A Woman of Intelligence = The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - Humor + Spies
The premise: In 1954, Katharina Edgeworth is leading an enviable life in NYC. She's married to a handsome, skilled, and well-connected surgeon, living in a luxurious penthouse with their two young sons, and attending high-profile society events. In reality, she hates her husband's rigid beliefs on childrearing, resents the all-consuming nature of parenting her children, and desperately misses her pre-motherhood life, especially her work as a translator at the United Nations. When presented an opportunity to assist the FBI in intercepting documents between KGB spies, she eagerly accepts which changes her life far beyond her expectations.
This is my first novel by Karin Tanabe, and I expected a story about Cold War spies to be exciting, or at least intriguing, but this was ... boring. I quickly grew tired of Katharina's chauvinistic husband and her laments about motherhood. I don't have children so I couldn't relate to some facets of the plot. My favorite aspect was its clever title.
I'm grateful to Macmillan Audio for the review copy of the audiobook which enabled me to eventually finish the novel. Jennifer Jill Araya is a new-to-me narrator and I appreciated her performance involving multiple characters, including several with international backgrounds.
The premise: In 1954, Katharina Edgeworth is leading an enviable life in NYC. She's married to a handsome, skilled, and well-connected surgeon, living in a luxurious penthouse with their two young sons, and attending high-profile society events. In reality, she hates her husband's rigid beliefs on childrearing, resents the all-consuming nature of parenting her children, and desperately misses her pre-motherhood life, especially her work as a translator at the United Nations. When presented an opportunity to assist the FBI in intercepting documents between KGB spies, she eagerly accepts which changes her life far beyond her expectations.
This is my first novel by Karin Tanabe, and I expected a story about Cold War spies to be exciting, or at least intriguing, but this was ... boring. I quickly grew tired of Katharina's chauvinistic husband and her laments about motherhood. I don't have children so I couldn't relate to some facets of the plot. My favorite aspect was its clever title.
I'm grateful to Macmillan Audio for the review copy of the audiobook which enabled me to eventually finish the novel. Jennifer Jill Araya is a new-to-me narrator and I appreciated her performance involving multiple characters, including several with international backgrounds.
I appreciate the question around which A Woman of Intelligence by Karen Tanabe is based. What compromise does a woman make between independence and a career and home and family? The reality is that the discussion continues even today and definitely more so in the context of women than men. Although the character and story was not for me, this conversation is what I take away from this book.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/10/a-woman-of-intelligence.html
Reviewed for NetGalley.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/10/a-woman-of-intelligence.html
Reviewed for NetGalley.
