海角大神

In the month since Russia invaded Ukraine, the crisis narrative has included news stories about denials, manipulations, and outright lies perpetrated by Moscow.聽

Two riveting novels, 鈥淥ur American Friend鈥� and 鈥淚 Must Betray You,鈥� explore the toll exacted on communities, families, and individuals by leaders who traffic in lies to uphold ideologies and cement power. While the books differ in scope and approach, both argue that individuals enduring such regimes often face strained loyalties, sizable risks, and life-changing decisions.

The welcome news: Undeterred, people still find ways to sustain hope and spark change.

鈥淥ur American Friend鈥� by Anna Pitoniak trails former White House correspondent Sofie Morse as she embarks on the assignment of a lifetime: writing the biography of first lady Lara Caine, whose brash, scandal-beset husband, Henry, has just been elected to a second term as president.

Initially, Sofie demurs. 鈥淭he dearth of information struck me as strange,鈥� she admits, ticking off the few things known about the first lady 鈥� born in the Soviet Union; raised in Paris during the Cold War; adored by her father, who works as a 鈥渕ilitary attach茅鈥� (code, Sofie suspects, for KGB officer). What stories weren鈥檛 being told, she wonders, and why was the first lady so eager to share now? 聽

From the start, Lara鈥檚 account of her privileged childhood, first in Moscow in the early 1970s and then in Paris until the late 1980s, entices Sofie. Of particular interest is how the Communist elite moved through these worlds, enjoying forbidden Western indulgences while performing acts of fealty to those with more power.聽

After weeks of meetings, Lara entrusts Sofie with the details of her most life-changing relationship, a love affair with Sasha, a young Russian who publishes the smuggled stories of dissident Soviet writers from a secret perch in Paris. 鈥淥ur American Friend鈥� interweaves the increasingly suspenseful story of Lara鈥檚 youth with the present-day partnership between Lara and Sofie. The back-and-forth gives the novel a propulsive energy, especially as the truth behind Lara鈥檚 clandestine activities in Paris 鈥� and their role in her present political position 鈥� come to light. Twists, turns, and revelations crowd the final chapters.聽

鈥淚 Must Betray You鈥� by Ruta Sepetys delivers a more harrowing tale. Set in 1989, in a Romania ruled by autocrat Nicolae Ceau艧escu, the story introduces聽Cristian Florescu, an aspiring writer-turned-reluctant informer. When he鈥檚 not reporting on the activities of an American diplomat鈥檚 son, the 17-year-old struggles beneath the control of the iron-fisted government. He and his fellow citizens endure long lines, freezing apartments, withered food, 鈥渃ompulsory volunteering,鈥� and ubiquitous surveillance.聽

Early in the novel, Cristian鈥檚 beloved grandfather whispers a warning: 鈥淭rust no one.鈥� They鈥檙e words to survive by, but they鈥檙e also the chains binding Cristian and his fellow citizens. As the book gallops to its explosive, revolution-fueled climax, Sepetys makes the case that trust, coupled with selfless courage, cracks autocratic rule and its suppression of truth.

Significant research grounds both historical novels, particularly 鈥淚 Must Betray You.鈥� Sepetys cites numerous sources in the afterword; they, along with photos from the era, bear quiet witness to a horrific history.聽

鈥淥ur American Friend鈥� feels similarly authentic. Pitoniak, however, follows the path of 鈥渨hat if?鈥� by fleshing out a character and story arc inspired by the famously inscrutable former first lady Melania Trump. The resulting fictional portrait may inspire new curiosity and questions.

鈥淗istory is the gateway to our collective story,鈥� writes Sepetys in her author鈥檚 note. These two compelling novels, portals both, offer reasons aplenty to bolster trust and keep the waters of truth flowing freely.