A Woman of Intelligence

The striking cover art of this Historical Fiction novel set in 1950's New York City is what initially caught my attention. It is stunning, but when I read its blurb - about a young affluent mother who becomes a spy - my interest was truly piqued.

I love a story that sets me firmly in another era and in the shoes of a character whose life is so different from my own. A Woman of Intelligence is a story about Katharina, a woman who seemingly had it all - married to a doctor, part of a prominent and affluent family in NYC and mother to two young sons. But through Katharina's life, readers witness how this once independent woman and former UN translator loses her identity once she's married and becomes a mother. It's this look at the restrictive role, rights, and responsibilities of women in the 1950's that I found most interesting.

But it's when Katharina gets pulled into espionage that the story fell flat for me and lagged quite a bit in the middle. That said, I enjoyed the setting and era and Katherina's humour and sass. Unfortunately, her husband felt one-dimensional, like a caricature of a 1950's husband and some aspects of the plot were too farfetched for me.

This lighter historical fiction will appeal to many readers and the topics would make for great book club discussion. I enjoyed its focus on women's historical roles, particularly the feminist issues and how Katherina lost her identity within her confining marriage and societal rules. But the plot was simpler than expected and the story lacked tension, particularly during the parts involving espionage. This was a good but not quite a wow read for me.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to St Martin's Press for my complimentary digital copy of this book provided in exchange for my honest review.

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Karin Tanabe

Genre: Historical Fiction

Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: St Martin's Press

First Published: July 20, 2021

Opening Lines: Mother. Only one word cut through the 

noise of a New York afternoon.

Book Description from GoodReads: 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.