“A Woman of Intelligence” by Karin Tanabe is set in New York in the 1950s in a world of Central Park, Fifth Avenue and everything a woman could possibly want for her dream life.
The main character is living her best life as single career woman, working at the United Nations by day and enjoying all the options an unattached girl has by night in Manhattan, a city that never sleeps.
Tanabe introduces Katharina — Rina to her close friends — to a Park Avenue world with the ideal husband, address and two perfect children. Although her pediatric surgeon husband agrees that she can still maintain her independence after they are married, Rina finds her days filled with diapers and 2-year-old tantrums. Because of her husband’s busy schedule, she spends days and nights as a single parent.
Rina’s social life takes a turn when she is chosen by the FBI to spy on Communist sympathizers. Rina’s past relationship with her Columbia University boyfriend, Jacob Gornev, creates the perfect opportunity for the FBI to reignite their relationship to infiltrate his communist circle. She becomes a courier for the FBI, having to navigate the KGB and her husband’s suspicions about her whereabouts.
For a woman that went from being involved in highly intellectual circles pre-marriage and family to being concerned that her toddler isn’t getting the hang of potty training, this is the perfect opportunity for Rina to find herself.
Not only does Rina begin to rediscover who she is, she also falls in love with her FBI handler, Turner Wells. There are sparks between them, but career and family pressures cause Wells to walk away from the temptation. Several troublesome circumstances — the murder of a communist party member and the sudden death of Jacob — cause the FBI to halt the covert operation, but not without realizing how important Katharina is to their organization.
The aftermath of WWII always provides interesting twists for writers to explore. Women became important in the workplace, not only taking jobs to provide an income, but also stepping into roles considered primarily for men. When the war came to an end, most returned to their domestic roles and those who didn’t were often demoted.
Many women loved the independence and purpose they found during the war years. They had enjoyed and even thrived on a taste of financial and personal freedom — and many wanted more.
The author also takes on the storyline of mixed-race relationships, at least 15 years before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the marriage of Richard and Mildred Loving.
The story’s themes include women’s equality, female contributions to the workplace and home, and civil rights. Even though “A Woman of Intelligence” was published in 2021 — 76 years after the end of WWII — it was not missed that our country is still fighting to overcome many similar scenarios.
