Discover the Fascinating Stories of the Women Who Transformed the CIA

posted on 1/22/2026

Christina Hillsberg had a successful stint in the CIA beginning in the early 2000s, but when she left, she couldn’t seem to shake the many stories she heard about women in the agency. Those who had sacrificed their personal lives, risked their safety, defied expectation, and boldly navigated the male-dominated spy organization.

On Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m., Hillsberg will join Dover Public Library virtually to talk about her new bestselling book, "Agents of Change: The Women Who Transformed the CIA”. The program is in partnership with Tewksbury Public Library. Register to receive a link to the live stream.

In this presentation, Hillsberg will explore the pioneering women who changed the insulated world of international espionage — from the barrier-crashing challenges of the 1960s to the present-day reckoning.

Hillsberg’s research includes exclusive interviews with current and former female CIA officers, many of whom have never spoken publicly. Seamlessly weaving together the individual stories of these exceptional women, Hillsberg deftly tackles not just the fight for gender equality at the CIA but also the current dilemma the Agency faces when dealing with the culmination of a decades-long culture of sexual harassment and assault. In this fascinating and empowering chronicle, Hillsberg takes readers inside the Agency in a way that’s never been done before, paying long-overdue tribute to the survivors and thrivers, the indispensable groundbreakers, and the defiant rabble-rousers who made the choice to change their lives and, in turn, changed history.

Hillsberg is the recipient of multiple CIA Exceptional Performance Awards. Her work at the CIA included specializing in African politics and leaders as one of the intelligence community’s few Swahili and Zulu linguists, producing analytic assessments for senior-level policymakers including the president and his cabinet, and serving in the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, clandestinely collecting intelligence from the field. A recognized expert on women in espionage and intelligence tradecraft, she is also the author of "License to Parent: How My Career as a Spy Helped Me Raise Resourceful, Self-Sufficient Kids”. Her writing has been featured in The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, Harvard Business Review, Parents magazine, The Daily Beast, Parade, and more. She lives with her family in Boston, Massachusetts.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information or to sign up, visit the library’s website or call 603-516-6050. If unable to attend, the program will be recorded and sent via email within 48 hours of the live stream.