Friday, March 3, 2023

Our American Friend

 Anna Pitoniak writes a quiet thriller here in her third novel, Our American Friend.

It is hard to separate the previous president and his wife from the subjects in this novel, but the author says she just used them as a jumping off point.  It struck her as interesting that Donald Trump was married to a native of Yugoslavia aand her father was a communist, now he was the president of the United States and Melania was the first lady.  

An entertaining plot that brings a young Russian bride into the White House with a overbearing, egotistical president.  He is completely unaware of her background and family.  She, at first, is trying to ignore and distance herself from her family.  Her father was a KGB operative who was killed by the government,  She has a past she is trying to leave behind. 

When Laura Caine, the president's wife haas a story to tell and she picks a newly retired journalist, Sofie Morse to write her biography.  As the two women spend time together recording Laura's life story, there are times of friendship, trust and then ethical questions come up.  As Laura wrestles with questions of ideology and loyalty, Sofie confronts questions of loyalty and ethics and politics. 


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