue and Coco Chanel, but Toto found her true calling when a wealthy Englishman taught her the basics of espionage. She's determined to put her skills to use when war breaks out, but Toto's work as a spy also puts her in danger. Overall, this made for a fascinating and informative read and I hope to learn more about this remarkable woman.
I've heard of Toto Koopman previously, but I didn't know the extent of her remarkable story until this novel. Born in Indonesia, the mixed-race Toto lived a life of luxury and glamour in pre-WWII Europe. Working as a model, she worked for Vogue and Coco Chanel, but Toto found her true calling when a wealthy Englishman taught her the basics of espionage. She's determined to put her skills to use when war breaks out, but Toto's work as a spy also puts her in danger. Overall, this made for a fascinating and informative read and I hope to learn more about this remarkable woman.
Read
May 14, 2022This is a very well-written story about a brave, beautiful woman who chose to trade her privileged life for her beliefs. It's a page-turner.
May 12, 2024
This review originally appeared in the Historical Novel Review:
The Model Spy, based on the true adventures of Toto Koopman, is not only an engrossing story, it is also a fascinating study in character. What drives an admittedly self-centered party girl to give up the good life and risk her freedom and even her life to help others?
Toto Koopman is the daughter of a Dutch father and an Indonesian mother. After a carefree childhood in Java, she is sent to boarding school in the Netherlands at the age of twelve. After her schooling, Koopman, who is adept at languages, travels Europe, first as a model and later as newspaper mogul Lord Beaverbrook’s lover and translator. Sought after by both men and women, she lives a life of glamour and frivoloty. Then Hitler invades Poland, and Italy’s dictator, Mussolini, joins forces with him. Toto’s insouciant life suddenly seems shallow and meaningless. On an impulse, she moves to Italy where she actively seeks out opportunities to join the Partisans, save Jewish lives, and get vital information to the British, but because of her renown, the fascists are suspicious. Without a shred of evidence, they arrest her.
Biaggio’s economical prose sets a fast pace, and the result is riveting. No matter how much we learn about what happened during the Second World War, there always seem to be fresh horrors and unsung heroes. Toto is one of the heroes. Her indifference to the opinions of others turns out to be her super power as she proves time and again that she will do whatever she must in order to save innocent lives.
The Model Spy, based on the true adventures of Toto Koopman, is not only an engrossing story, it is also a fascinating study in character. What drives an admittedly self-centered party girl to give up the good life and risk her freedom and even her life to help others?
Toto Koopman is the daughter of a Dutch father and an Indonesian mother. After a carefree childhood in Java, she is sent to boarding school in the Netherlands at the age of twelve. After her schooling, Koopman, who is adept at languages, travels Europe, first as a model and later as newspaper mogul Lord Beaverbrook’s lover and translator. Sought after by both men and women, she lives a life of glamour and frivoloty. Then Hitler invades Poland, and Italy’s dictator, Mussolini, joins forces with him. Toto’s insouciant life suddenly seems shallow and meaningless. On an impulse, she moves to Italy where she actively seeks out opportunities to join the Partisans, save Jewish lives, and get vital information to the British, but because of her renown, the fascists are suspicious. Without a shred of evidence, they arrest her.
Biaggio’s economical prose sets a fast pace, and the result is riveting. No matter how much we learn about what happened during the Second World War, there always seem to be fresh horrors and unsung heroes. Toto is one of the heroes. Her indifference to the opinions of others turns out to be her super power as she proves time and again that she will do whatever she must in order to save innocent lives.
April 1, 2024
"The Model Spy" is a captivating blend of glamour and espionage set against the backdrop of World War II. Maryka Biaggio deftly weaves the tale of Toto Koopman using a first-person narrative that thoroughly immersed me in Toto's extraordinary life.
Toto's journey begins with hardship and displacement, but her resilience and determination propel her from the catwalks of Paris to the corridors of power in London and Italy. Along the way, she captivates everyone she meets with her charisma and intellect, all while secretly gathering intelligence for the Allies.
What sets "The Model Spy" apart is its portrayal of Toto as a multifaceted character (and a woman of color) whose experiences shape her evolution from a carefree model to a courageous spy. As she grapples with the moral complexities of her role, Toto's humanity shines through, driving her to risk everything in pursuit of a greater purpose.
Throughout the novel, Toto's voice feels authentic, her choices believable, and her resilience in the face of adversity inspiring. Whether she's navigating the treacherous world of espionage or facing imprisonment and danger, Toto remains steadfast in her commitment to freedom and justice.
"The Model Spy" is a compelling tale of espionage that will captivate readers with its blend of historical detail, suspenseful plot twists, and compelling character development.
Toto's journey begins with hardship and displacement, but her resilience and determination propel her from the catwalks of Paris to the corridors of power in London and Italy. Along the way, she captivates everyone she meets with her charisma and intellect, all while secretly gathering intelligence for the Allies.
What sets "The Model Spy" apart is its portrayal of Toto as a multifaceted character (and a woman of color) whose experiences shape her evolution from a carefree model to a courageous spy. As she grapples with the moral complexities of her role, Toto's humanity shines through, driving her to risk everything in pursuit of a greater purpose.
Throughout the novel, Toto's voice feels authentic, her choices believable, and her resilience in the face of adversity inspiring. Whether she's navigating the treacherous world of espionage or facing imprisonment and danger, Toto remains steadfast in her commitment to freedom and justice.
"The Model Spy" is a compelling tale of espionage that will captivate readers with its blend of historical detail, suspenseful plot twists, and compelling character development.
May 12, 2025
Maryka Biaggio has fashioned a compelling story about someone I knew nothing about. Toto Koopman was such a marvellous character who lived lived to the fullest, even as the dark weight of fascism fell upon Europe. Biaggio captures Toto's courage and bravado so well as she works tirelessly to make a difference in Mussolini's Italy. My father fought in Normandy and I know a bit about that theatre of the war and Biaggo brings to life the struggles faced by the underground in Italy, a story I knew little about. She also captures well Toto's grand life modelling and travelling with the well-heeled leading up until the war, including her relationship with lord Beaverbook. I would have loved to have learned more about this relationship, and the also more about the role of the Catholic Church in Italy that is touched upon. The canvas is wide so she understandably had to limit her palette. I look forward to her next novel.
March 17, 2024
Mesmerizing and fascinating story!
In the 1930s, Toto Koopman was a famous biracial (and bisexual) model, traveling extensively, hanging out with the likes of designer Coco Chanel, Winston Churchill’s son Randolph and other influential celebrities, and just generally living the life of a bon vivant.....
So how did she become a spy for the Allies during WWII, an Italian Resistance fighter, an inmate in the German Ravensbruck concentration camp, a noted art patron? Truly, I’m not sure as the book does not explain her sudden (it seems) political & moral convictions. Still, this is an astounding and captivating story about a fascinating and courageous woman.
In the 1930s, Toto Koopman was a famous biracial (and bisexual) model, traveling extensively, hanging out with the likes of designer Coco Chanel, Winston Churchill’s son Randolph and other influential celebrities, and just generally living the life of a bon vivant.....
So how did she become a spy for the Allies during WWII, an Italian Resistance fighter, an inmate in the German Ravensbruck concentration camp, a noted art patron? Truly, I’m not sure as the book does not explain her sudden (it seems) political & moral convictions. Still, this is an astounding and captivating story about a fascinating and courageous woman.
July 15, 2024
Captivating!
Maryka Biaggio completely captivated this reader with her novel The Model Spy. Told from Toto Koopman's point of view, I felt immersed in World War II. Biaggio's research brings Toto's life and her experiences as a spy and a political prisoner right off the page. This is an important novel to read anytime but especially now when Fascists are gaining power and threatening democracy. The Model Spy is an important reminder of the horrors of WWII. We must not let it happen again.
Maryka Biaggio completely captivated this reader with her novel The Model Spy. Told from Toto Koopman's point of view, I felt immersed in World War II. Biaggio's research brings Toto's life and her experiences as a spy and a political prisoner right off the page. This is an important novel to read anytime but especially now when Fascists are gaining power and threatening democracy. The Model Spy is an important reminder of the horrors of WWII. We must not let it happen again.
May 3, 2022
In The Model Spy, Maryka Biaggio brings to life a unique heroine. Toto Koopman had it all: brains, beauty, and connections. Yet, she had something else too, something far more admirable—courage. During WW II Koopman gave up her worldly advantages to join the Italian resistance and fight the fascists. She suffered mightily for that choice, eventually landing in the notorious Ravensbruck. This is a terrific little WW II story, one that really needed telling!
June 24, 2024
The Model Spy is an impactful novel about an extraordinary woman, Toto Koopman. Maryka Biaggio blends fact and fiction seamlessly as Toto transitions from a model in Paris to espionage work for the Italian resistance in WWII, where her wits, bravery, and resilience are tested to the limit. Heartbreaking, emotional, inspiring.
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June 27, 2022You can watch the trailer for THE MODEL SPY here: https://video214.com/play/iQBE8LZkr10...
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September 29, 2025DNF at 2% due to multiple zoological errors. Boas are New World, and Komodo dragons were never on Java.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sunbury Press for the ARC.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sunbury Press for the ARC.
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