Russia, Spies, and Dr. Zhivago as good as Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll. The Secrets We Kept does not disappoint any historical fiction fan. I was captivated by the story of the struggle to smuggle out of Russia Boris Pasternak novel DR. ZHIVAGO. Loved Dr. Zhivago and love it more after reading The Secrets We Kept. Thank you Lara Prescott for giving me a great weekend on the beach read. Now I am looking forward to the Audio Book. Woo Hoo!

I enjoyed the historical details, and the alternating narratives. I found it to be a fascinating perspective of the Cold War.

This is an amazing story - thoroughly researched and well written that will have you spellbound from the first page to the last and with characters who will stay with you long after you have finished it. I highly recommend it.

3. A dual timeline, which I like. Different because not past and present, but same-starting in 1950s-Washington, D.C. and Soviet Union. And though I wasn't yet in D.C. at that time, I believe Prescott did her research well [for the most part-some of the gegraphic connections might be a bit off-locations and timing didnt seem quite right in a couple of instances [when going from one location to another--though I could be wrong].

The setting. "It’s the dawn of the Cold War, and words have been weaponized.
In Moscow, Olga Ivinskaya is arrested. She is the muse of Boris Pasternak...."

And, for me the far more compelling, interesting story-the newly formed CIA, where ""..former OSS agent Sally Forrester [is enlisted] to vet and mentor a new member of their typing pool, Irina Drozdova,"

And yes: "The story unfolds around the Soviet State’s persecution of Boris and Olga, the growing relationship between Sally and Irina, and the CIA’s clandestine Zhivago mission. And it follows Pasternak’s masterpiece as it travels around the world. This is an intricate and timely story of political and social persecution and the war of words between the US and the USSR. It explores themes of sexism, sexuality, secrecy, and how people change over time."

I totally got all the sexism, cultural climate in D.C., the typing pool, the Cold War, the writers' struggles in the Soviet Union, the gulag and so on,


I did think that some of the chapter headings [which showed transitions] were clever. And written well enough, but not enough for me.

BUT. It didn't really grab me. And some of the D.C. story was just too obvious. I could have put it down but I wanted to see how it ultimately played out.

HOWEVER: Now I want to see the movie [not necessarily read the book] Dr. Zhivago again; it's been decades!

I am going to change my rating on this book to a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 star book. I love books about spies, particularly women spies so I had really high expectations for this book. I had some problems with the flow, back and forth between what was happening with the author of Dr. Zhivago, Boris Pasternak, in the East and what was going on in the West, centering on the CIA and how it planned to use the book as a “weapon” against the Soviets.

All in all I enjoyed this book, it just took me a while to get through it. The novel starts during the time of the Cold War, four years after the end of WWII. Boris Pasternak was a renowned writer in Russia, short stories and poetry, and was well loved by the Russian government and the general population, that is until Russia became the USSR under Lenin and then Stalin. Boris saw many of his fellow artists, writers, musicians, painters, being taken away to labor camps or met with an even worse fate. Stalin tolerated Boris and he was allowed to live in a beautiful country home as well as his apartment in Moscow.

At the point when we enter the story, Boris is working on what he hopes will be his masterpiece. He is writing a novel about the way Russia used to be before communism and the truth about the revolution. It will tell of the opportunities and freedom that are no longer a part of life under communism. His lover and muse, Olga, will figure prominently in the book.

When the West gets wind of the novel they immediately start to set in motion plans to smuggle the novel out of the USSR, translate it for distribution in other countries and then ultimately smuggle the finished copies back into the hands of the people of Russia. The novel was banned from publication and distribution in Russia. One of my favorite quotes “Teddy rose to get another drink, returning with two martinis, an extra olive in his. “A toast?” Henry asked, to what?” “The book, of course. May our literary weapon of mass destruction make the monster squeal.”

The sections on the typing pool in the West, comprised of well educated women, some who had completed covert operations during the war interesting and upsetting. Now these women are relegated to typing the notes of the men in charge of operations with no input into what goes on! One woman, Irina, is singled out as being useful for the tasks associated with smuggling the novel out of Russia. She was brought up speaking the language fluently as her mother was Russian. She is taught at length about covert operations first by her boss Teddy and then later by another agent, Sally, with whom there is an immediate connection.

The sections on the East deal not only with Boris but with Olga who suffered the fate of 3 years in a labor camp for her association with Pasternak. Boris has a wife and two children but we don’t really get to know much about her except that she allowed Boris to keep his mistress as long as he spent his “writing” time at the country house with her.

There is romance and love, family and commitments involving the characters in the US and in the East. There are also strong opinions on loyalty to one’s government but even more so, to the rights of an individual to speak, write and read whatever they want. Reminding me once again how fortunate I am to live in a free country.

I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.

Will post to Amazon upon publication

The story of how Dr. Zhivago came to the world is complex and full of intrigue. Set during the Cold War, The Secrets We Kept follows two storylines. The first storyline follows the love story of Boris and Olga’s life. The events of which inspired Boris’s writing of Dr. Zhivago. The second follows the story of two CIA secretaries. Pulled out of the typing pool, Sally and Irina are given the mission of smuggling the manuscript for Dr. Zhivago back into the USSR and to help it make its way around the world. A seasoned spy, Sally uses her charm and magnetism to pry secrets out of men. Irina, a novice, quickly learns how to blend in, make drops, and invisible ferry classified documents. Will the two women succeed in their mission? Told with emotional intensity and historical detail, Prescott interweaves a story that grabs the reader from start to finish. The plot is fascinating. The main characters are charming. Fans of spy novels, Dr. Zhivago, and historical fiction will enjoy reading this book.

This novel is about two CIAs who is trying to get Doctor Zhivago out of Russia. The characters were very likable. However, I found the story to be slow-paced and does not pick up till halfway. Still, this novel is well-written with vivid historical details. I recommend this fans of The Alice Network! This is a perfect novel for those that love spy thrillers! Full review to come!

Being Russia's greatest living author did nothing for Boris Pasternak when the USSR decided his masterpiece Doctor Zhivago was verboten. His mistress Olga was sent to the gulag and his manuscript was quashed. Sensing an opportunity for revenge after the humiliation of Sputnik, the CIA plotted to smuggle copies of Zhivago into the hands of Soviet citizens, fomenting dissent via an epic of love, conflict, and heartbreak. Key to the plan is Irina, a humble typist who blossoms under the tutelage of her mentor in spycraft, the elegant Sally. Olga, Irina, and Sally all fight tooth and nail to find their places in a world that demeans and despises them.

I love historical novels where I learn about a time and place and particularly when it involves a novel that I love, Dr Zhivago. I never knew about the CIA involvement in its publication, and kudos to the author for all her research. This is a riveting tale which features women spies during the Cold war and the mistress and muse of Boris Pasternak.

The Secrets We Kept is an engrossing account of the publication of Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago. It is set both in the Soviet Union, where Pasternak's mistress Olga will be punished for his perceived misdeeds, and in the US, where the CIA will go to great lengths to get the book into the hands of Russians. This book was so, so good. I knew that Doctor Zhivago was suppressed in the USSR, but I hadn't heard of Olga Ivinskaya and didn't know about the CIA's hand in the book's publication. Prescott has clearly done a ton of research, as she brings both of her settings to life. I loved Irina and Sally, two CIA operatives, as well as the group of typists who work at the CIA and quietly know (almost) everything that goes on there. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, I'll just say that this book was absolutely fantastic.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting historical fiction on the life of the mistress of a great author who wrote a controversial and renowned novel. I had no idea how much Olga suffered due to the relationship. Her time in the Gulag was horrific.

Well written and very educational. I loved the book.

Based on the true story of the release of Doctor Zhivago in Europe even though it was prohibited in the USSR, as the CIA used it to disseminate information to the Russian people. The story alternates from Olga, Boris Pasternak’s mistress, with the story of Irina, a young woman new to the CIA typing pool, tapped for more than just typing. Interesting but I felt it was a bit slow at times. The women on the typing pool were all college graduates, capable of more but relegated to the typing pool.

Wow, I loved this book (and I don’t say that often)! It had a little bit of everything - love, history, mystery, you name it. I couldn’t put it down and it made me interested in a whole new variety of subjects. I will recommend this book to all my friends and family and eagerly await future works from this talented author.

Can I just say how much I'm loving all these books coming out lately about women doing intelligence work! It's about time women get some credit for their meaningful and brave contributions to WWII. It's really fascinating how intelligence officers use books to tip the psychology of a nation. I really enjoyed the thoughtfully built suspense and authentic characterization. This is a good good read!

The mid-20th century was dominated by the post-war rivalry, the COLD WAR, between Russia and the United States. The publication of Dr. Zhivago, by Boris Pasternak, became emblematic of this struggle for the minds of the world.

Somehow, Lara Prescott managed to create a brilliant and compelling novel around this piece of history. She framed the goal of publication of the novel within a group of fascinating women, working for the CIA. In fact, she uses the voices of the women to narrate the thrilling story of their roles and observations related to ensuring that this forbidden novel would be published internationally, despite the efforts of the USSR to forbid it.

Prescott also weaves in the story of the love affair between Pasternak and his mistress Olga, the muse who inspired Lara in the novel.

I cannot express my admiration for the this book, history, fiction, politics all rolled into a truly mesmerizing read. The characters, the women, Irina, Sally and Olga, are the heart of this book. Each well-developed and inspiring.

This is a perfect novel to be dissected, and discussed, by reading groups and seminars. The role of women and their relegation to menial jobs in post-WWII America is fascinating to explore. Of course, thinking about censorship and government intervention in the freedom of the press could not be more perfectly timed.

Obviously, viewing the film of Dr Zhivago would be a perfect way to follow up reading “The Secrets We Kept” or taking the plunge and reading the novel. I did the research and read Paternak’s biography. I have truly enjoyed the totality of this experience. Thank you Netgalley

During World War II women blew up bridges, triumphed in espionage, planned important operations. It's now the Cold War, and many of those women are now in the typing pool of the newly formed CIA while their male counterparts embark on careers. These accomplished, smart women form a sort of Greek chorus to the plan to use a Russian novel to destabilize the Soviet Union.

The novel is, of course, Boris Pasternak's "Dr. Zhivago." Smuggled out of the USSR by an Italian publisher, the CIA is determined to get as many copies into the hands of Russian readers as possible. Since the novel has been banned in Russia because of its criticism of the Soviet system, allowing readers to see the latest by their most beloved modern writer is a daring strategy.

How this affects those around the novel makes up the crux of "The Secrets We Kept." Pasternak's life is greatly up- ended, but not as much as the life of Olga Ivinskaya, his muse and the woman believed to be the model for Zhivago's love Lara. He is bullied and humiliated, but she spends years in the Gulag. Two American women are involved in the plan, one a former OSS agent and the other a Russian American typist.

This novel is darned good. The end felt rushed but it was not unsatisfying. I'll take half a star off but still, this is a good read and an impressive work by a first time author.