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The Secrets We Kept: Reese's Book Club: A Novel Audiobook
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Publisher Description
A HELLO SUNSHINE x REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICK
A thrilling tale of secretaries turned spies, of love and duty, and of sacrifice--inspired by the true story of the CIA plot to infiltrate the hearts and minds of Soviet Russia, not with propaganda, but with the greatest love story of the twentieth century: Doctor Zhivago.
At the height of the Cold War, two secretaries are pulled out of the typing pool at the CIA and given the assignment of a lifetime. Their mission: to smuggle Doctor Zhivago out of the USSR, where no one dare publish it, and help Pasternak's magnum opus make its way into print around the world. Glamorous and sophisticated Sally Forrester is a seasoned spy who has honed her gift for deceit all over the world--using her magnetism and charm to pry secrets out of powerful men. Irina is a complete novice, and under Sally's tutelage quickly learns how to blend in, make drops, and invisibly ferry classified documents.
The Secrets We Kept combines a legendary literary love story--the decades-long affair between Pasternak and his mistress and muse, Olga Ivinskaya, who was sent to the Gulag and inspired Zhivago's heroine, Lara--with a narrative about two women empowered to lead lives of extraordinary intrigue and risk. From Pasternak's country estate outside Moscow to the brutalities of the Gulag, from Washington, D.C. to Paris and Milan, The Secrets We Kept captures a watershed moment in the history of literature--told with soaring emotional intensity and captivating historical detail. And at the center of this unforgettable debut is the powerful belief that a piece of art can change the world.
This audiobook features performances by Mozhan Marno as Olga, Carlotta Brentan as Irina, Cynthia Farrell as Sally, Saskia Maarleveld as The Typists, Jonathan Davis as Boris, David Pittu as Sergio, and James Fouhey as Teddy.
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"The Secrets We Kept is simply sensational. Two gripping narratives unfold in the pressure cooker of the Cold War: passionate, courageous Olga who stands in the shadow of Soviet author Boris Pasternak yet inspires him to write a heroine for the ages, and the cynical, equally-overshadowed women of the CIA who help bring Pasternak's masterpiece Dr. Zhivago to bear as a weapon against Soviet oppression. From the gulags of the USSR to the cherry blossom trees of Washington DC, the story grips and refuses to let go. Lara Prescott is a star in the making."
— Kate Quinn, New York Times Bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network
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“The authentic and consistent accents in this full-cast, globe-trotting work stand out, with each narrator providing a unique tone and style.”
— Booklist (starred audio review) -
“The novel’s interacting themes and parallels are wonderfully captured by the accomplished cast, who render these voices with such spirit and comprehension. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile -
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: THE WASHINGTON POST • NPR • ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY • THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • LIBRARY JOURNAL • THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
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A gorgeous and romantic feast of a novel anchored by a cast of indelible secretaries.
— The New York Times -
Enthralling... This is the rare page-turner with prose that's as wily as its plot.
— Vogue -
Proto-feminist Mad Men transposed to the world of international espionage—all midcentury style and intrigue set against real, indelible history.
— Entertainment Weekly -
"Prescott clearly had fun crafting this story, and the result is a novel that’s a delight to read — and a secret worth sharing.
— San Francisco Chronicle -
Prescott crafts a cloak-and-dagger story of passion, espionage, and propaganda.
— The Wall Street Journal -
"A page-turner that is at once a spy thriller, historical fiction and heartfelt romance...A thumping good story.
— The Columbus Dispatch -
"Through lucid images and vibrant storytelling, Prescott creates an edgy postfeminist vision of the Cold War, encompassing Sputnik to glasnost, typing pool to gulag, for a smart, lively page-turner. This debut shines as spy story, publication thriller, and historical romance with a twist.
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)"A whirlwind of storytelling. In Prescott’s supremely talented hands, the result is no less than endlessly fascinating, often deliciously fun as well as heartbreaking.The Secrets We Kept is a dazzling, beguiling debut. -
“Epic in scope, deliciously meaty, and utterly convincing.
— Ben Fountain, author of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk -
Stylish, thrilling, smart, vivid.
— Elizabeth McCracken, author of Thunderstruck & Other Stories “Provocative, haunting and a damn good read.
Awards
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A September 2019 LibraryReads Pick
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New York Times bestseller
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A #1 Amazon.com bestseller in Political Fiction
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A Reese’s Book Club Pick
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An iBooks bestseller in Audiobooks
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A Crime Reads Pick of Most Anticipated Books of 2019
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New York Times audio bestseller
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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A Booklist Editors’ Choice of the Year's Best Audiobooks
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Finalist for the 2020 Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American Author
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Shortlisted for the 2020 Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery
The Secrets We Kept: Reese's Book Club Listener Reviews
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Danna, 11/10/2021
About Lara Prescott
Lara Prescott is a New York Times bestselling author. She recently received her MFA degree from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Austin. She was previously an animal protection advocate and a political campaign operative. Her stories have appeared in the Southern Review, the Hudson Review, Crazyhorse, Day One, and Tin House Flash Fridays. She is a winner of the 2016 Crazyhorse Fiction Prize.
About the Narrators
David Pittu, a two-time Tony Award nominee, has narrated dozens of audiobooks, including Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch, which earned two prestigious Audie Awards for best narration. He has also won three Earphones Awards. Well-known for his work in theater, he has appeared off-Broadway in LoveMusik and Is He Dead, for which he received his Tony nominations, as well as Parade, for which he earned a National Broadway Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He is also a writer, member, and director of the Atlantic Theater company.
Jonathan Davis has been inducted into the Audible Narrator Hall of Fame. A three-time recipient and fourteen-time nominee of the Audie Award, he has earned accolades for his narration from the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, the American Library Association, Booklist, the Audio Publishers Association, AudioFile magazine, and USA Today. He has narrated a variety of bestsellers and award-winners for top publishing houses. He also narrated over forty titles of the Star Wars franchise for Lucasfilm Ltd./PRH Audio, including several iconic movie tie-ins, has participated with Star Wars Celebration, and has built a significant fan base. His work as a narrator includes films and programming for National Geographic Television, NOVA, PBS, VH1, and Francis Ford Coppola. He grew up in Puerto Rico and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and Hebrew.
Saskia Maarleveld is an experienced voice-over actress and Earphones Award–winning narrator. Raised in New Zealand and France, she is highly skilled with accents and dialects, and many of her books have been narrated entirely in accents other than her own. In addition to audiobooks, her voice can be heard in animation, video games, and commercials.
Mozhan Marnò is an Iranian American film and television actress, most notably appearing in Charlie Wilson’s War and Bones. Her audiobook narrations have won several AudioFile Earphones Awards.
Cynthia Farrell, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a singer and voice actor best known for her roll as Catalina in the video games Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. She has also performed off Broadway and has released a number of records.
James Fouhey is an actor and narrator living in New York City. He received classical training at Boston University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. He has recorded more than forty audiobooks across a variety of genres, including science fiction, romance, young adult fiction, and children’s fiction.
Carlotta Brentan is a voice talent and audiobook narrator.