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There are currently 20 member reviews
for The Secrets We Kept
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Tiffany V. (Colora, MD)
Never underestimate a woman...
"In a man's world, women are the perfect spies."
What an exceptionally fitting tagline for Lara Prescott's enthralling novel set in the Cold War era! Told from multiple points of view, this story takes us from the deceptive calm of typing pool of the CIA to the warm hearth of Boris Pasternak's cottage as he and his muse discuss his latest masterpiece, Doctor Zhivago, unaware of the fate that would befall them because of it. The women of this story are far and above the masterminds, the moving forces, and the backbone of everything that transpires. It was absolutely a stunning page-turner of historical fiction, meticulously researched, and characters so masterfully fleshed out that you forget the "fiction" aspect entirely. When I closed the final pages, I was not ready to leave Olga, Sally, Irina, and the typists behind, despite the satisfying endings. Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2019!
Five heart-wrenching stars and a huge thank you to Book Browse, Lara Prescott, and A. A Knopf Publishing for supplying me with this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Lynn D. (Kingston, NY)
There are a lot of secrets
The Secrets We Kept is a fast paced historical novel about the writing of Dr. Zhivago, by Boris Pasternak, and the complicated and dangerous struggle to get it published internationally and in the USSR during the Cold War. We meet the women typing pool at The Agency, which played a key role in distributing the banned book. These chapters are set in The West. Other chapters are set in The East where we follow Pasternak and his muse/lover Olga, as she suffers for her loyalty to the writer. The story is told from multiple points of view, which is not hard to follow, partly because of the chapter titles which hint at the various roles the women must play to keep their secrets. Prescott succeeds in capturing the sense of the late 1950's, with its societal constraints and expectations. I highly recommend this book! I'm looking forward to re-reading Dr. Zhivago soon.
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Mark S. (Blauvelt, NY)
Hooked on page 1
While I have enjoyed everything I have read through BookBrowse, this was definitely my favorite. Instead of the gradual/slow beginning that can sometimes plague even a great plot, Prescott jumped right into the story. I enjoyed her style, the way she developed the principal characters, and the unique timeline. At times, it reminded me of the structure of Catch-22 (minus the dark satire). This was not a book to read chapter by chapter; I read this in huge chunks at a time. As a teacher, I found myself flagging excerpts that I could use to make connections to other texts, and I plan to share this possibility with our social studies teachers as well. I can definitely see it being a hit with any book club, and a must read for any historical fiction buff, especially those with an interest in Russian-US relations.
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Vicky R. (Roswell, GA)
Refreshing historical fiction
What a delicious, refreshing historical fictional novel from a debut author, who obviously put his heart and soul into the research and writing. A combination of love story and espionage set during the Cold War makes for a fascinating story. The background of the struggle to have Doctor Zhivago published was a surprise for me and I enjoyed every minute of this eye-opening reading experience. Thank you BookBrowse.
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Kristen H. (Hagerstown, MD)
Can't Keep This a Secret
Upon receiving the book I thought that this would be the story of espionage during the cold war between US and Russia. I had no idea that it would be regarding the novel Dr. Zhivago and how the author had to turn down any monies or royalties from the book. I had no idea that it was not to be published in Russia during Stalin's time. I had read the book and seen the movie, however this novel sheds a whole new light on the backstory of the author who wrote the book. I was duly impressed with this author and look forward to reading more by her.
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Ann B. (Bethlehem, PA)
A Back Story to Die For
A novel comes along every once in a while that one regrets it reaching an end. This is truly one of them. This historic back story to one of the most famous modern love stories in literature is extremely convincing and heartbreaking. Doctor Zhivago enlightened many generations in the movie theater, and The Secrets We Kept will take us back again to view the classic film. Lara Prescott is a talent and I, for one, will look eagerly to her next venture.
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Theresa P. (Arkport, NY)
The Story Behind the Story
This book was enjoyable for many reasons. The division of the story into East and West, with the chapter headings becoming more and more telling as the story progresses, made for a fascinating telling of the back story to the publication of Dr. Zhivago. The addition of the west chapters is a bonus that I never expected and thought added a good deal to this story.The book stands alone beautifully, but it spurs the urge to re-read Boris Pasternak's novel and/or view the movie. I believe this well crafted novel will appeal especially to those who have a memory of Dr. Zhivago. I will definitely be recommending it to my book club.
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