![]() ![]() There will be some fake identities, deception, infiltrations, webs of deceit, war, murder, moles, espionage, and the job of transcriptions and the work of being a spy as an eighteen-year-old, Juliet Armstrong would find herself amongst, along with plenty cups of tea, and keep calm and carry on. Evoking such different but equally memorable works as Graham Greene’s The Human Factor (1978) and Margaret Drabble’s The Middle Ground (1980), this is a wonderful novel about making choices, failing to make them, and living, with some degree of grace, the lives our choices determine for us.” And, as all of Atkinson’s readers know, she is an exquisite writer of prose, using language with startling precision whether she is plumbing an inner life, describing events of appalling violence, or displaying her characters’ wonderfully acerbic wit. “Atkinson never fails to take us beyond an individual’s circumstances to the achingly human, often-contradictory impulses within. ![]() Another beautifully crafted book from an author of great intelligence and empathy.” ![]() ![]() As ever, Atkinson is sharp, precise, and funny. The deepest pleasure here, though, is the author’s language. But the unknowns aren’t always what we think they are. ![]()
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