Hitler was collecting countries like stamps. How long before he had the full set? Transcription by Kate Atkinson

I was swept into Transcription, enthralled with Kate Atkinson's atmospheric and witty writing, the recreation of England during the rise of Hitler, and the espionage ring with its vivid characters and uncertain alliances.

The novel opens in 1950 with twenty-eight-year-old Juliet working in post-war London for the BBC.

"There was a better life somewhere, Juliet supposed, if only she could be bothered to find it." Transcription by Kate Atkinson

Julie fingers her necklace of pearls, which she admits she took off a dead woman who was heavier to lift than she looked. We learn that Julie tells lies to strangers. She sees a man she used to know by two names, who tells her "I think you have confused me with someone else." And in a local cafe, a strange man observes her "in a way that was extremely disconcerting." Julie reflects on her time with MI5 during the war ten years previous, when she was a transcriptionist typing recordings of traitorous conversations.

Juliet's life working for MI5 alternates between boredom and mystery. She is never completely filled in on the operations, merely does as she is told. She drifts along with whatever comes, even into a mock engagement with a coworker who shows no physical interest in her. She is given a fake identity as part of a sting operation. She is a natural liar and playactor.

The future of England at stake, with Fascists sympathizers and Communist sympathizers and loyal royalists endeavoring for the prize.

This England, is it worth fighting for? Transcription by Kate Atkinson

The novel ends with unexpected turns of events.

"It was all such a waste of breath. War and peace. Peace and war. It would go on forever without end." Transcription by Kate Atkinson

I am so happy to have finally read Atkinson. I can't wait to get a hold of her previous books.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Kate Atkinson is really good writer. The descriptions she has for people is excellent and brings up the proper image. I loved the main character. There was something calculating about her. My only problem with the book is the timelines. We spend most of the time during the war and then after. When we first read main character's post-war life we get introduced to the all the characters in her life. Then for a long time we read about her World War II life with a different set of characters. By the time we get back to post-war, I have a hard time remembering who is who. I understand why the book was structured like that and the plot was masterfully done.

Thanks to the publisher for providing a free digital ARC, via Netgalley. I just finished the book, loved it (it is very rare for me to 5-star a book), and I plan to not only re-read it, but also buy a copy when it’s published.

This book is a special treat for readers who enjoy novels about people (especially women) involved in World War II and/or the Cold War intelligence work in England. Like many Kate Atkinson novels, there is some time jumping here. There are short bookends set in 1981, but the bulk of the novel is set in two time periods: 1940 and 1950.

In 1940, Juliet Armstrong is just 18 years old and an orphan when she is recruited to work for MI5. After a stint doing dull work in records, she’s chosen to help in a plan to entrap a ring of fifth columnists. In so many ways, her new role is not at all what she expected, and it will be the pivotal experience of her life. In 1950, Juliet works at the BBC as a producer, which seems to be a landing place for many former members of the intelligence services.

Atkinson’s close description of people and places draws the reader into this slow-burn story. Though I’ve read many books about WW2/Cold War espionage, I never saw where this was going. In part, because with Atkinson it’s not so much about having an action-packed plot as it is about examining the interior life of her main character and how she navigates the confusing and lonely world of intelligence work. That description makes the book sound so serious, doesn’t it? Well, it is serious, but also dryly funny, especially Juliet’s acerbic thoughts about her targets and, even more so, her male bosses.

As with Atkinson’s standout Life After Life (one of my all-time favorite books), Transcription is also a female Bildungsroman, and that’s where its deeper resonance lies. Just imagine yourself at 18, alone in 1940 England, with everything about your life and the life of your country in question. You’re recruited to work for an agency you’ve never heard of and required to keep everything completely secret. You’re on a need-to-know basis, and often your (male) superiors don’t seem to think you need to know much of anything. You’re just supposed to be a good girl and do what you’re told—but your superiors don’t always seem to be on the same page. Ultimately, it looks like you must just keep your mouth shut and make your choices. Choices that will have repercussions throughout the rest of your life.

One last thing: Do yourself a favor and be sure to read the Author's Note at the end of the book. Atkinson writes about what inspired her to write this book and lists other books that she recommends and were sources for her. Her inspiration story is fascinating, and several of her cited sources are now on my to-read list.

Once again, Atkinson managed to enthrall me with every word of this very unusual novel about spies in WW II London. With an unlikely heroine, Juliet Armstrong, sharing her fascinating tale, I could neither put the book down nor predict what she was going to reveal.

I have been a fan of all her books, and this doesn’t disappoint. Atkinson is able to present the reader with so many details that you are drawn into the plot. Every character is so well described that I felt I could find them next time I’m in London.

I will never walk on Wigmore Street again without mourning for Juliet.

Kudos to this brilliant author and all her lucky readers.