This interesting work of historical fiction combines several elements to create a fascinating novel. Rina suffers from the difficulties of being sole caregiver to young boys, while her husband is involved in his career, ignoring her. She is bored and miserable. The novel captures the unfulfilling life of a housewife, GRR. it also folds this in to the social and political issues of the 1950s.

So, Rina a woman of rare intelligence and ambition, becomes an FBI recruit, dealing with a very different kind of intelligence. Her reawakening is fascinating, as the author elevates this to a political novel. I have enjoyed Tanabe’s prior novels but this one is so rich in material that highly recommend it to book clubs.

Thank you Netgalley for this very fine novel that combines so many elements.

Thank you, NetGalley, for this Arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book; the main character was easy to relate to, and I loved watching her journey. The book did slow down in certain areas, but I felt that it didn't last too long and quickly pick up again—all in all, a delightful book that I would recommend to others.

DNF. I read about 1/3 of the book and started to lose interest. To be honest, I felt the beginning of the book with the mom and her two young sons a little unbelievable. Her interactions with her husband didn’t ring true for me.
Sorry to say I just was not compelled to finish. I will not post to Goodreads since I didn’t finish the book.

I love historical fiction and A Woman of Intelligence was just what I needed to get my historical fiction fix. I really enjoyed reading about how this powerful woman adjusted to life and remained a bad ass even after becoming a mother, when the world expected her to be something else. This is an amazingly well done look into the way women were (and sometimes still are) treated in the male-dominated work forces.


Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

When Katherina Edgeworth marries her handsome pediatric surgeon, she gives up an independent lifestyle to become a 1950’s housewife.

Before her marriage, Katherina works as an interpreter at the newly formed United Nations Building in New York. She loves the challenge of her job, her friends, and an exuberant nightlife, but then she meets Tom Edgeworth and falls in love.

Though more chaotic, what with the commitments required by Manhattan’s upper class and her daily commute, Katherina makes it work until she becomes pregnant and is forced to give up her career.

Trapped by a life she doesn’t want, Katherina accepts the opportunity to escape the bonds of motherhood- if only for a few precious hours- to become an undercover spy for the FBI. A man she once knew intimately in college is a high-ranking official in the Soviet Union and Katherina is tasked with gaining his trust as a courier delivering ‘stolen‘ US documents to the KGB.

Danger lurks around every corner, but Katherina has never felt more alive. With tensions rising at home, an illicit attraction tempts her to make a decision that will change her life forever.

This story highlights the expectations of housewives in the 1950’s, but more than that, it puts a spotlight on post war strain, the fear of communism, and racial tension.

Altogether an absorbing read!

“I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.”

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting and intriguing. I do feel there are some loose ends that could have been better tied up but a very fun read.

Let me start off by saying this, if you love the subject of history, this may be the book for you. Me, not my thing. I do enjoy a good historical fiction novel when I do not feel like I'm back in 9th grade history class. This one just wasn't quite the one for me. When I read the book summary, I was extremely excited for this book. Going into it I was expecting a kick butt "finding herself as a FBI spy" and I feel like I received tiny little sparks of that at little random times. For the most part, however, I felt like I was so bored with so much fluff of who is doing what, when, where, at this time, and all these random side characters that it just fried my nerves. Don't get me wrong, Katharina was a kick ass protagonist but after that I just didn't get into it.

'A Woman of Intelligence' combines New York City post-war storylines, and no shortage of strong women who don't back down from a challenge. The double meaning of 'intelligence" in the title is perfect - highlighting Katharina Edgeworth's considerable education as well as her foray into helping 1950s government agents. She has what would seem a charmed life on the surface, but the author doesn't sugar coat her struggles. It's a great read, and I'm betting one that will be on many airplane/beach lists this summer.

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.
This was a historical novel that takes place in New York City in the early 1950's. Rina Edgeworth is married to her rich husband Tom who is also married to his job as a pediatric surgeon. He comes from old money and he thinks his wife should be doing a better job as a mother of two young children, Gerrit and Peter. Before her marriage she was a translator at the United Nations but now she is just a mom and she doesn't feel like she's good at being a mom. When a stranger approaches her with a proposal to help the FBI find out information about a former lover that is a Soviet spy Katharina says yes,
The writing is exceptional for women's fiction. I truly enjoyed this book!

Oh, to be intelligent and well educated can be such a blessing, yet often a curse. Such is the realization of the lead character in author Karin Tanabe's, "A Woman of Intelligence".

The year is 1952; the place - New York City.
Katherina West Edgeworth ("Rina" to her friends) - Vassar grad with a Columbia masters, speaks four languages and had been a translator at the fledgling United Nations. That is until her unavoidable change to "motherhood". Her pediatric surgeon husband was well enough off that he felt that she should stay home to raise their children. Rina acquiesced with the caveat that she may go back to work when the children are old enough. For many women, this would be a wonderful situation in which to find oneself. For someone whose educated mind is no longer rigorously challenged and who longs for adult dialogue, this could be the death knell of the person they once were. We observe Rina's struggles, hope and determination and ache alongside her as she finds her way.

Tanabe's writing style is highly descriptive and quite humorous at times. She has captured the New York City "edge" exceedingly well. There's a lot to chew on in this story - subjugation of one's intellect in order to raise children, fear of rising communism in America and family dynamics across the socio-economic spectrum. For the most part, Tanabe handles this well with only the occasional dragging of plot. Her extensive historical research is apparent and solid in the writing. However, it was exceedingly difficult to relate to the main character as frankly, her behavior is not as one would have expected from someone of her academic background. (The perceived boredom seems out of character for someone with Rina's knowledge and previous interests. Loneliness - yes; boredom - no.) That lack of connection and empathy with the main character made it difficult to stick with the story. Yet by the story's end, the characters evolved for the better and satisfying closure is achieved.

I am grateful to Ms. Tanabe and St. Martin's Press for having provided a complimentary uncorrected digital galley of this book. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

I loved this book. The plot is beautifully written and rich in detail, in an era that is fascinating to me. Katharina definitely went against the norm of what is expected of women during this time. The story was fast paced and suspenseful.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This piece of historical fiction did a nice job of exploring the post world war two times. You really got a sense of the fear of communism at the time and how people reacted to it. You get introduced to New York City and Washington D.C. to a degree. The strongest part of this book was the dichotomy between being a good wife/mother and wanting a career, although the characters don't overpower the story. The book has a good pace and really holds your interest. I liked the ending which tied everything together. Not the strongest Karin Tanabe book but a fun read anyway.

This book starts off strong and initially pulled me in. Then by about 1/4 of the way, I started to find it a bit slow. I enjoyed it as historical fiction and was interested in her work at the U.N. I struggled a bit to finish the book

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for fair and honest review.

I just couldn't finish this book. It was good, and relatable, but it was also overwhelmingly the experience of postpartum depression. I had been expecting a story that would have spy intrigue in the WW2 period, but instead, all I got was the difficult, difficult experience that is postpartum depression and anxiety, which hit a bit too close to home for me. I put it down about halfway through, and just couldn't motivate myself to pick it back up.

A Woman of Intelligence is the perfect description of Rina, the Park Avenue housewife with a wild girl past and a need to be more than mom to tiny humans and wife to a stifling husband. With her many languages and sharp wit she was capable of so much more than pushing a ridiculous stroller round Central Park. Even she questioned where the feisty, funtime girl had gone.

I couldn't give this 5 stars though. To me it lacked suspense, thrills and a good twist. I never felt that Rina was in any danger and the connection with Turner that the author described never felt real. I was also disappointed by the end. I wanted there to be more action and a better twist to the undercover stuff.

In the end it was just about a housewife and mom breaking free of her chains. And I suppose that's OK. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC, this is my honest review.

Karin Tanabe’s book, A Woman of Intelligence is a well written story of a woman who finds herself a wife, a mother and working for the FBI. The main character sees herself disappearing with the demands of motherhood. She comes alive through her undercover work for the FBI and rediscovers her value to make the world a better place. I would recommend this book.

Very clever, engaging and transporting. We get a gorgeous picture of that era, of money and elegance, plus the pulse-pound of spywork. Lots of logic here, which makes this an enjoyable spy adventure, and Tanabe writes some fabulous dialogue.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the review copy. Very generous of you.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I've read other books by this author so was excited about this one but just couldn't find myself enjoying it. I stopped reading about 1/3 into it as the main character was so unhappy with her life as a mother and then became a spy. Some of the events didn't seem plausible. This one wasn't for me.

A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe covers an era not often examined in historical fiction, and I am here for it. It examines the period post-WWII, which is a fascinating time in both American history and in terms of the starting of the feminist movement.

Katharina Edgeworth has the life many would aspire to with wealth, an ideal husband, and healthy sons, but she wants to do more with her language skills and intellect. When given the chance to use those skills to infiltrate the life of an old beau to see if he's working for the KGB, she knows it is her chance to escape her gilded cage.

While some may deem this book a bit slow, I enjoyed the society and spy elements of the book.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

I was excited to read this book but just could not get into the characters or the plot. The main character is a NY Upper East side stay at home mom who is married to a prominent doctor. She is deeply disappointed that she had to leave her job at the UN and be a mother. She complains ALOT about her kids and that just bothered me. I get that she wanted a career and felt oppressed in there marriage.....but.....it was just too much for me.

When she get recruited into the "spy world", she begins sneaking out at 2:00 am to make secretive phone calls (among other outings). I found this highly unbelievable. There are other things that happen that also seem very far fetched.

Just wasn't for me.

#NetGalley *#Awomanofintelligence

2.5 stars