This is a novel based on the true story of the CIA's plot to win over the hearts and minds of people in Russia during the Cold War. Two secretaries are assigned to get the book "Doctor Zhivago" out of Russia. This is a pretty accurate portrayal of this time in history and how a book could change everything.

This book drew me in from the beginning. I really liked the changing points of view and the way the story was woven together. I admit I got a little confused in the middle about how all the various spy/intelligence contingents were working together. I also liked the multiples meanings of the title and the ending gave me all the feels.

Though I found the time period fascinating, and the writing tight, I did not connect with this book. The female characters lacked, for me, a full realization. Perhaps this is apt because they are limited by the time period in which they live. Or because they are self-limiting by the choices they make, particularly Olga.

Another solid entry in the WW2 female spy genre. Features an intriguing portion of history, with the challenge presented by publishing Doctor Zhivago. There's lots of intricate spy work and some intriguing characters, but overall not a standout in the genre. Would give to someone that loved the Alice Network or the Nightingale.

Delightful and beautiful writing, I tore through this historical fiction about an an undertold story of the use of arts in the American fight against Communism. Recommended!

A fascinating topic--how the novel Doctor Zhivago was used as a "weapon" during the Cold War--but the story itself didn't hold together well enough for me to be as captivated as I'd hoped. Not sure if there was too much back and forth between times and characters or what kept me at arms length, but I felt like a distant observer rather than in the thick of it. Still worth reading to learn about this strange (but true!) twist on the typical spy game.

While this book should have been a slam dunk, home run for me, I am sad to say that it wasn't.

We have two timelines that we follow with a multitude of characters, notably (and the draw for me) Boris Pasternak and his mistress Olga in the USSR and in the US, Irina, a Russian American secretary that gets groomed to be a spy to smuggle the manuscript that would become Dr. Zhivago into the USSR.

What make this book not a success for me was the pace. It took far too long to establish the characters in both timelines before the real action took place and it just lost my interest. Great premise, but it fell short.

Thanks to Netgalley and Vintage for access to an advanced digital copy for my honest review.

Highly entertaining tale of the story behind Dr. Zhivago. I'm not sure how much is true but I loved all the spy details. Now I want to go watch the movie.

Plot takes place in Moscow, where the author of Dr. Zhivago, a book banned in the USSR, remains in his dacha, with his wife, while his lover is exiled to a gulag for his writing, and Washington DC, where the CIA plots to get the book for antiSoviet propaganda purposes, and their typists. I was hoping for a spy novel, but the reader will find bits of romance, some intrigue, and a plot line about gender identity during the Cold War.

The female typists of the Cold War often played much more important roles, and those are here alongside the story of the publication of Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago, and the surrounding intrigue. This was a far more complex read than I expected but very interesting and well-researched.

Lara Prescott weaves a tale of espionage during the Cold War using Boris Pasternak’s book Dr Zhivago as the basis for her incredible debut. Prescott weaves a compelling account of the censorship, suppression, publication and distribution that surrounded Dr. Zhivago and all of the surrounding controversy. A must read.

This is a fascinating tale of espionage during the Cold War and it is sure not to disappoint. I began this book knowing very little information about the subject matter other than I had watched the movie Doctor Zhivago in a High School English class 20 years ago. What I learned as far as historical information was fascinating! This is accompanied by straightforward, yet poetic, writing that has interesting and well developed characters. I can completely see this compelling novel turned into a movie and would love to see that! Highly Recommend. Well done!

This story is set in Cold War America and the USSR with intrigue and stories told from both Western and Eastern fronts. In the West the CIA is trying to smuggle the novel Doctor Zhivago into the country for publication. In the East we learn about the love affair between author Pasternak and his lover and muse Olga.

I like that this novel tells the stories of women whose place in history often gets marginalized. However, I saw in this story a similar theme to others - I call it the "women who love famous jerks" plot. Other examples would be books written about women who loved Hemingway or Lindbergh or Frank Lloyd Wright. It's a fascinating way to see history and to humanize it but sometimes it wrankles that the women are defined or only notable because of the men they dated. That said, it was well-executed and an interesting story that was worth being told. So, if you love historical fiction with a side-serving of romance this is a great choice.

True-to-life intrigue, the Cold War, Dr. Zhivago and Boris Pasternak, are all elements wound together in "The Secrets We Kept.

The story starts with the typing pool, "the girls," many of whom had worked as secret agents during World War II and others who graduated from prestigious colleges. A few select members of the pool were pulled out for extra duty, as some were trained to be spies or work with counter-intelligence. Irina, whose mother was Russian and who grew up speaking Russian, and Sally were two members of the typing pool who went on to become "swallows" or spies. The chapters alternate between West and East, and, reading this as an e-book, it was somewhat difficult to figure out in which locale these chapters were taking place. The chapters on the East deal with Boris Pasternak, his lover, Olga (supposedly the model for Lara in the novel), his muse and agent, and his novel, Dr. Zhivago. The Soviet government believed this classic novel was a “literary weapon of mass destruction.”

The U.S. determined to publish Dr. Zhivago and use it as a propaganda tool. The CIA machinations of the ‘50s were highly secretive. Pasternak’s lifelong struggle was to follow his literary muse even when it was in conflict with what his beloved land deemed “correct.” The World's Fair was the scene of the U.S. handing out many copies of Dr. Zhivago to Russians who were attending the Fair, and taking the books back to their native homeland.

This turned out to be more a love story than a mystery, but an interesting read nonetheless.

The Secrets We Kept is a novel that takes place during the Cold War. Many women who were involved in important matters for OSS during WWII were relegated to the typing pool
when they came home. This book is partially about the typing pool full of well educated women at the CIA. Two of the women in the typing pool are found to excel in keeping secrets. They ultimately become spies for the CIA.

While I was aware that the CIA has psych-ops units designed to change/undermine the minds of the enemy, I had no idea that Dr. Zhivago, a classic, was referred to as a “literary weapon of mass destruction.” Nor was I aware of the back story of its publication. Hence the story of this book.

The Soviet Government finds the content of this book not only offensive but against the beliefs of the government. It will not publish Boris Pasternak’s book. The setting of the book alternates between the East and West. In the East - the Soviet Union - we meet the famed author and his lover Olga (who by the way was the inspiration for Lara). In the West - we meet the women of the typing pool. They are the secret keepers. The women who are recruited as spies are charged with obtaining the Pasternak’s manuscript of Dr. Zhivago for publication in the West. Moving between the East and the West are two love stories, dangerous missions and much soul searching.

Typically, when a novel shifts from one story to the other, one of the two threads gets pushed to the background but here both stories remain strong. There are many fascinating insights into the CIA and the machinations of the “good old boys club” of the 1950's, specifically the way women were treated. There are also many interesting insights into Boris Pasternak, his life and his struggle to follow his literary muse. The book even portrays Pasternak as being so selfish he is willing to sacrifice the people he loves when it is in conflict with his book.

I will admit that there are a few portions of the book that could have been left out or made shorter. However, the book in all its sums and parts was an enlightening read. This book will definitely be a best seller. I also have read that a company has purchased the movie rights for this book. Ms. Prescott has a lot to look forward to. Her career is about to take off. I can’t wait to see what she has next. Well done!

I loved this book! It was a very realistic portrayal of the smuggling of a true treasure and I was enthralled by every page.

This is such a good book! I can’t think of any read-a-likes for this - what other books are about 1960s female Russian Spies who work as secretaries by day? I’d recommend for anyone who is still mourning the end of the tv show The Americans.

Hard to put down with a fascinating cast of characters, this book explores the start of the Cold War and the women who played a part in the intelligence community. Loved it!

It will be easy to recommend this to historical fiction fans. The highlight for me was the love story between Boris and Olga. The scenes from the gulag were especially memorable too. I also thought the storyline about how Dr. Zhivago was smuggled back into the USSR was fascinating. Nice choice for book groups too.

The Secrets We Kept was a tightly wound entrancing spy novel and yet so much more. There were several love stories, and an uncanny feel of the forties and fifties in the United States and Russia. Based on Boris Pasternack's Dr Zhivago, the story followed form in the stories of the women in the book. I rarely find a book that grabs me from the beginning but this novel had me from page one. I can't say much more about the style without giving away the plot entirely so I'll leave it at read it and enjoy.