A Woman of Intelligence
Failed to add items
Sorry, we are unable to add the item because your shopping cart is already at capacity.
Add to basket failed.
Please try again later
Add to Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Remove from Wish List failed.
Please try again later
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
A Woman of Intelligence
Narrated by:
Jennifer Jill Araya
Buy Now for $26.99
-
Narrated by:
-
Jennifer Jill Araya
-
By:
-
Karin Tanabe
About this listen
New York, 1954. 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.
As a single girl in 1940s Manhattan, Katharina was 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 enthralled by her secret mission. But as those closest to her lose their covers, and their lives, Katharina’s secret soon threatens to ruin her.
Critic Reviews
‘This is an intelligent, elegant piece of writing … Whip smart.’
‘A layered and engrossing Cold War historical … This would be perfect for a film or TV series.’
‘Taut and thoughtful, A Woman of Intelligence vividly portrays a particular moment in American history while capturing a woman's timeless struggle to create her own life.’
‘The kind of historical fiction you can get lost in.’
‘Tanabe crafts the historical setting convincingly [and] the novel moves at a brisk pace ... Perhaps the most subversive thing about the twinned stories is this: how well the masks and performances Rina puts on as wife and mother prepare her for the world of espionage.’
'What sets A Woman of Intelligence apart from other novels in this genre is Tanabe’s protagonist, Katharina ... Through her poignant portrayal of Katharina’s struggles with motherhood, postpartum depression, and a loss of identity, Tanabe sheds light on the issues women faced during this period and, to a certain extent, still face today.'
‘What a delicious skein of secrets Karin Tanabe has spooled in A Woman of Intelligence, somehow entwining the lies it takes to sustain the fiction of happy motherhood with the lies it takes to work as a covert operative for the FBI in 1954 at the height of the McCarthy hearings. Katharina Edgeworth’s awakening into the gray area of patriotic action is prescient, relevant and, above all, deeply satisfying. I loved diving into this world.’ (Sarah Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Guest Book)
‘Tanabe has long delighted readers of historical fiction with her beautiful writing, compelling plots and sumptuous historic details. In A Woman of Intelligence, she gives fans a heroine to root for in the strong, complex and spirited Katharina Edgeworth. This is the story of a woman who dares to dream beyond the gilded cage and stifling social mores into which life has boxed her, and who proves the indelible power of women to change the world in the process.’ (Allison Pataki, New York Times bestselling author of The Queen's Fortune)
‘Karin Tanabe delivers her most complex heroine yet in A Woman of Intelligence. Katharina Edgeworth, a former UN translator, unfulfilled in her role as wife and mother, finds herself leading a double life as an FBI informant during the McCarthy era. Filled with intrigue and wit, Tanabe takes readers on a meticulously researched journey through post WWII New York. This is a novel for fans of thrillers and historical fiction alike.’ (Renee Rosen, author of Park Avenue Summer)
‘A smart thriller with heart ... and some simmering sexual tension, too.’
Loved this book. Thank you
Enjoyed this
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Intelligence is nowhere to be found in this book
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Boring!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.