I have to say, 2021 is shaping up to be the summer of historical fiction. And I’m thrilled about it. I find that while I stick to certain topics with non-fiction history books, historical fictions lets me explore new periods. The Post-War period in the US is fairly foreign to me, so I was immediately drawn to this book. A Woman of Intelligence is an exciting and emotional story of a mother in 1950s New York who has the chance to step out of her claustrophobic life. Once you pick it up, you won’t be able to stop reading! Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC and an Advanced Listening Copy.
A Woman of Intelligence, Karin Tanabe
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.
Why You Should Read This…
The Cold War/Post WWII is not really my strongest area of history, but I think that only added to my enjoyment! Rina reminded me of Midge from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel- feeling stifled by her traditional 1950s life, in the cream of the crop of Manhattan society. However, instead of comedy, Rina is recruited to be an FBI informant. I didn’t expect to be so invested in this book, but I had to keep reading for both plots- Rina’s personal life, and the Communist sub-plot.
Rina’s husband Tom deserved to be slapped, several times over- if there was a weak point to the book, I would say it was Tom. (He has literally zero redeeming qualities, and even for the 1950s, seemed borderline abusive.) Still, it keeps you reading, which I think speaks to Tanabe’s talents as a writer.
Jennifer Jill Araya is an impressive narrator. There are a lot of different accents and characters at play in A Woman of Intelligence, and she handles all of them distinctly and gracefully. I don’t remember the last narrator I listened to who transitioned so seamlessly!
Is A Woman of Intelligence on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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