Transcription: A Novel
A dramatic story of WWII espionage, betrayal, and loyalty, by the #1 bestselling author of Life After Life In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathizers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past forever. Ten years later, now a radio producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realize that there is no action without consequence. Transcription is a work of rare depth and texture, a bravura modern novel of extraordinary power, wit, and empathy. It is a triumphant work of fiction from one of the best writers of our time.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
Somewhat disappointing after loving her other books. The plot line was a bit murky, and the flipping back and forth in time didn’t help. It starts off in 1980, then goes back to 1940 and Juliet’s work during the war, then flips to 1950; then back and forth we go between 1940 and 1950, so that at the very end, when we come full circle back to 1980, I’d forgotten what exactly started the book off and what had happened to her in 1980. Oops.
Still a good read, but not up to her usual quality.
Still a good read, but not up to her usual quality.
A wartime enigma. In an series of flashbacks the book covers the period of WW2 and the post war years. It tells the tale of a group of wartime M15 operatives who are tasked with spying on nazi sympathisers and the title relates to the transcription of these activities. Interwoven with characters who are by their very nature undercover and the underworld they work in so no one really knows who anyone really is. It’s a testament to the people who did carry out this work however for obvious reasons it cannot be revealed under the secret services act and is fictional. Nonetheless the characters come to life and the story of how they helped the war effort in their own way is inspiring.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.