Dinner with Jonna Mendez
SOLD OUT
Sun Valley/Ketchum ID
The Grill at Knob Hill Inn, 960 N Main St., Ketchum, ID 83340
7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 21, 2024.
Our friend Jonna Mendez, bestselling co-author of The Moscow Rules, is releasing a new book in March, In True Face. In the book, she tells her riveting, courageous story of being a female spy at the CIA and battling against the prevailing culture of sexism at the time, all while undertaking dangerous missions for America’s safety during the height of the Cold War.
Jonna is coming to Ketchum on March 21 to talk at the Community Library about In True Face. In celebration of her visit, we will be getting together with Jonna after her talk to enjoy each other’s company along with some great food and beverages. (Note that due to the size of the group, some food and wine menu options may be limited. )
Please note that the $95 registration fee includes dinner, beverages, tax, and tip. This charge is calculated based upon the bill we received during our last Dent Dinner at Knob Hill in 2023. It is the total charge divided by the number of guests that night. If you do not plan to drink, please email Steve, and he can adjust your bill accordingly.
This dinner is an all-inclusive gathering and includes beverages, food, desserts, tax, and gratuity. The dinner is complimentary for active Dent Passport members. (Apply for a Dent Passport here.)
More about Jonna: Jonna Hiestand Mendez began her CIA career as a "contract wife," a second-class citizen who was hired as a convenience to her husband’s career as a young officer stationed in Europe. She needed his permission to open a bank account or shut off the gas to their apartment, and she performed secretarial duties for the CIA.
Mendez's talent for espionage was clear, and she soon took on bigger and more significant roles at The Agency. She lived under cover and served tours of duty all over the globe, as well as at CIA Headquarters. She confronted dangerous situations that called on her spy training: coming face-to-face with a rogue Jihadi who had brought down an American plane and helping steal a top-secret encryption machine from a Soviet embassy, among other high-stakes situations. She became an international spy and ultimately Chief of Disguise at CIA’s Office of Technical Service—a kind of female American version of James Bond's famous "Q."
In this breakthrough memoir, Mendez recounts not only the drama of her international spy career but also the grit and good fortune it took for her to navigate a misogynistic world. She was undermined, harassed, and intimidated, all while maintaining a patriotic mission and working to advance her own career. She was a firsthand witness to the cost of this gendered culture, both to the women who worked there and to the interests of the agency and the nation it serves.
In True Face is both clear-eyed and dramatic: the story of an incredible spy career and what it took to achieve it.
