Project Bluebird was a CIA operation with one end goal: mind control. In 1951, following the Second World War, the CIA’s Office of Scientific Intelligence, along with several other government intelligence agencies, launched the program with the hope of developing a drug that would turn a person into a perfect, mindless agent. This agent could carry out acts of espionage and assassination against their own will and never break under interrogation, because they would have no recollection of their mission. Ironically, this same drug was to be used as a means of interrogation, to force confessions out of enemy agents (who were, at the time, the Soviets). This is the premise of Bluebird, Sharon Cameron’s 2021 historical fiction novel that sheds light on the events of post-World War II that have been, terrifyingly, forgotten.
Bluebird weaves two intricate tapestries for two girls and two storylines, then joyfully tears them apart one thread at a time until the past, present, and future are completely intertwined. It is about a strange trio of characters: the protagonist Eva, who has just fled Berlin following the end of the war; Brigit, Eva’s friend whom she protects with a passion and a guilty conscience; and Inge, whose story takes place one year before that of Eva and Brigit, who lives with her picture-perfect family under the Nazi regime, faithfully fulfilling her duty to her country. Bluebird opens as Eva takes her first steps on American soil with a burning quest to exact justice Although we do not yet know what her mission entails, we are assured that it will be top-secret and dangerous, because Eva holds the key to the Nazi experiments—Project Bluebird—that could tip the balance of world power. Pursued by both American and Soviet agents, Eva guards her secret with her life, forcing her to reconcile with the family and identity she left behind.
There’s a quote by Mark Twain that reality is often stranger than fiction, and that’s part of the reason why Bluebird works so well as a thriller—it’s driven by the plot and the substantial research behind it. Bluebird is based on two forgotten pieces of American history that unfolded concurrently in the post-WWII years. The first is the aforementioned Project Bluebird, later renamed Project Artichoke and then Project MKUltra, a series of horrific, science fiction-sounding medical experiments with the aim of splitting the human personality and gaining control of the human mind. These experiments were performed on unwitting and unconsenting American citizens—including prisoners, prostitutes, mental patients, and drug addicts—people from the most disadvantaged levels of society, whom no one would look for when they went missing. The experiments were conducted “using methods taken straight from the concentration camps,” explained Cameron in an interview, adding, “Like many other areas of science during the Cold War, I believe our government was paying Nazi war criminals to conduct them.” Although the character of Eva is fictional, these experiments were not, and Bluebird becomes a probing examination of history, heroism, and the things that could have happened.
The second piece of historical inspiration for this novel is the polar opposite of the first. Upon landing in America, Eva and Brigit are immediately whisked to Powell House, inspired by the real-life place of the same name, a program run by Quaker volunteers from a house in Manhattan to extend help and support to refugees, no matter where they came from. Cameron calls it “a place so far ahead of its time in terms of social justice that it’s hard to believe it even existed”—an ironic contrast to Project Bluebird, an event so horrific that it’s hard to believe it existed, either. Even so, the novel weaves the two pieces together so seamlessly that it seems only natural that a top-secret human experimentation program would go well with a loving refuge for people from all walks of life. Bluebird’s mystery is expertly built, never rushed but never stopping until the very last word. From the very beginning, the characters keep secrets from each other and from the reader that are carefully unraveled bit by bit.
As much as it is driven by a captivating storyline, though, Bluebird is ultimately about people. Eva is a thoroughly satisfying protagonist. She is delightful, messy, and more importantly, understandable. Her motivations and prejudices are laid bare from the very beginning, which only makes her growth more impactful as she learns to dismantle everything that she has been taught about the world. This entire book is brought to life by its characters, who always feel undeniably, satisfyingly, and painfully real, never behaving in a way that would be misplaced, given each character’s circumstances. History, after all, is about the people, and they are an integral part of Bluebird’s charm. Filled with romance and silly banter as well as emotionally charged moments, Bluebird’s storyline is captivating from beginning to end.
In Bluebird, Cameron has created an ode to the power of humanity. Even through all of the suffering, injustice, and fear that Eva endures, she is able to find her own place in Powell House, pursue her passion for music, and build a loving, supportive community. The author once described this book as an exploration of “what could have been, based on what was.” To me, this means that Bluebird is ultimately a story of hope. It is a reminder that no matter how small we think our voices are, we still hold the power to seek justice. “For every Project Bluebird, there is a Powell House,” Cameron explained. “There has always been balance, and that balance exists today. That knowledge gives me tremendous hope for our world.”