In True Face: A Woman's Life in the Cia, Unmasked -- Jonna Mendez, Paperback

In this "extraordinarily brave and entertaining book" (Sonia Purnell, New York Times-bestselling author of A Woman of No Importance), the bestselling coauthor of Argo tells her riveting, courageous story of being a female spy at the height of the Cold War

Jonna Mendez began her CIA career as a "contract wife," performing secretarial duties for the CIA as a convenience to her husband, a young officer stationed in Europe. She needed his permission to open a bank account or even shut off the gas to their apartment. Yet Mendez had a talent for espionage, too, parlaying her interest in photography into an operational role overseas, an unlikely area for a woman in the CIA. Often underestimated, occasionally undermined, she lived undercover and served tours of duty all over the globe, rising first to become an international spy and ultimately to chief of disguise at CIA's Office of Technical Service.

In True Face recounts not only the drama of Mendez's high-stakes work but also the grit and good fortune it took for her to navigate a misogynistic world. This is the story of an incredible spy career and what it took to achieve it.

Author: Jonna Mendez
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Published: 09/16/2025
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.63lbs
Size: 8.19h x 5.54w x 0.89d
ISBN: 9781541703131

About the Author
Jonna Mendez is a former chief of disguise with twenty-seven years of experience as a CIA officer working in Moscow and other sensitive areas. With her late husband Tony Mendez, she is the bestselling coauthor of Argo, The Moscow Rules, and Spy Dust.