Books

Fairly Smooth Operator: My Life Occasionally at the Tip of the Spear

Caroline’s journey from enlisted Coast Guard member to CIA analyst includes boot camp, a Hampton's yachter named Gary, finding purpose in Guantanamo Bay, and a session with a Veterans Affairs-assigned therapist who had fourteen cats, one of which cures migraines. Caroline takes you from serious topics of sexual harassment and suicide to laughing about how her predator’s moment to make her prey is oddly interrupted. You are a fly on the wall during her botched FBI polygraph and will be scratching your head about her CIA classmate who u-turns during surveillance detection training like she just saw a sign for a sale at Macy’s.

Caroline shares her vulnerabilities with honesty and authenticity, and her book offer practical advice and inspiration for personal growth and self-discovery.

Having served in the Navy, I have an appreciation for Caroline's story. There were many times I laughed out loud. And, unfortunately, also cringed at what she had to endure. Overall well worth the read! I truly recommend taking this journey

I began reading on a Saturday morning and couldn’t stop until it was finished. This book contains scenes that as a female veteran are so very relatable. I did not just read Caroline’s story, I felt it. I laughed, cried, cringed, smirked and smiled. Her descriptive story telling makes one believe as if they present with her and can see the scene in front of them.

I couldn't put Caroline Walsh's book down until it was finished. I started reading Fairly Smooth Operator yesterday after work and am hoping for a sequel less than 24 hours later. The book is raw, honest, funny, tender, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful. It was a joy to read, and I will recommend it to friends and colleagues who have faced some of the challenges the author discusses. I’d love to see a sequel to see where the next stage of the author’s career takes her.

After reading Caroline's memoir, I marked a page for a friend. She found it so interesting, entertaining and well written that she snagged my copy and immediately began telling another friend. I really hope I'll get my copy back or I'll have to order another one....