A gripping, illuminating account of an accomplished intelligence officers battle against systemic discrimination at Canadas spy service. Mukbil pulls aside the curtain and shows us the many roadblocks faced by racialized professionals. Rich in detail, this is an extraordinary and highly readable book. Robert Fife, Globe and Mail bureau chief, Ottawa Mukbils captivating memoir shows that love for ones country must be sutured with the courage to speak the truth: a bravery both required and despised in Canadian national intelligence circles. She deftly navigates the complicated landscape of belonging in Canada and gives a defiant and resilient voice to the psychological toll of systemic racism. Debra Thompson, author of The Long Road Home "Mukbil is a trailblazer in a secret world often dominated by men. Her powerful story combines an invaluable contribution to counterterrorism in Canada and Britain with a never-before-seen picture of spy agencies. It is utterly absorbing." Richard Kerbaj, author of The Secret History of the Five Eyes After years of work in one of the countrys most opaque institutions, Mukbil offers the kind of candid prose on race, identity, and inclusion thats rare to find on Canadian bookshelves. Straightforward and courageous, Agent of Change artfully unravels our deepest misconceptions about belonging in our country and our world. Erica Lenti, deputy editor, features, at Chatelaine Agent of Change is an affecting account of her experiences as the first Black, Muslim, female intelligence officer in the Canadian Security Intelligence Service[ The] reader is left with little doubt about the challenges Mukbil experienced or her courage confronting them. Studies in Intelligence "From her experience of discrimination on an Ottawa bus to her role in a class action lawsuit against CSIS, Mukbil tells her story with a powerful mix of raw emotion and precise critique that exposes the failings of Official Ottawa." Ottawa Book Award jury
