Sometimes, It Pays to Be Plain

by Sherri Stewart

 

Ida and Louise Cook, two plain-looking spinster sisters in their mid-thirties, lived unassuming lives in a quiet London suburb during the 1930s. Ida wrote 119 romance novels under the pen name, Mary Burchell, while Louise worked as a civil service secretary. They sewed their own clothes and saved every penny. Once Ida had earned some real money from her writing, they began making frequent trips back and forth to Germany, flying out on Friday nights purportedly to attend the opera—their only vice. They returned by train or boats from the Netherlands on Sundays, in time for Louise to get to her office on Monday morning. To the outside world, they appeared to be ordinary women with simple lives, but beneath their unremarkable exterior, they were quietly carrying out a dangerous mission. 

Unbeknownst to most, the sisters were deeply involved in a secret effort to aid refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. Disguised as opera enthusiasts, they traveled across borders, carrying jewels and valuables they’d collected from desperate refugees who wanted to escape Nazi domination. They’d wear the furs and jewelry they’d collected on their return trips to London. In Safe Passage, a book Ida later wrote, she explained how the smuggling part of the sisters’ homespun mission worked. “It was fairly simple at first, but then came the time when the Hitler guard used to come on the train at the frontier and check everything you had, and when you came out you were checked again.” They adapted by entering at one checkpoint wearing no jewelry, and leaving through another positively glittering. That way, they wouldn’t see the same officials twice, and there was no one to notice that we had become rather overdressed English girls with a taste for slightly too much jewelry.” 

Ida and Louise sold the items to raise funds to secure safe passage, housing, and legal documents for those in need. Their unassuming appearance and quiet demeanor allowed them to evade suspicion, and their resourcefulness and courage saved countless lives. They were proof that true heroism often wears the most ordinary of faces.

By the time their efforts became too dangerous to continue, the Cook sisters had saved twenty-nine refugees from almost certain death. Even after border crossings became impossible, they continued to support refugees in England, raising funds and spreading awareness until the end of their lives. In 1964, their bravery was recognized when they were honored as Righteous among the Nations by Yad Vashem, a testament to their selfless actions during one of history’s darkest chapters.

In her memoir, Safe Passage, Ida reflected on their work, describing it as, “just a bit of trouble, eloquence, and money.” Ida said, “We only gave what we could—our hearts, our time, and our courage.” Their legacy inspires us to believe that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things when they choose to stand up for what is right.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AMg59QPCT/  Talbot, Margaret. “Ida and Louise Cook, Two Unusual Heroines of the Second World War.” The New Yorker. Sept. 3, 2019.

  

Sherri Stewart is woman of faith who loves all things foreign whether it’s food, culture, or language. A former French teacher and flight attendant, her passion is traveling to the settings of her books, sampling the food, and visiting the sites. She savored boterkoeken in Amsterdam for A Song for Her Enemies, and crème brûlée in Paris for its sequel, What Hides beyond the Walls. A widow, Sherri lives in the Orlando area with her dog, Lily, and her son, Joshua, who always has to fix her computer. As an author, editor, and Bible teacher, she hopes her books will entertain and challenge readers to live large and connect with their Savior. Join, chat, and share with her on social media. Newsletter Facebook Twitter Instagram Website

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