by Ian McEwan
First published 2012
Serena Frome trades her Cambridge lecture halls for the shadowy corridors of MI5 in 1972. Her handlers assign her a mission that seems perfectly suited to her literary background: penetrate the world of a talented young writer and monitor his activities. The operation appears straightforward until Serena discovers that surveillance becomes complicated when genuine feelings develop. She watches her target, learns his habits, and gradually finds herself drawn into his life in ways her training never anticipated. The Cold War creates an atmosphere where personal loyalties clash with professional duties. Serena must navigate between her growing emotional attachment and her obligations to the intelligence service. Each meeting with the writer deepens her internal conflict. The boundaries between her authentic self and her assumed identity begin to blur as romantic feelings complicate her assignment.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, espionage
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Great Britain
Period: 20th century
314 pages · Hardcover · Nan A. Talese