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75 Book Review


SECRETS AND LIES S


ecrets and lies are so often the source of a good story be it fiction or real life.


The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott (Windmill


Books) is one such book which has recently been published in paperback. This is a piece of historical fiction set in the 1950s against the backdrop of the Cold War and centres on the fascinating true life tale of arguably the world’s most romantic book, Doctor Zhivago. History relates that the book was banned in Russia, deemed a subversive text and the author


by Emma Jones


not least as you become aware these are traumas experienced by many people living today. “Thought- provoking ... An absorbing slow burn of a book that not only casts light on Germany’s recent history but depicts, with careful tenderness, a family simultaneously torn apart by ideology and bound by powerful ties of love” Guardian. The Volunteer by Jack Fairweather and published


by WH Allen is the true story of the resistance hero who infiltrated Auschwitz. The bravery of those


develops the story around how the CIA used the novel as a weapon against Russia in the Cold War, smuggling the banned manuscript back into the USSR. When you hear that the author herself is named after the heroine of Doctor Zhivago you understand why she immersed herself so deeply in the history and background of its author, Boris Pasternak. The spies in the story are two secretaries in the typing pool and the love interest inspired by Pasternak’s real-life muse, Olga. With espionage and romance it makes for a thrilling read likened to a John Le Carré novel mixed with a bit of Mad Men. The Cold War and its familiar cloak of secrecy forms the backdrop for Confession with Blue Horses by Sophie Hardach (published by Head of Zeus). This is the story of a family split by the Stasi in 1980s Berlin with characters Tobi and Ella relocating to London after the fall of the Berlin Wall. After the death of their mother and the discovery of hidden notebooks in her belongings, Ella decides to return to modern-day Berlin to piece together the scraps of information to uncover the secrets behind the mysteries of their childhood and what became of their little brother Heiko. I devoured this book after a recent trip to Berlin


where the reality and horrors of The Berlin Wall are immediately apparent. It is thoughtfully written and is both an intriguing mystery and a tragic family drama,


during the war seems to know no bounds and this book reveals how the Polish underground operative, Witold Pilecki, accepted the unthinkable mission to enter Auschwitz and secretly report on the Nazi crimes in the camp over a period of two years forging an underground army to report back the horrors to the Allies. As a former war reporter, the author has impeccable credentials for creating a well-researched and grippingly written book about the life of a hero whose actions lay forgotten for decades. “..combines the verve of a thriller with the detailed evidence of the sober, hideous truth” The Telegraph. Finally, a more lighthearted read from the popular and sharp-witted author, Marian Keyes. Family relationships are so often complex and full of secrets and Grown Ups (published by Penguin) opens with a large family gathering with the recognisable conversations and backchat amongst siblings around the table. Everything changes when Cara starts spilling secrets and can’t keep her thoughts to herself after suffering from concussion. The book continues to piece together the jigsaw of the family dynamic unravelling relationships, revealing background issues and human frailties that many of us are familiar with. At once serious and modern with more than a touch of good humour and wit this is another heartwarming crowd pleaser. “Comic, convincing and true.” The Guardian


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