The Secrets We Kept: Reese's Book Club: A Novel by Lara Prescott (English) Paper

Description: The Secrets We Kept: Reese's Book Club by Lara Prescott First published in hardcover: New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2019. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A thrilling tale of secretaries turned spies, of love and duty, and of sacrifice—inspired by the true 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 century: Doctor Zhivago • A HELLO SUNSHINE x REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICKAt the height of the Cold War, Irina, a young Russian-American secretary, is plucked from the CIA typing pool and given the assignment of a lifetime. Her mission: to help smuggle Doctor Zhivago into the USSR, where it is banned, and enable Boris Pasternaks magnum opus to make its way into print around the world. Mentoring Irina is the glamorous Sally Forrester: a seasoned spy who has honed her gift for deceit, using her magnetism and charm to pry secrets out of powerful men. Under Sallys tutelage, Irina learns how to invisibly ferry classified documents—and discovers deeply buried truths about herself. The Secrets We Kept combines a legendary literary love story—the decades-long affair between Pasternak and his mistress and muse, Olga Ivinskaya, who inspired Zhivagos heroine, Lara—with a narrative about two women empowered to lead lives of extraordinary intrigue and risk. Told with soaring emotional intensity and captivating historical detail, this is an unforgettable debut: a celebration of the powerful belief that a work of art can change the world. Author Biography LARA PRESCOTT received her MFA from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Austin. She was previously an animal protection advocate and a political campaign operative. Her stories have appeared in The Southern Review, The Hudson Review, Crazyhorse, Day One, and Tin House Flash Fridays. She won the 2016 Crazyhorse Fiction Prize for the first chapter of The Secrets We Kept. She lives in Austin, Texas. Review "A gorgeous and romantic feast of a novel anchored by a cast of indelible secretaries."—The New York Times"Enthralling... This is the rare page-turner with prose thats as wily as its plot."—Vogue"Proto-feminist Mad Men transposed to the world of international espionage—all midcentury style and intrigue set against real, indelible history."—Entertainment Weekly"Prescott clearly had fun crafting this story, and the result is a novel thats a delight to read — and a secret worth sharing."—San Francisco Chronicle"The Secrets We Kept is simply sensational. Two gripping narratives unfold in the pressure cooker of the Cold War: passionate, courageous Olga who stands in the shadow of Soviet author Boris Pasternak yet inspires him to write a heroine for the ages, and the cynical, equally-overshadowed women of the CIA who help bring Pasternaks masterpiece Dr. Zhivago to bear as a weapon against Soviet oppression. From the gulags of the USSR to the cherry blossom trees of Washington DC, the story grips and refuses to let go. Lara Prescott is a star in the making." —Kate Quinn, New York Times Bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network"Prescott crafts a cloak-and-dagger story of passion, espionage, and propaganda."—The Wall Street Journal"A page-turner that is at once a spy thriller, historical fiction and heartfelt romance...A thumping good story."—The Columbus Dispatch"Through lucid images and vibrant storytelling, Prescott creates an edgy postfeminist vision of the Cold War, encompassing Sputnik to glasnost, typing pool to gulag, for a smart, lively page-turner. This debut shines as spy story, publication thriller, and historical romance with a twist."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)"A whirlwind of storytelling. In Prescotts supremely talented hands, the result is no less than endlessly fascinating, often deliciously fun as well as heartbreaking.The Secrets We Kept is a dazzling, beguiling debut."—BookPage (starred review)"Delightful... An intriguing and little-known chapter of literary history is brought to life with brio."—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"Epic in scope, deliciously meaty, and utterly convincing." —Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynns Long Halftime Walk "Stylish, thrilling, smart, vivid." —Elizabeth McCracken, author of Thunderstruck & Other Stories "Provocative, haunting and a damn good read." —H.W. Brands, author of The First American "A first-rate novel, and it signals the arrival of a major new writer." —Bret Anthony Johnston, author of Remember Me Like This "One of the most unique and devastating novels [I have] read in years." —Deb Olin Unferth, author of Minor Robberies Review Quote "A gorgeous and romantic feast of a novel anchored by a cast of indelible secretaries." --The New York Times "Enthralling... This is the rare page-turner with prose thats as wily as its plot." -- Vogue "Proto-feminist Mad Men transposed to the world of international espionage--all midcentury style and intrigue set against real, indelible history." -- Entertainment Weekly "Prescott clearly had fun crafting this story, and the result is a novel thats a delight to read -- and a secret worth sharing." --San Francisco Chronicle " The Secrets We Kept is simply sensational. Two gripping narratives unfold in the pressure cooker of the Cold War: passionate, courageous Olga who stands in the shadow of Soviet author Boris Pasternak yet inspires him to write a heroine for the ages, and the cynical, equally-overshadowed women of the CIA who help bring Pasternaks masterpiece Dr. Zhivago to bear as a weapon against Soviet oppression. From the gulags of the USSR to the cherry blossom trees of Washington DC, the story grips and refuses to let go. Lara Prescott is a star in the making." --Kate Quinn , New York Times Bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network "Prescott crafts a cloak-and-dagger story of passion, espionage, and propaganda." --The Wall Street Journal "A page-turner that is at once a spy thriller, historical fiction and heartfelt romance...A thumping good story." --The Columbus Dispatch "Through lucid images and vibrant storytelling, Prescott creates an edgy postfeminist vision of the Cold War, encompassing Sputnik to glasnost, typing pool to gulag, for a smart, lively page-turner. This debut shines as spy story, publication thriller, and historical romance with a twist." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) "A whirlwind of storytelling. In Prescotts supremely talented hands, the result is no less than endlessly fascinating, often deliciously fun as well as heartbreaking . The Secrets We Kept is a dazzling, beguiling debut." --BookPage (starred review) "Delightful... An intriguing and little-known chapter of literary history is brought to life with brio." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "Epic in scope, deliciously meaty, and utterly convincing." --Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynns Long Halftime Walk "Stylish, thrilling, smart, vivid." --Elizabeth McCracken, author of Thunderstruck & Other Stories "Provocative, haunting and a damn good read." --H.W. Brands, author of The First American "A first-rate novel, and it signals the arrival of a major new writer." --Bret Anthony Johnston, author of Remember Me Like This "One of the most unique and devastating novels [I have] read in years." --Deb Olin Unferth, author of Minor Robberies Description for Reading Group Guide The questions, discussion topics, and other material that follow are intended to enhance your groups conversation of Lara Prescotts The Secrets We Kept, an intensely dramatic, eye-opening fictionalized account of the inner workings of the CIA during the height of the Cold War, told through the eyes of the women who made the Agency run as typists and spies, and specifically as the revolutionary novel Doctor Zhivago threatened to upend the Soviet regime--and the hearts of those involved in its creation and dissemination. Discussion Question for Reading Group Guide 1. Compare the way the men and women in the book go about their work of secret-keeping. How do societal gender roles determine who does what and who is acknowledged for their work in public? In your opinion, do the men or women wield more power? 2. For the main women in the book--Olga, Irina, and Sally--secret-keeping incurs different punishments and rewards. Who do you think suffers and sacrifices the most? Who winds up most "successful"? 3. Throughout the book, we read of Olgas unsent letters to one of her interrogators in the Gulag, the prison where shes sent for her association with Boris Pasternak. Were you surprised by her loyalty to him in spite of the immense suffering she endures? How, in her own way, does she use those letters to express the kind of truth about love and oppression that Boris does in his novel? 4. Sally describes herself as having "one of those faces--the wide eyes, the ready smile that suggested I was an open book, someone who had no secrets to keep, and if she did, wouldnt be able to keep them anyway" (63). How do she and the other women in the book transform themselves in order to keep so many secrets? How are these guises reflected in the structure of the novel itself? Consider the changing first-person points of view and the names of the chapters. 5. Major historical events, including Stalins death and the launch of Sputnik, are recalled through the eyes of the characters in highly charged environments. If you lived through these events yourself, how did their depiction in the novel impact your understanding of them? If you didnt, how did their depiction shed light on what it was like to experience them first-hand? 6. Have you read Doctor Zhivago ? If so, what elements of that love story do you see recurring in The Secrets We Kept ? And even if you havent read it, were you able to glean how the balance of political commentary and romance contributed to the stir it caused in the world at the time of its publication? 7. Did you agree with Boriss decisions first to share the novel with the Italian publisher, and then decline the Nobel Prize? Why or why not? 8. Although Irina believed she failed her interview for the typist job, she explains that "they [had] seen something in me that I hadnt seen myself . . . For the first time in my life, I felt as if I had a greater purpose, not just a job. That night, something unlocked in me--a hidden power I never knew I had" (116). Do you believe she uses this power for good? Do you think she came away from her position grateful for the power she discovered? 9. The chapters narrated by the typists form a kind of Greek chorus anchoring the book in their shared experience--a collective point of view thats both inside and outside the deepest truths of the CIA. Of the course of the novel, how do the limits of their knowledge manifest themselves? What might this suggest about the nature of truth itself, and how complete it can really be? What is the hierarchy of secrecy inside and outside the Agency? 10. Sally states that becoming someone else for her work, that taking on a given persona is "the best part . . . [But] to become someone else, you have to want to lose yourself in the first place" (186). How does she embody this desire to erase a former identity, and who else in the book shares this feeling? 11. Describe Teddys attraction to Irina and to his job at the Agency. Did you get the impression that he really knew what he wanted out of his life? How are his passions for literature (and Russian literature in particular) satisfied or disappointed by what unfolds during the course of the novel? 12. Discuss how taboo influences the main love affairs in the book. Does any character find true satisfaction or happiness in traditional romantic arrangements (namely, heterosexual marriage), and how do these relationships contribute to the theme of secrecy in the novel? 13. Olgas children, Ira and Mitya, are both victims of their mothers choices in love and politics. How does she navigate her identity as a woman and a mother, and the obligations and desires that come with it? Would you have made the same choices she did when it came to staying with Boris? Consider her recognition that "I thought of my children knowing, so young, that love sometimes isnt enough" (243). 14. Discuss the authors choices to use first-person, second-person, and third-person narrators for different chapters in the book. What do those choices suggest about the relative importance of the characters, and how close she wants us to get to them? 15. "We go on because thats what we have to do," Olga tells Boris when he is contemplating suicide (294). How do the events of the novel speak to this kind of endurance? Who takes up the charge to go on, and who isnt able to? 16. Describe your experience of reading about the dissemination of Doctor Zhivago at the Worlds Fair. What emotions and physical feelings came up as this dangerous property was passed from hand to hand? If you were living in the time of the novel, do you think you would have sought it out knowing the implications of reading it? 17. Discuss a book, film, piece of music, or other art that has profoundly shaped your experience of current events at any point in your life in the way Doctor Zhivago does for the characters. How did that piece reflect back to you concerns about how you lived your life at the time? Did it change your behaviors or lifestyle at all? Excerpt from Book Prologue The Typists We typed a hundred words per minute and never missed a syllable. Our identical desks were each equipped with a mint-shelled Royal Quiet Deluxe typewriter, a black Western Electric rotary phone, and a stack of yellow steno pads. Our fingers flew across the keys. Our clacking was constant. Wed pause only to answer the phone or to take a drag of a cigarette; some of us managed to master both without missing a beat. The men would arrive around ten. One by one, theyd pull us into their offices. Wed sit in small chairs pushed into the corners while theyd sit behind their large mahogany desks or pace the carpet while speaking to the ceiling. Wed listen. Wed record. We were their audience of one for their memos, reports, write-ups, lunch orders. Sometimes theyd forget we were there and wed learn much more: who was trying to box out whom, who was making a power play, who was having an affair, who was in and who was out. Sometimes theyd refer to us not by name but by hair color or body type: Blondie, Red, Tits. We had our secret names for them, too: Grabber, Coffee Breath, Teeth. They would call us girls, but we were not. We came to the Agency by way of Radcliffe, Vassar, Smith. We were the first daughters of our families to earn degrees. Some of us spoke Mandarin. Some could fly planes. Some of us could handle a Colt 1873 better than John Wayne. But all we were asked when inter Details ISBN0525566104 Author Lara Prescott Year 2020 ISBN-10 0525566104 ISBN-13 9780525566106 Format Paperback Short Title The Secrets We Kept Pages 368 Language English Country of Publication United States AU Release Date 2020-06-30 NZ Release Date 2020-06-30 US Release Date 2020-06-30 Place of Publication New York UK Release Date 1900-01-01 Publisher Random House USA Inc Publication Date 2020-06-30 Imprint Vintage Books DEWEY 813.6 Audience General Subtitle A Novel We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:128093831;

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