Description

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‘A thrilling, seductive and utterly compelling novel. I absolutely loved it!’ SARAH WINMAN
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TWO FEMALE SPIES. A BANNED MASTERPIECE. A BOOK THAT CHANGED HISTORY.

1956. A celebrated Russian author is writing a book, Doctor Zhivago, which could spark dissent in the Soviet Union. The Soviets, afraid of its subversive power, ban it.

But in the rest of the world it’s fast becoming a sensation.

In Washington DC, the CIA is planning to use the book to tip the Cold War in its favour.

Their agents are not the usual spies, however. Two typists – the charming, experienced Sally and the talented novice Irina – are charged with the mission of a lifetime: to smuggle Doctor Zhivago back into Russia by any means necessary.

It will not be easy. There are people prepared to die for this book – and agents willing to kill for it. But they cannot fail – as this book has the power to change history.

Lara Prescott’s dazzling debut novel is a sweeping page turner, and now a global literary sensation.
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‘A riveting story of secrets, forbidden passions and the dark arts of espionage. I couldn’t put it down!’ LISA JEWELL

‘Enthralling… This is a rare page-turner with prose that’s as wily as its plot.’ VOGUE

‘A proto-feminist Mad Men transposed to the world of international espionage – mid-century style and intrigue set against real, indelible history.’ ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

‘I loved this book. So vivid and engaging. A joy to read a story about spies that has lots of women in active roles.’ CATHY RENTZENBRINK

‘A fascinating story, so cleverly told, of the long chain of people who helped to bring Pasternak’s masterpiece into the world. I gulped it down.’ GILL HORNBY

‘The insight into the workings of the CIA, the portrait of the 1950s and a threatened love affair in the West … make for riveting reading.’ DAILY MAIL

‘Triumphant … This debut shines as spy story, publication thriller and historical romance with a twist.’ PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

‘This captivating novel is so assured that it’s hard to believe it’s a debut – and very easy to see why there’s huge buzz around it.’ SUNDAY MIRROR
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Early readers can’t stop talking about The Secrets We Kept:

‘I absolutely devoured it. Totally compelling, it made my heart swoop until the very last page.’
‘Thrilling, moving and utterly compelling – one of those rare books that makes you forget the outside world.’
‘The Secrets We Kept is a brilliant twist on the traditional Cold War spy thriller. It’s told through a cast of intelligent and intriguing women and is full of secrets, glamour and love.’
‘I absolutely loved it, adored it even, and I can’t stop talking about The Secrets We Kept’
‘The Secrets We Kept is like nothing else I’ve read before. The story is vivid and alluring, and one that will stay with you forever.’
‘The Secrets We Kept reads like a high-stakes, Mad Men inspired, spy thriller. Classy and glamorous, yet revealing and complex, it has a cast of spectacular characters and a truly emotional core. This really is something special!’

Publisher Review

"What a fantastic novel The Secrets We Kept is. Thrilling, seductive and thoroughly compelling - Lara has created something really special. And it's made me want to re-read Doctor Zhivago! I absolutely loved it!" * Sarah Winman, author of TIN MAN * "How does Lara Prescott manage to do so much in one book? The Secrets We Kept is stylish, thrilling, smart, vivid, at once intimate and sweeping, dreamlike and true-to-life, with an unforgettable cast and story. This is a riveting novel about a riveting novel, a love story to love stories." -- ELIZABETH MCCRACKEN "As lively and vivid a novel as even the most demanding reader could wish for: epic in scope, deliciously meaty with its wide array of characters and milieux, and utterly convincing in its treatment of Cold War espionage and intrigue. This marvelous novel reads like the work of a mid-career master; what a wonderful surprise, then, to realize it's the opening salvo from a supremely gifted debut novelist. Lara Prescott is the real deal, and the evidence is right here on every page." -- BEN FOUNTAIN "Well-researched and cleverly constructed... An intriguing and little-known chapter of literary history is brought to life with brio." * Kirkus (starred review) * "I was riveted by Lara Prescott's new novel. I barely stirred from my chair for two days. How does one even begin to talk about this book? It's all here-the KGB versus the CIA, the sexual office politics of Mad Men, a horrifying new look at the gulag, the tragic love affair between Boris Pasternak and his mistress, a brilliantly-drawn portrait of a time when a single book had the power to change history. I predict that The Secrets We Kept will be one of the most important books of 2020." -- JAMES MAGNUSON