An exciting espionage story set in the opulent post-war New York society will fascinate even the most discerning readers! The courageous and intelligent heroine is really the focal point of this fascinating novel and is sure to stay with the reader later.

A Woman of Intelligence
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
In one sentence I would describe the book as bored housewife of a rich pediatric surgeon dabbles in espionage.
As unrealistic as that concept is, I found the book just as far fetched and unbelievable. Rina is bored with her married life, she is frustrated raising two small children and her husband is never home. When she is approached by the FBI to conduct some spy work on suspected communist activity she is happy to oblige.
I found her disappearance to take trips to Washington DC from New York and her other secret activities without her husband’s knowledge totally unrealistic. As a mother of three children, I could understand Rina’s frustration with two children under three, but I couldn’t identify with her drinking binges and her lack of loving her children, except when they were asleep.
Without giving away too much, two characters in the book turn up dead and both of those deaths are glossed over and never explained.
Overall, I am generous giving this novel three stars.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.





She develops a crush on one of the agents during her assignments

This was a new to me author and I can promise you she does not disappoint. Karin Tanabe did a beautiful job of telling how difficult it was for women in the 1940’s and 50’s after WWII. She also did an amazing job explaining how being a mom is wonderful and overwhelming at the same time. The main character Rina is brilliant and the journey that she goes on to be able to feel fulfilled as both a mother and a woman is a must read story. This is a can not put down page-turner from the beginning. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for my requested copy of the ARC. All opinions are my very own.

Katharina Edgeworth Mother Of two young boys in the socialite rich area. Is supposed to stay at home and take care of them on her own. She is constantly judged, by her husband the Much beloved pediatrican. They can afford a nanny but its believed you can get closer just two wild little boys and a mom. This books takes place during the Commusim Scare in New york. 1952,

She is approached by a FBI agent Coldwell to go on a mission for the good of America to fight the communist and information about someone she knew is pretty high up working with the Soviet Union. So she should go undercover as a communist party member. Mother of two, trying to find time, nosy husband and neighbors. Little nuts. How will she manage it?

Life also shows how Men are the Boss attitude when women have to stay home all day and take care of children. NO help. While the guys can go off and work and have some fun.

It is an amazing book strongly written to never forgot all the famous women civilians who worked for the FBI and still do.

I was given This E-ARc by Netgalley and Wednesday Books for free in exchange for an honest review. I could also see this as an series.

I had high hopes for this book based on the description but did not pan out. Let me at least say it wasn’t terrible. The writing was actually quite enjoyable but the entire book was anti-climactic. I thought there would be more action or more thrills but it was more thoughts and feelings. Which is fine!... if that’s what you were expecting.

Wh,t a wonderful book!! The 1950's, the years of "Leave It To Beaver," "Father Knows Best," and a host of other sitcoms that had women in households always wearing pearls, a dress and an apron. How refreshing to read a story that shows a woman of intelligence using her brains instead of washing the dishes. How refreshing to read about a woman who actually contributed something of value, other than making macaroni and cheese! While I am not putting down the American housewife, I am definitely and absolutely in awe of those who made it out of the kitchen. What a journey. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.,

Rina is a smart woman who the world attempts to keep in her place as a mother in the 1950s, but her skills make her a valuable asset in the fight against communism. A Woman of Intelligence is a great historical spy novel in a new time period for me to read about. Rina is a compelling character and you can feel her yearning to be more through the pages of the novel. I thought her character was well fleshed out and enjoyable and you could relate to her historical struggles even in today's society.

Katharina Edgeworth, Rina, is a woman on the verge of a breakdown in the 1950's. After having 2 children with a man that is overly ambitious with his career and completely oblivious to his wife and her struggles, Rina has lost herself and the woman she used to be. After spending much of her 20's and 30's being a translator for the UN, a woman on the town after WWII and an educated, independent woman, she has lost herself. She struggles with being by herself all day and night with her unruly children. She never sees her husband, the man she gave herself up for, due to his demanding job as a doctor and has lost all of her friends. She spends her sleepless nights staring out he windows of her Park Avenue windows, envying all those with freedom.

Then, one day, her life changes. She has the opportunity to be more than just a housewife and mother. She can help the US Government take down Communism. After being approached by an FBI agent, she decides to immerse herself into parts of the old Rina. She reconnects with an old flame, accused of Communism, she finds her eyes wandering to one of her out of reach co workers and she discovers that she can be an intelligent woman that is more than a mother and wife.

I really enjoyed this story. There were times when my heart physically hurt for Rina. After reading about the husband's point of view as far as women were concerned in the 50's and seeing just how much of herself she gave up to live the "American Dream." Some of the descriptions made me stop and put the book down because I was actually sad for her. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was that I wished there was a little more in the story about the "spying" aspect. Even though the description made it seem like that was the main storyline, it was almost like an after thought to Rina's story, and while I did enjoy the story, I do wish there was a little more of it in the main story.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my review and honest opinion

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

In 1945, after the war, Rina has a future at the United Nations. Speaking five languages, She enjoys her job and the adrenaline that run in her veins during her intense working days as well as the freedom that comes with her independence. When she marries the dashing, polished, upper class, smart Doctor Tom Edgeworth, her life takes a different turn. Tom becomes Chief of pediatric surgery at Lenox Hill in New York while she gets to stay home and be the charming wife and mother of their two adorable but impossible young sons. Quickly Rina feels trapped and although she loves her husband and children she had a hard time raising them while Tom gets frustrated by her failure to create the picture perfect family he needs to show to his major hospital donors, parents and peers. Rina's wish to escape her regimented life is granted when she is approached by the FBI to infiltrate the knot of KGB spies who are sending crucial information to Moscow. Deep in the Cold War, Rina's language abilities, intelligence and eagerness for excitement make her the ultimate spy candidate especially because she knows Jacob Cornev the cornerstone of the KGB in Washington, whom she met in college and had an affair with. Rina's takes big risks, she lies to Tom and sneaks out as much as she can but does not succeed in balancing her life as a mother, a wife and a spy. Independence and purpose come at a cost in this exciting, thrilling and very interesting novel.

Another great historical fiction read from Karin Tanabe. This novel is rich in detail about 1950's post war New York City, the 20 something party scene and contrasting elite Manhattan gilded society, the paranoia about Communism, and the struggles for feminism rearing up in a decidedly male-dominated business world. Would the FBI have really recruited Katherine Edgeworth, a New Yorker, daughter of immigrants, UN multi-lingual career woman who marries into upper crust New York society elite to infiltrate her former lover who is a known Soviet spy? That may be a little beyond reach for some readers. Yet the story works in every way. We are transported to 1940's post war New York where Katherine comes into her own in her career as a U.N. translator, and then faces some of the same struggles that women do today - weighing the balance and making choices between career and motherhood for her to retain her sense of self. For Katherine, this choice is particularly glaring given that her husband and his family have incredible financial means to make her work financially inconsequential. A Woman of Intelligence is a fast read, but one that will stay with you long after - making you think about the reality that for women in particular, how much has changed in the last 50 years, and yet how far we still have to go.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I will not go into the plot of the book in too much detail, but I will say that there were many aspects of the story that led me to give this only 3 stars.

Rina Edgeworth, a mother of two little boys and wife to superstar surgeon Tom, lives a presumably enviable life. She lives with her family in a posh apartment in New York City. However, she is feeling unfulfilled, especially since she is well-educated, speaks multiple languages, and worked at the United Nations before becoming a mother. At a time when she is especially vulnerable, she is approached by a member of the FBI. He wants her to reconnect with a former lover, who is a communist, and gather evidence that will contribute to the extermination of the communist party in America.

The main components of the plot did not seem realistic. While it is plausible that a mother of young children could escape her dull life and pull off weekly train trips to Washington, DC to transport classified information, I didn't buy it. Wouldn't a chatty toddler, who is left with a babysitter for 12 hours a day, say something to his father? I also found some of the more detailed narrative concerning the political climate of the day to be tedious.

Most of the characters I found to be utterly unlikable, even Rina's babies! I never thought I'd find myself writing about how despicable a fictional toddler could be. Tom also was irritating. There were only a handful of secondary characters I could warm up to, and I would have liked to see them more.

Although the concept of the novel was intriguing and unique, I did not feel that it was a page-turner. I just didn't care enough.

Thank you to Net Galley, Karen Tanabe and St. Martin's for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

A well written story of Rina’s life as a Fifth Avenue wife of a upper class doctor, raising two pre-school boys. Sounds perfect but she is bored and feels her intelligence Shrinking. Rina was born and raised in New York to Swiss parents; her father is an art history professor. She attends public schools and then Columbia for 2 degrees in languages. Following WWII, Rina becomes a translator at the United Nations; she enjoys life as a. Single woman in NYC. Then she meets Tom, a doctor from an wealthy NY family. Against Tom’s mother’s wishes, Tom and Rina marry.

Rina. Is immediately pressured to have children, since she is over 30, and to quit her job. Giving birth to two sons within 15 months, staying home, is causing her to feel lost and bored. Then she is approached by the FBI to inform on a former lover from Columbia who heads a Communist cell. Rina loves the thrill of working with the FBI even as it causes drama, tension, and stress in her marriage.

An entertaining read.

"A Woman of Intelligence" is not the John le Carré/John Lawton spy thriller I thought it was going to be—and that's more than fine. Instead the espionage goings-on are a cover for a story of a vibrant woman bridling against the 1950s' expectations/limitations placed on women. And because the woman, Rina, is intelligent, quick-witted, and sophisticated, her narration is a joy even as it accurately captures how wearing and wearying it is for a proverbial square peg to try to fit into a round hole. The fizzy pleasures of post-WWII Manhattan and the grind of being a stay-at-home mother (especially when that was not something the mother necessarily aspired to) are both depicted perfectly. If you enjoy intelligent women's fiction, you'll love this. Ditto if you are into fiction set during Red Scare or appreciate odes to New York.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It's hard to believe now, but women in the 1950s and beyond were expected to give up their working lives to stay home with the children and tend to their husband's "much more important" lives. I really enjoyed the arc of this book's story line, very believable. Though I do wonder how many society women really were chosen by the FBI to infiltrate communist cells. Good read in one day.

A WOMAN OF INTELLIGENCE is a must-read for fans of historical fiction.

Tanabe is an expert at world building, immediately plunging the reader into the life of the New York elite in the post-war years. The sensory detail is incredible.

Katharina is a sympathetic and realistic main character, struggling to find happiness as a mother and wife. But she feels sidelined, and with good reason. When she begins working with the FBI, the plot thickens. While some readers have had a difficult time getting into the story, and found the first part slow, I really admire the pacing. In my opinion, we need to be introduced to Katharina's current stilted life before things turn sideways. Like many women, she embraces life and adjusts her desires and motivations as the world shifts around her. It's great fun to travel along this journey with her.

Likewise, while some readers were bothered by Katharina's ambition, I disagree. I found her to be strong and admirable --and very realistic as she juggled the demands of her job and motherhood. Katharina is not perfect, and nor should she be. If she were perfect, she would come across as a cardboard character.

This is a supremely entertaining and transportive read. I look forward to digging into Tanabe's backlist titles.

This is a fantastic work of historical fiction about a woman who is trapped by a male-dominated society. Before her marriage, Katharina was a successful career woman, working for the UN. Now she is relegated to the role of wife and mother and expected to be satisfied and compliant. When the opportunity arises for her to become a spy for the FBI, Katharina jumps at the chance to do meaningful work, work that doesn't put her in a box marked "female". There were several times while reading this book that I became furious at the level of sexism Katharina had to endure. A Woman of Intelligence is well written, thought-provoking, and a nail-biter. If you enjoy feminist historical fiction, give this one a go.

ARC Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.
It’s about a woman’s journey in post war living in New York. She leads a tranquil life as a mother and wife, to becoming a spy for the FBI when an old friend is a noted KG spy.

Things will collide when her courier role threatens to expose her lifestyle as she carries stolen documents threatening her safety. A spy thriller that will keep you on your toes.

This woman’s fiction concerns a woman who is lost in her role as mother to a young toddler and a baby. Katharina is an educated woman who is fluent in several languages and worked at the UN as a translator prior to her first pregnancy. Due to her relationship with a former lover when she was a student at Columbia she is recruited to infiltrate a communist cell in New York.. Jacob is considered to be a top official for the Communist Party during the McCarthy era. She must be devious with her family in order to infiltrate the party but it gives her a sense of accomplishment. She eventually falls in love with her Negro handler and is caught by her downstairs neighbor who threatens to tell her husband. How far will her romance go? As her marriage disintegrates she must decide what she will do in the future. There are several side characters who influence her experiences and are interesting. The novel is not a great spy story but was interesting in character development.

Katharina Edgeworth is bored. She used to work for the United Nations, translating for diplomats by day and painting New York City red by night. Now, with two young children and a demanding doctor husband, she's lost herself and her purpose. Enter the FBI, who sign Katharina up as an informant on her KGB-affiliated ex-lover. As Katharina begins to take risks in her job, she pulls further away from her current life but closer to her true self.

There's no question Tanabe is great at world-building - Katharina's gilded cage of upper-class New York City was beautifully depicted here. I also really connected to Katharina's character as she tried to break free from the expectations of society and her husband. Tanabe writes her as a fiercely intelligent and independent woman, and I enjoyed getting to know her. To me, this book is more character-driven fiction rather than a spy thriller - although we do get some twists and turns in the FBI plot, the book is fundamentally about a woman finding her own path through life. I appreciated the chance to spend a few hours in this world with such a dynamic protagonist.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.