The secrets we kept12/19/2023 ![]() ![]() On top of that, WWII saw the first real surge of women in the workplace, and having been granted that opportunity, many felt displaced once the men returned and suddenly there was no place for these amazing and talented women, except as secretaries and other menial jobs deemed appropriate for the delicate female nature. There was a lot going on after WWII ended…the war was over, but a new one had just begun, the Cold War. Our ages hit me as if jumping into a freezing river, and I wondered if we had anything left in us to sustain all that was to come. Equally well-drawn were the other two female protagonists, Irina and Sally. That said, I think that the author did a great job bringing the real-life character of Olga to life. In some cases, I found this to be a useful tool, and others it felt a bit forced. Anyhow, there were a lot of POVs and that can be kind of dicey as a reader, particularly when you maybe only hear about them one chapter or two, then no more. I blame my exhaustion from a new puppy for not picking up on that very quickly. Yes, I know, that should have been obvious. I confess that this was perplexing to me at first until the aha moment when I realized that the chapter “titles” weren’t actually titles, but a device the author used to let us know who was talking. ![]() This story is told in all different narratives: first, second, and third persons. While reading about it, I had to Google it later to discover that this in fact actually happened. The book references this story, staging part of the book there in the gulags and told from the mistress’ point of view. Zhivago was a banned book in the USSR, a book so against the Soviet propaganda that even whispers of the contents while it was being written was enough to get author Boris Pasternak’s mistress, the muse for his story, sent away to a “rehabilitation camp,” aka the gulags. You see, if you’re like me, you may not know that Dr. Go figure, I’m always wanting to do the things people tell me I’m not allowed to do. Zhivago? I haven’t, but I confess that I would like to now. MacAndrew, Translation Copyright 1970, Book V: Pro and Contra, Chapter 5: The Grand Inquisitor, Quote and 307, Bantam Books, New York.įemale spies, forbidden love, and a Soviet traitor….this should be good. 195, cited 1981 The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Translated by Andrew H. The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for. Told with soaring emotional intensity and captivating historical detail, this is an unforgettable debut: a celebration of the powerful belief that a work of art can change the world. The Secrets We Kept combines a legendary literary love story-the decades-long affair between Pasternak and his mistress and muse, Olga Ivinskaya, who inspired Zhivago’s heroine, Lara-with a narrative about two women empowered to lead lives of extraordinary intrigue and risk. Under Sally’s tutelage, Irina learns how to invisibly ferry classified documents-and discovers deeply buried truths about herself. Mentoring Irina is the glamorous Sally Forrester: a seasoned spy who has honed her gift for deceit, using her magnetism and charm to pry secrets out of powerful men. Her mission: to help smuggle Doctor Zhivago into the USSR, where it is banned, and enable Boris Pasternak’s magnum opus to make its way into print around the world. Genre(s): Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction About Fiction Russian LGBTīuy on Amazon: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository SynopsisĪt the height of the Cold War, Irina, a young Russian-American secretary, is plucked from the CIA typing pool and given the assignment of a lifetime.
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