Here's a Cinderella story with a surprise.
Linda Vos is a secretary to Wall Street's Dreamboat international lawyer John Berringer, with whom she is secretly and hopelessly in love. What chance does a poor girl from Queens have with a handsome, popular Ivy Leaguer? None at all, it would seem. However, circumstances lead to their marriage and both become undercover agents for the COI (later OSS) as WWII floods Europe.

Linda, sympathetic to the plight of victims of Naziism, volunteers for a dangerous mission in Berlin where events lead her into heroic action.

The picture of daily life in wartime Germany is especially interesting as is Isaacs's portrayal of the American espionage organization and the people who manned it.

Susan Isaacs is never dull. Each book she writes is entirely different from the others as she challenges herself to grow as a writer. She never disappoints her readers as she leads them through adventurous stories in colorful settings with fascinating characters. SHINING THROUGH is a dynamic reading experience.

The singlemost outstanding feature of this book is the screaming reality with which Isaacs develops characters. One reviewer was apparently upset that the narrator felt too little sympathy for the Germans (and described her boss, rather than "showing" what he was like). These details actually contribute greatly to my love of the book, as the editorializing narrator (Linda Voss) demonstrates her own personality through the way in which she communicates. She only describes her boss as "perfect"? Exactly--she's blinded by her feelings. Not sympathetic towards the Germans? Of course not--the character is an extremely cynical, stubborn woman who is working for the U.S. Government during the war. Perhaps, then, the best feature of the narration is the consistency which Isaacs employs; assuming that you are able to recognize literary tricks, you should have no problem differentiating between Linda's views and the facts of her world.

As for the plot itself, despite frequent rereading, this book keeps me spellbound from the first chapter until the last. At times, the plot twists are truly surprising; other times, the story is unsurprising but told saucily enough to hold my interest all the way through. As aforementioned, the narrator is such a compelling character that one gets the feeling of just listening to her chatter her way through the pages. I enjoy this book in one straight read; it helps maintain the feeling of Linda Voss, storyteller (as opposed to Susan Isaacs, author).

In short, then:
1. Linda Voss is THE most compelling narrator/character I have ever read.
2. The writing is consistent and precise.
3. The plot is interesting enough to be worthy of the gorgeous characterization.

Enjoy!

Review this book