My Head Is Full of Books: Friday quotes and review: American Spy

"Outside a dog a book is man's best friend, inside a dog it is too dark to read!" -Groucho Marx========="The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." -Jane Austen========="I don’t believe in the kind of magic in my books. But I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book."-JK Rowling========"I spend a lot of time reading." -Bill Gates=========“Ahhh. Bed, book, kitten, sandwich. All one needed in life, really.” -Jacqueline Kelly=========

Thursday, October 10, 2019

Friday quotes and review: American Spy

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Rose City Reader. Share the opening quote from the book.
The Friday56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Find a quote from page 56.

The book I am currently reading (with a summary and review):

Title: American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

Book Beginning:

Friday 56:

Summary: Marie becomes an FBI officer because she wanted to follow in her sister Helene's footsteps. Even though she is a talented officer after graduating at the top of her class, she senses both sexism and racism on the job. When she is approached by the CIA to do some covert activity for them, she jumps at the chance. But she doesn't really see that she is stepping into a trap which has no good outcome. Her action at that time places a number on her head. Years later when an intruder breaks into her house Marie knows it is related to her action years before. Can she keep her children and herself safe? How much longer must they hide?

Review: I listened to the audiobook of American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson after I saw the book on President Obama's summer reading list. For about three-fourths of the book I wondered why he recommended it, since I really didn't think it was that well done or that big of a mystery. Then, as Marie's story unfolded in the form of a letter written to her young sons, I came to understand his recommendation. Marie is raising two black boys and her message to them was tremendously poignant. She is concerned that she will not be alive to raise them and she wants them to be good people who help the world to be a better place for all people, especially people of color. The book closes with the end of the letter but not the end of the mystery. We don't know how things work out for Marie. Of course we are hopeful that she succeeds and returns to her sons safely but it is left open-ended. I actually like that about this book and was pleased with its important message that all of us need to hear.