The Secrets We Kept

A thrilling tale of secretaries turned spies,of love and dutyand of sacrifice–inspired by the true story of the CIA plot to infiltrate the hearts and minds of Soviet Russianot with propagandabut with the greatest love story of the twentieth century: Doctor Zhivago. At the height of the Cold Wartwo 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 USSRwhere no one dare publish itand 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 noviceand under Sally’s tutelage quickly learns how to blend inmake dropsand invisibly ferry classified documents. The Secrets We Kept combines a legendary literary love story–the decades-long affair between Pasternak and his mistress and museOlga Ivinskayawho was sent to the Gulag and inspired Zhivago’s heroineLara–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 Gulagfrom WashingtonD.C. to Paris and MilanThe 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.