With My Little Eye

 With My Little Eye

Reviewed By  Nan van Dissel       February 15, 2021

 

Author  Sandra Hogan

Distributor:      Allen & Unwin
ISBN:                 9781760878467
Publisher:         Allen & Unwin
Release Date:   February 2021  

Website:    https://www.allenandunwin.com 

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The incredible true story of a family of spies in the suburbs

Believing that Russian spies were operating in Australia, Prime Minister, Ben Chifley, established the Australian Security Intelligence Agency (ASIO) in 1949. Dudley Doherty became one of its earliest agents. Unlike other operators, he involved not only his wife but his children as unwitting foot soldiers. In her book “With My Little Eye”, journalist, writer and teacher, Sandra Hogan helps one of the children unravel her past and make sense of her childhood as part of the clandestine operations which her father undertook.

Sue-Ellen, one of the three Doherty children, knew from quite an early aged that their family was different from others. They were taught to be observant, watchful and not to stand out from the rest. They were instructed not to divulge anything about their family, to notice the unusual and not to make close friendships. When asked, they were to say that their father worked for the Attorney General’s Department; they were never to ask questions about his work.  Not only did he disappear for weeks on end and have friends amongst the Asian and migrant populations, he also counted Abe Safron, the Petrovs and Ray Whitrod amongst his acquaintances; it was all part of his work.   

Readers will thoroughly enjoy this easy to read, sensitively written account of Sue-Ellen and her strange family life in 1950’s suburban Australia. ‘With My Little Eye’ explores the impact on the Doherty children of being part of an ASIO family, giving the reader insight into what appeared to be an ordinary household, but in reality was a most unusual one. Sandra Hogan in having gained the trust of the three siblings, in particular Sue-Ellen, allows them to have a better understanding of their childhood and form closer bonds with each other.

Biographies, History, Non Fiction