Book Review: "Our Woman in Moscow" by Beatriz Williams
“Our Woman in Moscow” by Beatriz Williams
Synopsis: In the autumn of 1948, Iris Digby vanishes from her London home with her American diplomat husband and their two children. The world is shocked by the family's sensational disappearance. Were they eliminated by the Soviet intelligence service? Or have the Digbys defected to Moscow with a trove of the West's most vital secrets?
Four years later, Ruth Macallister receives a postcard from the twin sister she hasn't seen since their catastrophic parting in Rome in the summer of 1940, as war engulfed the continent and Iris fell desperately in love with an enigmatic United States Embassy official named Sasha Digby. Within days, Ruth is on her way to Moscow, posing as the wife of counterintelligence agent Sumner Fox in a precarious plot to extract the Digbys from behind the Iron Curtain.
But the complex truth behind Iris's marriage defies Ruth's understanding, and as the sisters race toward safety, a dogged Soviet KGB officer forces them to make a heartbreaking choice between two irreconcilable loyalties.
Rating: 4.5
Trigger Warnings: sexual assault, domestic violence, dangerous spycraft
Review: Okay, it is absolutely not a secret that I adore any book I can get my hands on about women in World War II, but wow, did Beatriz Williams knock it out of the park with this one. It has spies and intrigue and romance and politics, and of course, a train trip escape from danger! What more could one want?
No, I’m not being facetious. Those are some of my favorite fictional elements. (I’m self aware enough to know that I would not enjoy it in real life, don’t worry.)
“Our Woman in Moscow” is, at its core, the story of two sisters: Iris and Ruth. Of the two of them, Iris appears to be the quiet one in her sister’s shadow, up until she vanishes with her husband and defects to the Soviet Union. Ruth, the louder, more “social” sister, has accepted she’ll never see Iris again — that is, until a mysterious letter arrives, setting Ruth off on an adventure and us on the plot of this book.
Like many current works of historical fiction, this story is told in multiple timelines: Iris’ as she falls in love with her husband; Iris as she raises her family in London with Sasha; Ruth as she goes to find her sister behind the Iron Curtain. I don’t love this — it is starting to feel duplicative, and while we have all learned that time is a false construct in the past 18 months, at a point, it starts to feel like no one remembers how to tell a story in a linear fashion. Quite honestly, I would have loved reading this book in a linear fashion, but I still greatly enjoyed it.
If I had to chose a favorite story, it would be Iris’ - I loved to see how she matured and took matters into her own hands over the course of the story, and quite honestly, the end of this book made me tear up. However, Beatriz Williams does a wonderful job of intertwining the sister’s stories, even when they are estranged, and I can’t really imagine Ruth without Iris and vice-versa. The central mystery of the book — what happened to Iris and is she okay? — is really a tale that belongs to them both, which required some masterful stroy telling.
Historically speaking, this was well-researched and felt true to time, short of some social mores that likely are more 2021 than 1941. (Yes, I’m aware that makes me sound like my grandmother.) I really love anything that touches on the immediate post-war period, and Beatriz William captured the mood of that time period exquisitely. Plus, so little fiction actually takes us to the other side of the Iron Curtain that this book stands out.
I would normally say that this is a perfect beach read — and I stand by that — but as we are getting close to the end of beach season 2021, I will say that this is a great anytime read if you like this particular genre of fiction. Would also be great outdoors on a blanket in spring, next to a fire in winter, or curled up on a couch on a foggy fall day.
TL;DR: A story about the power of family — plus some intrigue, some danger, and some derring do, set around World War II and in it’s immediate aftermath.
If You Liked This, Try These:
If you click on one of the links in this article and make a purchase, She’s Full of Lit may receive a small commission. It doesn’t add anything to your price — we promise! Thanks so much for your support.
