[A] bold historical novel ... There is so much punchy dialogue and funny-sad humor in this novel ... Tanabe writes spot-on about something many men and women are still loath to talk about: that women can love their children but still crave and need a life outside the home.
An exhilarating tale ... With the fast-paced twists of a classic spy thriller, and a nuanced depiction of female experience, A Woman of Intelligence shimmers with intrigue and desire.
[A] layered and engrossing Cold War historical ... Tanabe depicts the Communist characters with humanity against the chilling backdrop of mutually assured destruction.
Although the dialogue can sometimes veer toward mini lectures, the novel moves at a brisk pace even as she weaves together the stories of Rina’s domestic dilemmas and her adventures as an undercover agent.
