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Lorna's Reviews > Our Woman in Moscow
Our Woman in Moscow
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Lorna's review
bookshelves: espionage, russia, historical-fiction, new-york, italy, wwi-wwii
Feb 18, 2022
bookshelves: espionage, russia, historical-fiction, new-york, italy, wwi-wwii
Our Woman in Moscow was a gripping and sweeping historical fiction novel of espionage, counterespionage, and intrigue during the time leading up to World War II and into the cold war with Russia by Beatriz Williams. It was loosely based on the Cambridge spy ring and in the words of the author:
Our Woman in Moscow is a powerful book on many levels as one becomes immersed in the lives of twins, Iris and Ruth Mcallister, told from many perspectives. The world is shocked by the sudden disappearance of Iris Digby as she vanishes from her London home in the company of her husband Sasha, a diplomat, and their two children in the autumn of 1948. Events leading up to this shocking moment and their ultimate fates is the crux of this page-turning historical fiction novel that was difficult to put down as this intricate story unfolds.
This is the fictional rendering of the motivations and ideals that would lead one to betray not only his country but his family in a most profound way. The following are two powerful quotes from the book that may give one pause:
"In Great Britain, their names are as synonymous with treason as Benedict Arnold's is in the United States--Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt, John Cairncross--and the flight of Burgess and Maclean to the Soviet Union in May 1951 is the stuff of legend. Recruited by the Soviet Spy Agency NKVD in the 1930s, when communism was fashionable among the young elites of Oxford and Cambridge, they graduated and duly entered the corridors of power, where they served up their country's vital secrets to the Soviet Union for the next two decades, using their influential positions and the cultural capital of an Oxbridge man--no Englishman could possibly imagine a traitor among the chaps he went to school with, clubs with--to avoid detection."
Our Woman in Moscow is a powerful book on many levels as one becomes immersed in the lives of twins, Iris and Ruth Mcallister, told from many perspectives. The world is shocked by the sudden disappearance of Iris Digby as she vanishes from her London home in the company of her husband Sasha, a diplomat, and their two children in the autumn of 1948. Events leading up to this shocking moment and their ultimate fates is the crux of this page-turning historical fiction novel that was difficult to put down as this intricate story unfolds.
This is the fictional rendering of the motivations and ideals that would lead one to betray not only his country but his family in a most profound way. The following are two powerful quotes from the book that may give one pause:
"Love is whatever you can still betray. Betrayal can happen only if you love." -- John le Carre
"If I had the choice between betraying my country and betraying my friend, I hope I should have the courage to betray my country." -- E. M. Forster
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Reading Progress
February 21, 2021
– Shelved
February 21, 2021
– Shelved as:
to-read
February 13, 2022
– Shelved as:
on-deck
February 13, 2022
– Shelved as:
espionage
February 13, 2022
– Shelved as:
russia
February 13, 2022
– Shelved as:
historical-fiction
February 15, 2022
–
Started Reading
February 16, 2022
– Shelved as:
new-york
February 16, 2022
– Shelved as:
wwi-wwii
February 16, 2022
– Shelved as:
italy
February 18, 2022
–
Finished Reading
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Candi
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Feb 18, 2022 10:21AM
Great review, Lorna! I see Beatriz Williams mentioned on here quite a bit, but still haven't read her work. Seems she does a bang up job with historical fiction!
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The title parallels that of A Gentleman in Moscow.
Candi wrote: "Great review, Lorna! I see Beatriz Williams mentioned on here quite a bit, but still haven't read her work. Seems she does a bang up job with historical fiction!"Thank you so much, Candi. Beatriz Williams is a prolific writer for sure, and her historical fiction is very good. There are a lot of books with many of her characters recurring. I became hooked early on with her books.
Kalliope wrote: "The title parallels that of A Gentleman in Moscow."Thank you, Kalliope. Yes, while there are similarities in the title, but certainly not in the narrative of these very different books.
Comprehensive review, Lorna! The last two quotes in the review were something!Also, the title of this book resembles Amor Towle's novel, "A Gentleman in Moscow". Have you read that one?
Thank you, Piyush. I have read “A Gentleman in Moscow” and loved it. But this book is about espionage during the Cold War, a little more grim.
Lorna wrote: "Thank you, Piyush. I have read “A Gentleman in Moscow” and loved it. But this book is about espionage during the Cold War, a little more grim."okay!!
