1956, Boris Pasternak disillusioned with the regime, written his masterpiece Doctor Zhivago knowing that he will get into trouble with the state because of it’s contents. As it is expected, the book gets banned in the Soviet Union but, smuggled outside, becomes a literary and political sensation overnight. The CIA realised the power of the book and want to use it as a cultural Cold War weapon. Therefore, they employ two female spies to smuggle it back to the USSR by any means necessary. The book, Doctor Zhivago has got an incredible power to change the history of the world. This cleverly plotted and characterised novel, rich with historical details has everything. Banned masterpiece, forbidden love affair, double agents and female spies. It makes you dig out your old copy ofDoctor Zhivago and re-read again. It is a totally absorbing and suspenseful book abou loyalty, art, ambition and living and surviving under the harsh life of Communism. I would highly recommend the best spy thriller of the year. Enjoy it.

Dr Zhivago as a book and a film holds a special place in my heart as I grew up on the film and have read the book several times over the years (I also have a music box that plays Lara's theme).  The Secrets We Kept centres around Boris Pasternak's writing of Dr Zhivago, its reception in Russia, and how the CIA used the book as a weapon in the Cold War. Through the voices of the secretaries who worked in the CIA as agents, Boris and Boris's mistress Olga this fascinating story of the book and those who sought to use it for their own purposes is told. The Secrets We Kept is one of the most intriguing books I have read in a long time and it had me utterly gripped, and left me with a huge book hangover.  I thought I knew quite a bit about Boris Pasternak and Dr Zhivago, but I had no idea of America's use of the book in the Cold War.  The book is split into parts East and West, Russia and America/Europe and the plot is told in the first person narrative by the main characters during the 1950's.  This book covers so many different genres, thriller, espionage, romance, history, that there really is something for everyone. Lara Prescott, named after the main character in Dr Zhivago, writes with such a beautiful style, and is able to adapt between the more American use of language and the difference of the Russian style with great skill which helps with the demarcation of the East and West. Lara Prescott really does justice to the main players in this book and skilfully gives them all their own voice in her use of the first person narrative. My favourite character was Olga, which is a bit of a surprise as I sometimes got quite angry with her for putting Boris  before her children.  She may only have been his mistress but she was the one who seemed to suffer the most at the hands of the Russian regime, being  sent to the gulag prison camps in order to try and stop Boris writing the book. Her strength and belief in his work was unbelievable, and showed her love and loyalty to him. In America it was the stories of Sally and Irina, and their role in smuggling the book into Russia that got my attention. Their stories are fascinating, their training, background and their undercover work had me gripped. It gives an insight into the role of women in the CIA, both in the 1950's and during the previous war with Japan, and how even though they put their lives on the line there were still many prejudices surrounding them.  There are many other characters, all memorable in their own way, and add to the brilliance of this book. The Secrets We Kept is an absolutely amazing read, and one of the most captivating and interesting books I have read in a long time. The espionage, thrills, romance and historical detail combine to make this such a well rounded, multi layered and breathtaking read. Even if you know nothing about Boris Pasternak, and Dr Zhivago, this is still a book that will captivate you, and maybe even encourage you to read, what I think is an absolute classic.  This is a stunning debut from Lara Prescott, and will definitely be one of my ten best reads of the year. I really can't recommend this book highly enough, so get clicking and buying.

Excellently realised fictionalisation of the true events surrounding the publication of Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago. Great characters interwoven into the characters drawn into the murky world of espionage.

This is the story of an undeclared state of war, and the female victims of the secrets and lies that were produced. It is the story of a book which changes lives even during the writing of it; it has the potential to change much more. Risk, excitement and the heady power of love are sharply contrasted with the fear and disturbance that a life of secrets can result in. This is the story of typists at the Agency in Washington, America, educated women who type the secrets that men create, discuss and sometimes act on. On the edge of news, adventure, they maintain their silence but also speculate. It is the story of a woman, Olga, beloved of a man who is at once famous as a writer but also regarded as a threat. She is the muse but also the keeper of potentially explosive secrets. The story of Irina, vulnerable yet chosen to make a difference. Sally, the traffic stopping beauty with her own secrets. Secrets and the power of books to make a difference dominate this intense novel when various women are given a voice. Its intensity is increased by the vivid descriptions of clothes and settings which reflect the enormous research undertaken by the author. This is a book which stands alone in terms of subject matter, and the singular idea of using the novel Doctor Zhivago as a basis for much of the story. I was so glad to have the opportunity to read and review this book. The book opens with a description of the lives of the typists, educated young women who have to seize their chances to compare notes on the men who run the department. Then viewpoint then changes to the words of Olga, seen as the “Muse”, the mistress of Boris Pasternak. She faces a time of great challenge because of her relationship, and the importance of a novel which is becoming significant in the last days of Stalin’s rule. She lives in a society of surveillance, and even when the pressure eases in some ways she knows the danger she still lives with. Meanwhile, Irina lives a difficult life with her mother, without a father who was a victim of the persecution that Olga would recognise. Her inner conflicts become more complex as she tackles a lifestyle and a job that throws her expectations completely out of kilter. As the chorus of typists analyse, wonder and reach conclusions, the tension increases and the stakes of a novel’s impact rises. This tense novel combines the nature of a thriller, a stylish plot and a literary read to great effect. The clever switches in viewpoint are so well done that an accurate picture is obtained of the secrets and motivations of many of the women. It is a complex plot well balanced and paced; the overall impression is of controlled revelation and explanation. A sophisticated read, this is a book which raises the stakes for significant historical fiction from a female point of view. The secrets that have been kept are important, and this excellent novel makes the reader appreciate the times of threat and realignment.

I didn't really read the blurb of this until it had arrived in the post - so hadn't realised that it was based on real events. The novel was well written and really engaging and I liked the varying narrative perspectives as it switched between East and West. The narratives gradually converge to create a really satisfying ending! I don't want to say too much and give away the plot, but this had me hooked from the first chapter and gave me an insight into the way novels and publishing were used as form or propaganda/resistance that have made me look for more on the topic. I also found the depiction of the women who had been so involved in espionage during the war and then parked back into administration post-war really convincing.