Publisher: Macmillan Audio / St. Martin’s Press
Published: July 20, 2021
Source: Audio: Netgalley via Macmillan Audio / Print: ARC Paperback via St. Martin’s Press
Summary:
From “a master of historical fiction” (NPR), Karin Tanabe’s A Woman of Intelligence is an exhilarating tale of post-war New York City, and one remarkable woman’s journey from the United Nations, to the cloistered drawing rooms of Manhattan society, to the secretive ranks of the FBI.
A Fifth Avenue address, parties at the Plaza, two healthy sons, and the ideal husband: what looks like a perfect life for Katharina Edgeworth is anything but. It’s 1954, and the post-war American dream has become a nightmare.
A born and bred New Yorker, Katharina is the daughter of immigrants, Ivy-League-educated, and speaks four languages. As a single girl in 1940s Manhattan, she is a translator at the newly formed United Nations, devoting her days to her work and the promise of world peace – and her nights to cocktails and the promise of a good time.
Now the wife of a beloved pediatric surgeon and heir to a shipping fortune, Katharina is trapped in a gilded cage, desperate to escape the constraints of domesticity. So when she is approached by the FBI and asked to join their ranks as an informant, Katharina seizes the opportunity. A man from her past has become a high-level Soviet spy, but no one has been able to infiltrate his circle. Enter Katharina, the perfect woman for the job.
Navigating the demands of the FBI and the secrets of the KGB, she becomes a courier, carrying stolen government documents from D.C. to Manhattan. But as those closest to her lose their covers, and their lives, Katharina’s secret soon threatens to ruin her.
With the fast-paced twists of a classic spy thriller, and a nuanced depiction of female experience, A Woman of Intelligence shimmers with intrigue and desire.
My thoughts:
I first discovered Karin Tanabe when I read A Hundred Suns earlier this year as a buddy read. I fell in love with her writing and knew I would be reading everything she wrote. As soon as I heard she heard a new book coming out, I immediately requested it…and I loved it!!!
There is nothing I love more than reading about a strong woman and that is exactly what we have here. Katharina was working as a translator at the United Nations until she became a mother when her husband strongly encouraged her to stop working. Feeling stifled by motherhood and being known as “just a lovely wife,” she grabs at the opportunity to serve as a spy for the FBI to gain information on someone from her past who is involved in the Communist Party.
Not only is this a smart, thrilling read, but it is a social commentary on many of the issues that women were facing in the 1950s, and to a degree, today. What is a woman’s place in the home or society or even work? What if she wants to be a mom and work? Why can’t she have it all? The author explores these questions, exploring how it feels to be trapped by societal norms and the expectations that are placed on new mothers.
This is actually the second book I’ve read this year that centers around Cold War intrigue and I’m loving it. It’s definitely not an era I’m familiar with and both books were so different – the other book being Our Woman in Moscow. This is definitely a time period I don’t think is over-saturated with books and I’m hoping to find more to read…strong women turning into spies – I love it and cannot get enough of it!
Between the engaging story line and the smart writing, I was completely captivated by this story and loved every second of it. This is a must-read for all historical fiction readers.
Audio thoughts:
I was lucky to be able to listen to this one and ended up listening to it all in one day because I just couldn’t put it down. It was narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya and she did a great job bringing this story to life, giving each character their own voice and accent, when needed.
