I throughly enjoyed this spy novel which was more of a character study. There are some echoes of John LeCarre here. Primarily, this is a fabulous character study. The clever chronology works well (Two alternating timelines: beginning in 1958, when Vera is a high school student; and in the midst of a government assignment in Buenos Aires in 1966. Eventually, the first timeline catches up with the 1966 story. Fun and fast-paced.

I tore through this book, going on a wild ride with Vera Kelly. Many, many thanks to Tin House for the ARC of this delightful novel. Alternating between Vera’s strange childhood and her presence as a spy in Latin America, this story gradually reveals the question in the novel’s title. Truthfully, the lonely Vera may have little idea who she is either or at least she hasn’t synthesized how she ended up in Argentina and why.

Anyone who picks up this book will be in for a treat and as mentioned, a very wild ride.