BorisPasternak

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This one has been staring at me from my shelves for several years and I finally read it! I really enjoyed the Cold War setting as well as the dual storylines in both the US and Russia. I did find it a little uneven, dragging in places, so it‘s a low pick for me. And look at the pretty surprise under the jacket!

Cinfhen Oh wow!! That earns an extra star!!!! I actually really liked this one 11mo

Soubhiville I love when you find a surprise under the jacket or inside the book- fancy endpapers, a pretty book cover, great maps, unexpected pictures. They all make a book a bit more special. 🙂 11mo

50 likes2 comments

Honeybeebooks

The Secrets We Kept | Lara Prescott

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The story of three women: the famous mistress of B. Pasternak, the author of Dr Zhivago; a typist at the CIA and a WW2 courier asked to serve again. Each is constrained by the mores of the times and each has an outsized impact on a masterpiece. There is a lot to like about this novel that reminds us of Olga‘s sacrifices for Pasternak and how US women were in the room and in the field during the Cold War. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

9 likes

TheBookHippie

Lara: The Untold Love Story and the Inspiration for Doctor Zhivago | Anna Pasternak

#DECEMBERCHILL

Picked this up at the library for this weekend. I‘ve wanted to read it for awhile.

Cinfhen, BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB That is the perfect book for you now! 2y

TheBookHippie @BarbaraBB 🤞🏻🤞🏻it‘s good! 2y

Cathythoughts I really enjoyed this book 2y

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Cinfhen So curious about this one!!! 2y

TheBookHippie @Cinfhen so far it‘s good! 🤞🏻 2y

slategreyskies I‘m not sure if you use a Kindle or not, or if you‘d like to own your own copy, but this is on sale today for $1.99. Just thought I‘d let you know in case. :) 2y

TheBookHippie @slategreyskies oh yay!!! Thanks!!!! I do kindle a lot at night when I have insomnia!! 2y

slategreyskies I do the same thing, and I just picked up a copy of this today too! :) 2y

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Avanders

The Secrets We Kept | Lara Prescott

Whaaaaa?! I never win anything! And now this too (I also won the #cbbc bingo 😄😄)

Yay!! (And my chosen book) 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽

#ReesesBookClub

wanderinglynn 🎉👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3y

77 likes1 comment

Cathythoughts

Lara: The Untold Love Story and the Inspiration for Doctor Zhivago | Anna Pasternak

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Finally finished this on this morning‘s walk 🎧. Thanks @Simona for posting this one. A fascinating story of Pasternak and his love for Olga. I learned a lot from this book & am looking even more forward now to our DZ read in December ( Dec ? I think ). ‘ What else is DZ only a long love letter to Olga‘ An insight into Pasternak‘s beautiful & troubled life.

‘ To live your life is not as simple as to cross a field ‘
Russian proverb.

squirrelbrain Lovely review Cathy! 3y

Cathythoughts @squirrelbrain Thanks Helen !! It‘s great to be writing a review, it‘s feels so long sinse I finished a book 😆 3y

LeahBergen What a great review! 3y

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Thankyou my lovely friend ❤️ 3y

55 likes4 comments

Cathythoughts

Lara: The Untold Love Story and the Inspiration for Doctor Zhivago | Anna Pasternak

Getting into the groove on audible on my morning walks. Thankyou @Simona for posting this book 💫it‘s a great introduction to the story.

So excited for #DrZ

Cinfhen, BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB That might come in useful 3y

Cinfhen I read a fictional story about Lara & Boris and I loved it

Secrets We Kept

Cathythoughts @Cinfhen I have that one on kindle… I didn‘t know it was about them .. I will definitely be reading too 👍🏻😍 3y

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Cathythoughts @BarbaraBB Only started , seems good 👍🏻 ❄️ 3y

rubyslippersreads @Cathythoughts @Cinfhen These both sound good. 3y

Cinfhen I think you‘d really like Secrets @rubyslippersreads 3y

JazzFeathers I didn't know it was inspire by a true story. 3y

Cathythoughts @JazzFeathers neither did I … Are you going to read it ? (edited) 3y

Simona Mainly it is a nice look into Olga and Pasternak life and his writing process. I hope you liked it! (edited) 3y

Cathythoughts @Simona I‘m still listening on my walks ( I walk early & have got sidetracked by the Covid news for some time , Delta is very contagious in our country now ) but , I‘m listening again & it‘s really good & very informative.. looking forward to DrZ .. this book is a great education 👍🏻 Thankyou X 3y

Simona I‘m too very excited to finally read this big book! 3y

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TEArificbooks

The Secrets We Kept | Lara Prescott

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I can see why Reece picked this book. It is full of strong female characters. The structure and pacing made it difficult to understand who was who, plus some characters were never named. But once I got used to it, I flew through it. In fact the structure, pacing, and no-named characters were perfect for a spy novel. I also ate beef stroganoff but forgot to take a picture. I want to re-read Doctor Zhivago now. #foodandlit @Texreader @Butterfinger

Ncostell I really enjoyed this book too and it also made me want to reread Dr. Zhivago. 3y

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Simona

Lara: The Untold Love Story and the Inspiration for Doctor Zhivago | Anna Pasternak

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The author reveals the intimate story of Boris Pasternak and his lover Olga Ivanskaya, her role and influence on the creation of Lara in Doctor Zhivago. While Boris was protected by fame, Olga paid her dedication with the deportation to the Gulag ... twice. A well-researched book, which the main source are letters/talks/memories of the family, is not just a love story, but it is also a story about creating ...

Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Simona ... writing and how dangerous literature can be in the hand of the politics. Some parts of the story are narrated too melodramatic for my taste, but overall, it is a interesting look at ‘behind the scene‘. #Nonfiction2021 - about love. 3y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa So interesting, I found myself equally fascinated when I read The Black Count, the story behind the story of the Count of Monte Cristo.

Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo

Simona @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Thank you for recommendation, I don‘t know absolutely nothing about this 🤗 3y

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Simona I didn‘t either until someone on Litsy recommended it to me when I was reading The Count of Monte Cristo. Alexander Dumas‘s father was born from slaves and rose to be a very high count and military man well before anyone until the modern era, and many of his real life adventures inspired things in Dumas‘s writing from The Three Musketeers to The Count of Monte Cristo, and what was so interesting to me was that the fictional works have⤵️ (edited) 3y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ carried on, but the true story (which was equally fascinating) was pretty much lost to history. 3y

Simona Same as in Lara and the fate of Olga Ivanskaya 😔 3y

Cathythoughts How interesting! Hadn‘t heard of this one. I just got it on Audible… will be good to listen before reading DrZ. Thankyou 👍🏻❤️ 3y

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MarkoPDX

The Secrets We Kept | Lara Prescott

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Spy thriller? Not really. Romance? Almost. I never took the time afterwards to research how much of the story framework of how [ Doctor Zhivago ] came to be published in the West, but it was fascinating to have this demi-romance wrapped up in that tale.

#MuseumPlaceBookGroup
#HistoricalFiction
#Spies

5 likes