My Spy: Memoir of a CIA Wife

By Bina C. Kiyonaga and Bina Cady Kiyonaga

Book Overview

So begins the love story of Joe Kiyonaga, the striking Japanese-American war hero from Hawaii, and Bina Cady, the irreverent Irish-Catholic redhead from Baltimore. Similar in their convictions, different in most every other respect, the two leaped into a marriage in 1947 that defied the anti-Japanese sentiments of the day. And their unlikely union would come to include a powerful, top-secret cohort: the CIA. For while Bina, Joe, and their children played the part of a normal family, all of their activities were geared toward Joe's clandestine mission as a spy for the CIA: to gather intelligence information and recruit new agents . Full of intrigue, passion, and danger, this extraordinary memoir has all the elements of the finest fiction -- made more compelling because every word is true.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380794977
• ISBN13: 9780380794973
• Release Date: February 2001
• Publisher: Harper Perennial
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

AN EMOTIONAL STORY FIT FOR A KING OR A QUEEN

You're not going to learn much about the profession of "spying," but you are going to experience a wonderful true story of a family held together by the wife and backed up and nourished by the father. It is a little like a travelogue and a lot of how to have a successful marriage even while having problems and a husband who is away from home a lot. At the end, you should shed a tear or two if you have a heart within you!

--From the wife's point of view--

This is an interesting book about the marriage of a middle class woman of Irish descent to a Hawaiian man of Japanese descent. Aside from the differences in their backgrounds, their lives were further complicated by Joe Kiyonaga's career as a CIA agent. Throw in several children, add tours of duty to Japan, Central and South America and you have a lifetime of various adventures. The author, Bina Cady Kiyonaga writes with feeling, and tells the story of her marriage to Joe Kiyonaga with a great deal of candor, even describing the racial prejudice that her husband had to endure. Her rich descriptions of the various places that the family lived really enhance the story and give it an extra dimension. Bina has an easy style of writing and describes her life with a great deal of wit and humor. I recommend the book to anyone who might be interested in what it was like for the wife and family of a CIA operative.

Danne F. Futterer

Bina Kiyonaga successfully captures the joys and hardships of being a CIA wife. Since she is from our neighborhood, I was delighted to read about my former grade school and local haunts. Her stories about travel to Japan, South America, etc., with all her kids in tow were inspirational. She expresses the heroism of her entire family when her husband served the CIA. And it is not without levity. I was also intrigued by the amount of racism against the Japanese not only in the U.S. during the war, but abroad as well. Kiyonaga is a fine writer- I can hear her voice in this book.

I hated to have this book end

I found this to be a wonderful book. Bina Kiyonaga weaves a remarkable story of intrique, patriotism, family, faith and love. "My Spy" made me laugh,it made me cry;it made me chortle, it made me sigh. Kiyonaga beguiles you. She carries you along on the poignant, exciting and wickedly humorous ride of her life. I hated to have this book end.

A Young Woman's Perspective

I really loved this book! Bina Kiyonaga, and her story, are an inspiration. The book is an incredible account of her journey through life as a mother of five and as the wife of a complex - and compelling -- CIA operative. From country to country, she tells what it was like to live a lie for husband and country. And throughout all the trials and tribulations of the Cold War, they managed to show real humor and courage. There is also great poignancy in this love story, as she describes the true partnership she forged with her husband in his fight against cancer. This book is truly amazing and will appeal to readers of all ages. I highly recomend this book and have been sharing my excitement for it with everyone I know.