The Leper Spy

September 15, 2016
When Joey Guerrero Leaumax, a volunteer usher at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, dies, her brief obituary mentions only her birth in Manila and late-life accomplishments. What it omits is her diagnosis of leprosy, her WWII heroism in the Philippines, her championing of the rights of lepers, and her receiving the Medal of Freedom. The story of this unlikely spy begins when, as a young wife and mother, Josefina Guerrero is diagnosed with leprosy. Forced to give up her husband and young daughter and live in isolation, Guerrero decides to work for the resistance when Manila is attacked by Japan. Her leprosy, ironically, protects her from scrutiny by the enemy, and she is able to observe troops, draw maps, and smuggle information to the Americans and food to prisoners of war. After the surrender, Guerrero is exiled to a leper colony where she protests the unsanitary conditions and scant medicine and later travels to the U.S. for treatment. Montgomery (Grandma Gatewood's Walk, 2014) offers a fascinating tribute to the slight Filipina who courageously saved thousands and chose anonymity.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)