I read a lot of WWII historical fiction but I have been trying to branch out a bit more. Another time period I really like is the Cold War era when it pertains to espionage. A Woman of Intelligence spans the 1940s and 1950s and the main character is the perfect person to be an FBI informant ferreting out communists. I had to read it.

Most of the Cold War spy novels I read are more thriller than historical fiction. Also, they feature male characters and are set overseas. From the title, you know that A Woman of Intelligence has a female lead character. But that isn't all that sets it apart from my typical read. It is set in the U.S. and it is more women's fiction rather than a thriller. I watched The Americans so all this just made me want to read this book more.

It started out a little slow as the characters are introduced. Katharina "Rina" worked as a translator at New York City Hall during the war and later at the United Nations. She enjoyed the single life that seemed a bit more wild than what you would have thought for the 1940s. Then she met a pediatric surgeon from a prominent family who was, at least partly, attracted to her because she wasn't the high society woman that his mother kept wanting him to marry. They had a whirlwind romance that was typical of that time period. She kept her job for the first years of her marriage knowing when she became pregnant she would have no choice but to quit.

The injustices women faced in the 1950s will enrage you but they also serve as the catalyst for Rina becoming an FBI informant. And this is when the story picked up as tensions build. The tension between Rina and her husband - she has to keep him from finding out what is doing as well as manage his "disappointment" in her as a wife and mother, the tension between her handler as well as the danger of being an undercover informant with a communist organization.

I originally gave the book 4 stars at Goodreads when I first finished it because of the slow start but now that it has been a couple of days and I have a bit of book hangover, I think it deserves 5 stars.

Seriously, I'm having trouble starting a new audiobook because I don't want to leave behind Tanabe's characters. There is a small glimmer of hope that I might get to revisit these characters in the future. The ending felt more like the closing of a chapter rather than the end of the story. It doesn't end on a cliff-hanger instead it is "life goes on". And it is the reason I have hope that we will one day see more of that life.

The audiobook was really good too. Jennifer Jill Araya does a wonderful job. The story isn't told in a completely linear manner. There are some flashing back to Rina's days at Columbia and the United Nations but I didn't have any trouble making the jumps.

Usually, I don't have trouble taking a break from the audiobook I'm listening to. I usually need the mental break, but that wasn't the case with A Woman of Intelligence. I was frustrated each time my phone's battery ran down and I would have to put it on the charger because I didn't want to put the book down. (I wish the Netgalley app was available on other devices so that I could just change devices when one needed to be charged as I do with other audiobook apps.). If you aren't sure you like audiobooks, I recommend giving this one a try as hearing the story read gives it a sense of intimacy - like you are listening to a friend.

If you are a fan of historical fiction or women's fiction, then this is a book you will want to read.

And totally on a side note - I couldn't help but be jealous of all the dresses she had that had pockets!

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Wednesday, July 21 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2021/07/a-woman-of-intelligence-by-karin-tanabe.html

Katharina’s life used to consist of translating at the UN and going out every night. Now she is a wife and mother, living in the luxury of high society, stuck at home. When she is approached by the FBI to get close to a man from her past—a Soviet spy—she jumps at the chance. Will she find fulfillment in her role as an informant, or will it cost her everything?

This novel hit a little too close to home for me, so it was a bit of a struggle to get through. The majority of the story focuses on Katharina and her role as a mother. I read to escape, so hearing the day-to-day descriptions of motherhood felt like I was reading about my own life. I enjoyed the sections of the novel where Rina was working with the FBI, but even those fell a little flat. I wanted more action and intrigue. The ending was a letdown and unsatisfactory. The issues addressed, particularly racism and sexism in the 50s, were enlightening and also eye-opening in that not many things have changed in 70 years. The setting was one of my favorite parts of the novel and solidified my dream of wanting to go to New York someday.

Jennifer Jill Araya was an engaging narrator and her characterization of Katharina was well-done. Her voices for other characters, especially those with accents, added a lot of enjoyment to my listening experience.

Though I enjoyed the writing and various moments of this novel, it was slow and did not provide the escape I wanted.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. Just wow. This book had everything for me. A main character that is strong, utterly relatable and grappling with real life problems from the past that still resonate today. I couldn't get enough of Katharina Edgeworth's story. Set during the late 1940s and early 50s postwar New York City, Katharina (Reena) was an independent woman, working as a translator with the UN when she meets and falls in love with what seems like the perfect man. Fast forward a few years and she is now a stay at home society wife with two small sons under the age of three and feels like she has lost all purpose and joy. When she gets approached to work as an intelligence agent for the FBI Katharina leaps at the chance to finally do something worthwhile again even if it means risking everything. Excellent on audio, narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya, this is a compelling love letter to New York City and one woman's struggles with motherhood and self. HIGHLY recommend this one for fans of Our woman in Moscow, Lions of Fifth Avenue or When I ran away. Much thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my advance review copy.

Set in post World War II in New York City we meet Katharina Edgeworth. She is a Columbia graduate, who worked for the United Nations during the war and now is married to a doctor with two young sons.

Katharina is struggling as a wife and mother and she is looking for something to complete her life. When a series of events causes a major rift between her and her husband, she takes on a task that she must hide from everyone she knows.

Using a former relationship she had in college, the FBI asks her to pose as a communist and infiltrate the KGB in New York City. With many risks she takes this on with much gusto.

This is at heart a historical fiction, but yet this story is so much more. This is a feminist story, with Katharina who wants to break the mold for the typical woman of this time. This was a story, that takes on topic that I found is not normally written about. Tanabe writes a strong heroine, and tells a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!!! I love every single part of it ! Katerina was one of the best main characters I have read in a while ! She was lost in the first 3rd of the book and then she found her self again in this enticing tale of a mother that was bored of being a house wife and became an FBI informant. Also I love that this took place in the 1950s ! I highly recommend it, trust me you will not be bored for one single second!

Age recommendation: 16+ ( Contains reference to sex and light cussing)

Audiobook review: the Audio Narrator was really entertaining to listen to and she did a great job doing different characters voice ! Also she great with vocally expressing characters emotions! ✨🦋

I was super excited to listen to this book, the first chapters were good, I was already immersed with the character's family life but around the middle of the book around 30%, I found myself skipping chapters. I was looking for something more on the post-war side, more drama, less chick flick style. it was not bad but is just not what it was looking for, that's all.

I really wanted to know more about Katharina's work: FBI, and UN that was the part I was looking forward to the intriguing side of her job but I keep getting more details about her family life, the kids, the husband, and all the chaos making the character and the story weaker, I needed more depth to understand and maybe identify myself with the main character but I couldn't.

The narrations by Jennifer Jill Araya were great she did a great job bringing the characters and the story to life.

I got lost in the description, I was seeking for the trill, the peak moment, the wow but I guess I will leave it at that .. as I said before it wasn't a bad book it's just not what I was looking for, not what I was expecting. I encourage you to give it a try and make your own conclusions.

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to listen to and review this book. This is set just after WW2 during the Cold War a part of history I know little about. A wealthy bored housewife gets asks to do a little espionage type work and puts her marriage in jeopardy. Will be published July 20, 2021.

A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe
Narrated by: Jennifer Jill Araya
Publication Date: July 20, 2021
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Description from NetGalley…
“A Fifth Avenue address, parties at the Plaza, two healthy sons, and the ideal husband: what looks like a perfect life for Katharina Edgeworth is anything but. It’s 1954, and the post-war American dream has become a nightmare.

A born and bred New Yorker, Katharina is the daughter of immigrants, Ivy-League-educated, and speaks four languages. As a single girl in 1940s Manhattan, she is a translator at the newly formed United Nations, devoting her days to her work and the promise of world peace—and her nights to cocktails and the promise of a good time.

Now the wife of a beloved pediatric surgeon and heir to a shipping fortune, Katharina is trapped in a gilded cage, desperate to escape the constraints of domesticity. So when she is approached by the FBI and asked to join their ranks as an informant, Katharina seizes the opportunity. A man from her past has become a high-level Soviet spy, but no one has been able to infiltrate his circle. Enter Katharina, the perfect woman for the job.

Navigating the demands of the FBI and the secrets of the KGB, she becomes a courier, carrying stolen government documents from D.C. to Manhattan. But as those closest to her lose their covers, and their lives, Katharina’s secret soon threatens to ruin her.”
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Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio @stmartinspress for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Interesting. This was a spy thriller fiction. This was my first Tanabe book and it was a good one. I could have done with less of the domestic story, but I get it, and it wasn’t a big deal. I appreciated Katharina’s work experience being from the United Nations, because I’m familiar with that. I was immersed in listening to this audiobook, with a great narrator. There were some great spots here, I caught myself thinking, “just say it, Katharina” or “just get on with it, Katharina” or “I’m so glad to not have been born then…” I’m not a mother, but Katharina seemed to have been going through post-partum depression, in addition to losing her independence. I had to speed up the book but, I really enjoyed it and I liked how it ended.

Unfortunately, this audiobook was a DNF for me. I pushed through 35% of the audio, but I could not connect with the main character. This book might be better suited for readers who enjoy a female lead character who is needy and helpless.

It is a bright new world after WWII in New York City, and Katharina West Edgeworth should be thrilled. She’s married into wealthy family and her husband is a highly regarded surgeon, but she longs for more than just being a mother to two young rambunctious boys. Before her marriage, she was using her knowledge of four languages in her work as translator at the newly organized United Nations. Her husband can’t understand her dissatisfaction. By chance she finds herself involved as a courier for the FBI who is working to infiltrate the US Communist party, and she finds she can be a working mother…maybe not as an American spy, but maybe a job in city hall that will challenge her intelligence. Jennifer Jill Araya’s narration is spot on. Her ability to differentiate between accents, male and female characters help keep the reader engaged through the entire book.

It’s 1954 and Katharina is losing her mind taking care of her two young sons. Her husband, Tom, is a pediatric surgeon and a serious workaholic. Not only does Tom work a ridiculous amount of hours but he has forbidden Katharina from having any help. Every few months or so she is allowed to have Tom’s parents housekeeper come for a few hours so she can attend professional functions with Tom. Katharina was a translator for the United Nations. She has a masters degree and speaks four languages. She absolutely loved her job and her life prior to getting married. She wasn’t really looking to get married but fell hard for Tom. In addition to the social constraints of the 1950’s regarding women’s roles, Tom most likely has an anxiety disorder, that he tries to manage by controlling his wife.
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Enter the FBI. It’s the height of the Cold War and the FBI approaches Katharina to get back in touch with a former boyfriend who unbeknownst to her is a Soviet spy. Now Katharina must decide whether to keep living in near total isolation with her young sons or become an informant herself.
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I really enjoyed this book. It’s fast-paced and I definitely can relate to the challenges of raising toddlers. The cruelty everyone heaps on Katharina for struggling is brutal. Honestly, I have experienced this for myself. (I should probably say that unlike Katharina it has not come from my husband. Just in case he reads this.)

I enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow to take off for me. Protagonist Katharina (Rina) is an interpreter at the UN. She is living the life of a single working woman in NYC during the late 1940’s having great fun post wartime. She meets, falls for and marries a very wealthy Dr. Tom Edgeworth.

Living the high society life in NYC, mother of two boys and no longer working. Rina is bored and misses her old life. One afternoon at the park with her boys Rina is approached by an FBI agent with an interesting proposal.

Rina becomes an under cover agent for the FBI. This is where the story took off for me. Rina is involved as an interpreter and spy. The story is a women’s historical thriller based during the Cold War of the early 1950’s.

Thank you @Netgalley, @MacmillianAudio, @St.Martin’sPress, @JennifeJillAraya and @KarinTanabe for the advance audiobook copy of “A Woman of Intelligence” for my honest opinion

Katharina West-Edgeworth - 1950’s housewife of a pediatric surgeon. With two boys under the age of three, she finds herself longing for the life she had before - working as a translator for the UN, single in NYC post-war and her freedom.

Then one day, she is called upon by a stranger. She is asked to help the fBI with an investigation against a former flame who happens to be part of the KGB.

I absolutely fell in love with this book and can totally relate to the modern woman that is Katharina West. Like her, Also, after reading so many WWII historical fiction novels, I have been looking to read more from the Cold War era. I am so glad this book found me!

The narrator, Jennifer Jill Araya, was excellent and easy to follow. The pace and the flow were good, but I always end up listening at a faster rate. For this one, I listened at x1.75-2.00.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this digital advanced reader’s copy in return for an honest review.

A daughter of immigrants, Katharina is a mother of two children and married to a pediatric surgeon. She appears to have the perfect life living in a beautiful apartment in Manhattan, New York.

Being able to speak four languages, she thoroughly enjoyed working at the United Nation’s as a translator and has been struggling with the challenges and pressure of motherhood.

When Katharina is approached by the FBI and is asked to be an informant, a job that depends on secrecy and lives, she jumps on the opportunity.

Now leading a double life, Katharina‘s life becomes more complicated and complex than she ever could have imagined.

A four star read, I received a copy of the audiobook version from NetGalley.

The moment I saw the cover of A WOMAN OF INTELLIGENCE by Karin Tanabe, I was enthralled. It is classy and beautiful. The book has a good plot, but I was left with many questions. I am not sure why, but I was hoping for an ending such as the one in A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar. This is not what I got. The book is about a high society mother of two toddlers who is approached by the FBI to become an informant. She was close once to a man who is now considered a high-ranked Soviet spy. The author captured well the New York social life in the 40s’, the paranoia surrounding communism, and the views about the expected role of women as mothers. It might have not gone the way I expected, but it was still an enjoyable read.

The narration was well done.

Trigger warning: murder

Katharina "Rina" Edgeworth is the wife of a pediatric surgeon in post-World War II New York City. After an exciting career as a translator for the United Nations, she is struggling with motherhood and being a housewife.

The first quarter of the novel is spent reminiscing about the glory days of single life and the woes of having an infant and a toddler at the same time. When she's at her breaking point, Rina is approached by a man from the FBI asking about an old lover. Desperate for something other than her current life, she agrees to help him.

Rina goes to meetings of the Civil Rights Congress with African-American leader Turner Wells as an entree into the Communist Party. She makes a friend with one of the young women who is supporting communism and can see why a young, rich white woman would be drawn to the tenets of communism.

Rina's husband isn't supportive of Rina doing anything other than parenting their children. He blames her mental health and drinking for her absenteeism and asks her to go to therapy. This is perfect for Rina, who uses therapy as her excuse for espionage.

For a novel about the Red Scare and espionage, the action of the novel is lacking. The story is more of a character study of an intelligent woman who feels chafed by her children.

Jennifer Jill Araya is a wonderful narrator who deftly handles all of the languages and accents in the novel.

Recommended only for fans of post-World War II fiction and readers of novels about the Red Scare.

I loved this book!! Katharina was amazing - and totally relatable as a mother. I loved her blunders and her bravery navigating as a mom-turned spy. Super fun.

A Woman of Intelligence
by Karin Tanabe
A very powerful story for women in the late 40's early 50's. How she had an education, a carrier and goal, a UN translator, living the life of New York, connecting to the world. This changed so dramatically when she gave birth. Her personal identity is lost the stereo type of the Loving wife and mother. The book shows the struggle of how an intelligent woman survived in this McCarthy area of America. She is found that she was unique in her own ability that she could help her country and herself by redefining her role in life. This is a remarkable story of personal struggle, love, attraction, power, and definition. I found so many parallels between this woman and the woman my mother wanted to be, and whom she became. It is a remarkable book that will help young women look to their own needs and those of the scripts they are presented.

Based on the description of the novel, I was expecting an entire book about a upperclass wife/mother that gets involved with the FBI and uses her previous experiences as a United Nations translator to perform spy craft. Now while those qualifications were touched upon it took until 50% of the book in order for Katharina Edgeworth to be approached by the FBI. A large majority of the book was about how her life had changed after marrying and how unfulfilling she felt her role as a mother and wife. The parts with Katharina acting as an FBI informant were lackluster. There was very little action or real use of her skills as a translator. I kept expecting the action to pick up and her Masters education from Columbia (that she tells the reader many times she has achieved) to actually help and play a role in the tasks she is asked to complete. I think if you go into this book with the realization that you will just be reading an historical fiction on a 1950s housewife and her struggles then you will be more fulfilled. If you are looking for more Cold War spy action you will be disappointed. The author does a good job recreating the wealthy atmosphere of 1950s New York so I was satisfied with the historical fiction component of the book.

There were some very intriguing female characters in this novel that I wish had been developed into an additional narrator. A fellow translator and lover of life, Marianne, a female lawyer, Faye Buckley Swan, and another spy, Ava Newman. These three female characters lived seemingly exciting lives and had very strong personalities. They were sure of themselves and their chosen lifestyles and all had a very no nonsense attitude. Even combining just one of their perspectives with Katharina's would have broken up her "whoa is me" lifestyle.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This book takes us back to New York City in the early 1950s and it made me grateful for the progress we’ve made in the freedom of women’s lives since those days (still a lot to improve, of course!). The title has a double meaning: both the spying-sense of intelligence and the brain-power-sense. Katharina/Rina is the titular Woman of Intelligence. She speaks several languages and used to work at City Hall and the United Nations. She was a freedom-loving single girl in NYC in the 1940s, but she is now married and dealing with two very young sons, with virtually no help. No babysitter is good enough for her husband, Tom! Her husband works VERY long hours as a pediatric surgeon and she feels all the constraints American society put on women in the 1950s, even as she lives in a luxurious apartment on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. I found Tom to be extremely infuriating and Rina’s situation very upsetting.

When the opportunity to do something helpful for the FBI arises, it gives her a chance to use her brain and also get out of the house without the boys, something she longs for. It was hard to believe the various ways she managed to get out of her apartment without anyone knowing, even in the middle of the night to make calls from a pay phone (there were always building employees watching, although a large tip was eventually mentioned).

I loved how the book started with a “day from hell” out with the two little boys and a neighbor and that neighbor’s daughter. Every parent’s nightmare excursion! The story got bogged down in the middle, with all the comings and goings, secret meetups and messages, but picked up again toward the end.

I liked how the Communists were portrayed by the author, and how she showed that at that time the particular group Rina got involved with had an emphasis on hope for civil rights for blacks (she used the era-appropriate term “Negroes” throughout the book). I wasn’t convinced by the interracial romantic interest and I also didn’t think it was necessary to the plot. I enjoyed the skewering of the lives of the very rich (Rina’s in-laws, among others).

Jennifer Jill Araya did a fine job with all the voices on the audiobook.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.