Book Review: The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott

Title: The Secrets We Kept

Author: Lara Prescott

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Historical Fiction, Adult Fiction

Pages: 368

Publisher: Knopf

Year Published: 2019

Format: Audiobook (Own It)

"A thrilling tale of secretaries turned spies, of love and duty, and of sacrifice- the real-life story of the CIA plot to infiltrate the hearts and minds of Soviet Russia, not with propaganda, but with the greatest love story of the twentieth Doctor Zhivago. 

At the height of the Cold War, two secretaries are pulled out of the typing pool at the CIA and given the assignment of a lifetime. Their to smuggle Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR, where no one dares publish it, and help Pasternak's magnum opus make its way into print around the world. Glamorous and sophisticated Sally Forrester is a seasoned spy who has honed her gift for deceit all over the world- using her magnetism and charm to pry secrets out of powerful men. Irina is a complete novice, and under Sally's tutelage quickly learns how to blend in, make drops and invisibly ferry classified documents.

The Secrets We Kept combines a legendary literary love story- the decades-long affair between Pasternak and his mistress and muse, Olga Ivinskaya, who was sent to the Gulag and inspired Zhivago's heroine, Lara- with a narrative about two women empowered to lead lives of extraordinary intrigue and risk. From Pasternak's country estate outside Moscow to the brutalities of the Gulag, from Washington, DC, to Paris and Milan, The Secrets We Kept captures a watershed moment in the history of literature- told with soaring emotional intensity and captivating historical detail. And at the centre of this unforgettable debut is the powerful belief that a piece of art can change the world."

My Rating: 2/5

I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it. It was so middle of the line. I found parts of it intriguing, but it never really went as far as I hoped it would. It touched on so many things, but then left so much to be desired. I really wish that it had been more nitty-gritty in some areas and less about the mistress's perspective. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny