If you are like me, you thought you knew what you thought about the Red hunts in Washington in the early 1950s and about Soviet spying activities since then. Joseph Kanon changed my perspective completely by focusing on Nick Kotlar, the son of a man accused of being a Soviet agent by the House Un-American Activities Committee. As the book begins, Nick is ten and his house is surrounded by reporters every morning before his father heads to the Capitol to testify. As the story continues, Nick plays a determined hand in trying to understand what was going on . . . and what it all meant. The book becomes an amazing story of finding oneself by sifting through the ruined lives of the older generation.

The book is in three sections (in Washington D.C. in 1950, in Europe 18 years later, and back in the United States shortly thereafter). The first two are riveting and tremendously rewarding. The final section is far too predictable to work well. I recommend that you read the book, nevertheless. You can actually skip the final section if you want. I think I would have liked the book better if I had.

I listened to this book rather than read it. The version I listened to was the unabridged one by Books on Tape. Michael Kramer does an impressive job with the different characters by altering his voice more than I thought possible. Some of the voices he does for the people in Czechoslovakia are brilliant! Try to listen to this version if you can.

After you finish reading or listening to the book, think about where today power is being used to create harm and deny freedom of choice. Where is it being done by totalitarian regimes . . . and where by democratic ones? What are the differences? How can such abuses of power be eliminated?

(taken from amazon.com)

becoming part of the NSSFC 2005

Book no 4 (yes, 4!!!) from my Not So Secret Santa, and a fourth new author to explore. I love Le Carre and Deighton and wonder whether this spy thriller will similar to one or other of these.

I seem to have ended up with this, it must've been amongst the load of books I picked up from Tehuti when she was de-cluttering last year before her move to Wales.

RELEASE NOTES:

I popped in for a couple of pints of the excellent Harvest Pale Ale and left this in a menu/leaflet rack thingy by the bar.