The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax

By: Dorothy Gilman

Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat

Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Mrs. Virgil (Emily) Pollifax of New Brunswick, New Jersey, was a widow with grown children. She was tired of attending her Garden Club meetings. She wanted to do something good for her country. This first in the series sends Emily on her first case after she successfully persuades a skeptical CIA recruitment officer that she is the best person for the job.

©1970 Dorothy Gilman (P)1989 Recorded Books, LLC

A Bit Too Familiar

This was an interesting, intense and funny story. The only thing is.....I watched this story on tv many years ago. After some snooping around online I realized how old this book is and then found that it was, indeed, made into a movie.
It was enjoyable and the narrator was amazing with all the voices. Except one....Mrs Pollifax. The story said she was in her mid sixties I believe. But her voice sounded more like late seventies. I do not know anyone in their sixties or seventies that sounds that old and frail. However, it did lend charm to the charisma and moxie of her supposedly elderly self. Her character is strong and she frequently surprises herself.

I am going to read the next book and hopefully it will all be a new surprise.

such a sweet story

Despite this not being my usual type of book, I really enjoyed it. It was so wholesome and sweet

I wish my mother was in the CIA

I bought this book because it was on sale. Typically I would not purchase a book like this because I am a 50 year old man, but I enjoyed it. Somewhat silly at times, but always fun. So many CIA/Spy thrillers have the 40 year kung fu master who can use any weapon know to man, jump in a helicopter and fly it, and can hack any computer known to man. Not Mrs Pollifax. She can barely walk 5 miles, but manages to get out of trouble because no one would ever see her as a threat. Hey, who would ever expect their mother or grandmother of being a CIA agent?Again, kind of silly but it works. Although I hate to characterize this a a "chick" book, I would see where any woman over 50 would enjoy this. I know it's probably not fair to stereotype this book, I do believe am elderly audience would identify with this.

Like Agatha Christie's Miss Marple

If you enjoy Agatha Christie's Miss Marple, you'll enjoy this book about amateur spy Mrs. Pollifax. The book was enthralling all the way to the end. Keep in mind it was written in 1985, so it refers to people and events that were current at the time (such as Mao Zedong and Red China).

Great fun!

This is about a bored widow who decides to fulfill a childhood dream of becoming a spy and innocently walks into the CIA to apply. She is accidentally hired and sent on a mission as a courier to Mexico, where she is drugged, kidnapped, and eventually escapes from a mountain fortress in Albania. Her charm, guile, and resourcefulness saves the day. It was fun.

Totally unbelievable, and totally good fun.

Wish I'd discovered Mrs. Pollifax Years Ago!

What made the experience of listening to The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax the most enjoyable?

Rosenblatt does an exceptional job with the voice characterizations.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax?

Every moment with Mrs. P. was enjoyable. I loved how she endured with a noble spirit and lack of self pity and whining. She was the least experienced character in the book, yet, in some ways, the strongest in heart, mind and spirit.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scenes on which she took care of and interacted with Farrell.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

If Mrs. P felt despair, I felt it, too.

Any additional comments?

I'm thrilled there are several more books in this series. I will read them ALL!!

A Perfect Title!

I read this series as a young child. And was delighted when I recently found the books here on Audible.

The narrator is excellent! I love how she reads Mrs Pollifax's voice. She sounds just like the sweet little old lady I've always imagined. And she does a great job differentiating the other voices in the series.

Mrs Pollifax is an elderly widow who is rather bored with her volunteer work now that her children are grown with families of their own. So she decides to try the one thing she always dreamed of doing but never had..... She decides to become a spy, and heads down to CIA headquarters to volunteer her services.

Do a little misunderstanding she is actually selected for a simple courier job. Which of course instantly goes all wrong. She ends up trapped in a prison in Albania, behind the Iron Curtain. Of course much of this series was written during the Cold War. So many of the situation's have to do with Communism and the Iron Curtain. So the 'spy work' is a little dated. But the heart and soul of Mrs Pollifax is enduring. Her matter-of-fact, calm, and extremely caring personality allow her to be unflappable under pressure. This of course confuses her guards, come to care for and feel sorry for this sweet little unassuming lady. There is much comedy and suspense throughout this book. I highly encourage you to give it a try!

You cannot help but love Mrs Pollifax and her unexpected companion in prison - John Sebastian Ferrall.

Looking forward to the next book

We have a well-written, delightful character here in Mrs. Pollifax. She's whimsical, intelligent, and this book is just a joy to listen to with superb narration . I will definitely be moving on with the series.

i love all 14 of the Mrs. pollifax books

the story is compelling and entertaining and she keeps you on your feet, you never see the next twist in the story

Love Mrs. Pollifax

Such a joy! Written in 1966 only adds to its charm as we know what happens over the next 30 years to the lands that she escapes. Characters are full and perfect for the period. I don't understand why I never heard of this series. Going to have to limit myself to one book a month.