A Woman of Intelligence

A Novel

By: Karin Tanabe

Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya

Length: 13 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

"Captivating."—The Washington Post

Named a Best Book of Summer by Good Morning America • BuzzFeed • PopSugar • BookRiot • LifeSavvy • CT Post

From "a master of historical fiction" (NPR), Karin Tanabe's A Woman of Intelligence is an exhilarating tale of post-war New York City, and one remarkable woman’s journey from the United Nations, to the cloistered drawing rooms of Manhattan society, to the secretive ranks of the FBI.

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.

With the fast-paced twists of a classic spy thriller, and a nuanced depiction of female experience, A Woman of Intelligence shimmers with intrigue and desire.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

©2021 Karin Tanabe (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

2021, Washington Post Best Books of the Yea, Long-listed

Just ok

The story could’ve been much more interesting. The author didn’t paint a very believable circumstance nor character.

A bit of history with a timely message

At times this book is unreal in its depicting of Rina escaping into a world of a spy for the FBI. It does successfully show the frustration of some women who go from what they considered an exciting life to that of a mother. The storyline suggests that an agreement needs to be addressed early in a relationship allowing a mother (woman) to combine the best of both worlds with the help of an empathetic husband,

narration

The story has potential, the historic content added interest. I think reading a hard copy would be a better choice. The narrator - Jennifer Jill Araya - needs to lose the high rising terminal (HRT) at the end of sentences and valley girl inflection - high-pitched panicky, childish voice by the women. The women characters sound stupid with this voice, but they are not.

Gripping Story

I loved this story and the skilled narration. A very clear look at life for women in the early 20th century and the struggle be themselves while meeting the expectationsof society.

Predictable but enjoyable

It was a fun read that kept me engaged. It is. It a blockbuster but it is enjoyable.

Story description inaccurate - Post-partum only

I am rating this book well because it is a good book for the proper target audience; however, the inaccurate book description led to me listening to this book and I’m not the target audience. This book needs to explain that it’s for women who have overcome or are trying to overcome post-partum depression; that's it - that is the only true target audience for this book. This book goes into excruciating detail about the main character’s dissatisfaction with her life due to having children that she did not really want and developing depression as a result of losing her former life that brought her great joy, fulfillment, and happiness.

This book touches upon the aftermath of WWII and the red scare, but those are just very minor things in the background. The very few details that the author does include about spy work, FBI, etc. are minor, not relevant to the post-partum storyline, and extremely implausible. This is not a book about history - it’s only a feel good book for post-partum women, so hopefully more of these women can read this book and not feel so alone. I’ll go back to my usual war stories that I do enjoy.

meh

The story is boring. There were so many stories she could have told here, a cold war spy story, the cost of McArthyism, the Civil Rights movement or the beginning of the women's movement. Instead, it's one big whine about how a smart woman is bored out of her mind at home with the kids. The characters are standard caricatures. I don't recommend it.

Disappointing

I had heard about this book from a newspaper and I really thought it would be interesting, given the title. The woman was indeed well educated but a real push over when it came to her husband. Motherhood sounded like a life sentence. It was only when her mother-in-law spoke honestly to her that she caught on.

Not worth the time

The author has neither a feeling for, nor understanding of, the period about which she writes. The story is written through the lens and sensibilities of a young woman who is utterly 21st century. Thus, the novel rings false in every nuance. The performance is appropriate to the content.

Narration

I tried multiple times to start this book but couldn’t handle listening to the narration. I couldn’t get through the first chapter so I will try to find the hard copy at the library and read for myself.