---
product_id: 221079626
title: "The Secrets We Kept: Reese's Book Club: A Novel"
price: "$30.15"
currency: USD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.us/products/221079626-the-secrets-we-kept-reeses-book-club-a-novel
store_origin: US
region: United States of America
---

# The Secrets We Kept: Reese's Book Club: A Novel

**Price:** $30.15
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Secrets We Kept: Reese's Book Club: A Novel
- **How much does it cost?** $30.15 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.us](https://www.desertcart.us/products/221079626-the-secrets-we-kept-reeses-book-club-a-novel)

## Best For

- Customers looking for quality international products

## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

desertcart.com: The Secrets We Kept: Reese's Book Club: A Novel: 9780525566106: Prescott, Lara: Books

Review: Such a Great Read!! - I’m not usually a historical fiction reader, but The Secrets We Kept was an absolutely phenomenal read that had me glued to the pages from the very beginning. Told from the viewpoint of multiple people during the height of the Cold War, readers embark into the world of spies, revolutionaries, double agents, and their secretaries. A mix of love stories and spy work, Lara Prescott fills readers in on the true story of how the CIA smuggled Dr. Zhivago back into Russia as a way to bring down the Communists from the inside. Though the dialog is imagined, especially the Typists sections — those brave woman back from WWII delegated to secretarial work instead of the field where they belong, now that the men are home from the war — the people and events are real. Prescott is a very talented writer, and I loved the flow of the novel, jumping from character to character as the novel unfolds, allowing the reader to get to know all the key players, from the spies, Sally and Irina, to the Russian lovers, Olga and Boris, to even the secretaries, seamlessly tying the story together as each character shares their take on events. The Audible version actually employs multiple narrators in order to keep each person’s story separate, and I loved have male and female narrators accordingly. They expertly read their parts, and I easily got lost in their tales as they shared the story with me. If you have Audible, I highly suggest listening to this novel that way; it made it that much more real and compelling for me. I haven’t fully read Dr. Zhivago, though I tried immediately after finishing this novel, as I wanted to see what all the hype was about back in the late 1950s, however, that story wasn’t for me. Yet, whether or not you’ve read Dr. Zhivago has no baring on your ability to keep up with this whirlwind of espionage that Prescott so masterfully fleshes out for the reader. I spent a good few hours after completing this novel looking up the characters and learning just how well Prescott did mirroring the situations and adding dialogue that perfectly matches events, and yet captivates readers at the same time. Truth be told, the synopsis above tells it best. This is a powerful novel, and I highly suggest you move it up the reading pile so it’s next on your list. Five stars.
Review: Fascinating, Not Quite Great, But Worth Reading - Words are powerful. This novel tells an interwoven story of Boris Pasternak, his mistress, his novel Dr. Zhivago, and the intelligence services of the United States. The story shifts in time between Russia at the time when Pasternak is writing Dr. Zhivago and a bit later to after the novel has been written. It also shifts between characters from the Russian cast and the predominately American characters. The reader’s view of the intelligence services is primarily through the eyes of the women who were largely confined to the typing pool. It is obvious that a lot of talent (including seasoned talent with significant war-time OSS experience) is being wasted on the sidelines. Pasternak was not given permission to publish his novel in Russian since it deem to have anti-Soviet views. That ban made the novel attractive to the American intelligence service as a potential asset/weapon in the Cold War. That ban may have also influenced the Noble Prize committee to award its literary prize to Pasternak for his body of work including his poems and this novel. The story is as fascinating as it was unknown to me. Visions of Omar Shariff, Julie Christie, and ice from the movie version of Dr. Zhivago were ever present in my thoughts as I read. (That’s a good thing!) There are subplots in both the Russian portion and the American that are not closely related to Dr. Zhivago. The subplots serve to flesh out the novel and to give more dimension to the secret world of spies in the Cold War era and the oppressive police state of Pasternak. I recently read the Noise of Time by Julien Barnes about Russia’s treatment of Shostakovich during the Stalin era. This is a nation that takes its art and artists very seriously, and, in an oppressive society, that is not a good thing for artists. Toxic. The two books are vastly different, but consistent in their portrayal of the political atmosphere and the burdens placed on the artists to denounce each other upon request. Unlike The Noise of Time, this is not a literary novel. It is historical fiction that sometimes feels contrived. I did appreciate some of the historical details, like the reactions to the launch of Sputnik. The characters are often flat which leaves the reader less connected to the dramatic story. Things that should have touched my heart, often did not. There are lots of secrets kept by the characters, and there are secrets betrayed. Ultimately secrets are isolating and they make you vulnerable to betrayal no matter how close you might hold them. It may not be a novel that is written well enough to lead to a Nobel Prize for its author, but it was written well enough to hold my interest and keep the pages turning quickly.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #15,979 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #47 in 20th Century Historical Romance (Books) #111 in Espionage Thrillers (Books) #730 in Literary Fiction (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars (9,853) |
| Dimensions  | 5.1 x 0.78 x 7.9 inches |
| ISBN-10  | 0525566104 |
| ISBN-13  | 978-0525566106 |
| Item Weight  | 2.31 pounds |
| Language  | English |
| Print length  | 368 pages |
| Publication date  | June 30, 2020 |
| Publisher  | Vintage |

## Images

![The Secrets We Kept: Reese's Book Club: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81zN2gWG-XL.jpg)
![The Secrets We Kept: Reese's Book Club: A Novel - Image 2](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51MwhMqTe1L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Such a Great Read!!
*by A***N on September 28, 2019*

I’m not usually a historical fiction reader, but The Secrets We Kept was an absolutely phenomenal read that had me glued to the pages from the very beginning. Told from the viewpoint of multiple people during the height of the Cold War, readers embark into the world of spies, revolutionaries, double agents, and their secretaries. A mix of love stories and spy work, Lara Prescott fills readers in on the true story of how the CIA smuggled Dr. Zhivago back into Russia as a way to bring down the Communists from the inside. Though the dialog is imagined, especially the Typists sections — those brave woman back from WWII delegated to secretarial work instead of the field where they belong, now that the men are home from the war — the people and events are real. Prescott is a very talented writer, and I loved the flow of the novel, jumping from character to character as the novel unfolds, allowing the reader to get to know all the key players, from the spies, Sally and Irina, to the Russian lovers, Olga and Boris, to even the secretaries, seamlessly tying the story together as each character shares their take on events. The Audible version actually employs multiple narrators in order to keep each person’s story separate, and I loved have male and female narrators accordingly. They expertly read their parts, and I easily got lost in their tales as they shared the story with me. If you have Audible, I highly suggest listening to this novel that way; it made it that much more real and compelling for me. I haven’t fully read Dr. Zhivago, though I tried immediately after finishing this novel, as I wanted to see what all the hype was about back in the late 1950s, however, that story wasn’t for me. Yet, whether or not you’ve read Dr. Zhivago has no baring on your ability to keep up with this whirlwind of espionage that Prescott so masterfully fleshes out for the reader. I spent a good few hours after completing this novel looking up the characters and learning just how well Prescott did mirroring the situations and adding dialogue that perfectly matches events, and yet captivates readers at the same time. Truth be told, the synopsis above tells it best. This is a powerful novel, and I highly suggest you move it up the reading pile so it’s next on your list. Five stars.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fascinating, Not Quite Great, But Worth Reading
*by C***R on October 5, 2019*

Words are powerful. This novel tells an interwoven story of Boris Pasternak, his mistress, his novel Dr. Zhivago, and the intelligence services of the United States. The story shifts in time between Russia at the time when Pasternak is writing Dr. Zhivago and a bit later to after the novel has been written. It also shifts between characters from the Russian cast and the predominately American characters. The reader’s view of the intelligence services is primarily through the eyes of the women who were largely confined to the typing pool. It is obvious that a lot of talent (including seasoned talent with significant war-time OSS experience) is being wasted on the sidelines. Pasternak was not given permission to publish his novel in Russian since it deem to have anti-Soviet views. That ban made the novel attractive to the American intelligence service as a potential asset/weapon in the Cold War. That ban may have also influenced the Noble Prize committee to award its literary prize to Pasternak for his body of work including his poems and this novel. The story is as fascinating as it was unknown to me. Visions of Omar Shariff, Julie Christie, and ice from the movie version of Dr. Zhivago were ever present in my thoughts as I read. (That’s a good thing!) There are subplots in both the Russian portion and the American that are not closely related to Dr. Zhivago. The subplots serve to flesh out the novel and to give more dimension to the secret world of spies in the Cold War era and the oppressive police state of Pasternak. I recently read the Noise of Time by Julien Barnes about Russia’s treatment of Shostakovich during the Stalin era. This is a nation that takes its art and artists very seriously, and, in an oppressive society, that is not a good thing for artists. Toxic. The two books are vastly different, but consistent in their portrayal of the political atmosphere and the burdens placed on the artists to denounce each other upon request. Unlike The Noise of Time, this is not a literary novel. It is historical fiction that sometimes feels contrived. I did appreciate some of the historical details, like the reactions to the launch of Sputnik. The characters are often flat which leaves the reader less connected to the dramatic story. Things that should have touched my heart, often did not. There are lots of secrets kept by the characters, and there are secrets betrayed. Ultimately secrets are isolating and they make you vulnerable to betrayal no matter how close you might hold them. It may not be a novel that is written well enough to lead to a Nobel Prize for its author, but it was written well enough to hold my interest and keep the pages turning quickly.

### ⭐⭐⭐ Awkward, Yet Interesting!
*by M***R on September 25, 2019*

The author tells two loosely linked stories, one heartwrenching, soul searching, while the other more superficial and almost stereotypical. Jumping between the two plotlines felt a bit like channel surfing, where one showed strong characters living with dignity amid never ending challenges, while the other recounted the trite, trivial, and redundant stories of the 1950s. Lara Prescott's strength as a writer is clearly demonstrated with her many different first-person accounts, mostly of women's stories of lives as each person experienced it. Writing a 1950's storyline can be difficult, but the author avoids anachronisms and includes many accurate period descriptions to enliven the story. Historical novels are always problematic from mixing truth, half truth, and fiction into the same chapters. Although partially inspired by true events, I was glad the author's acknowledgement at the end included more accurate source materials for those interested in more authoritative souces. This new author has exceptional writing skills, which I hope to see in future fictional works. The Audible narrations of the multiple accounts using different readers enhanced recognizing the various first-person accounts. I admit that downloading the preview chapter excited my interest with the well-written prose that caught my attention; however, the imbalanced qualities the two primary storylines was disappointing and more than once along the way made me question my investments in money and time. The strong finish, especially of the better story, saved the book and made it more worthwhile.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Secrets We Kept: Reese's Book Club: A Novel
- The Most Fun We Ever Had
- Something in the Water: Reese's Book Club: A Novel

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.us/products/221079626-the-secrets-we-kept-reeses-book-club-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.us/products/221079626-the-secrets-we-kept-reeses-book-club-a-novel)

---

*Product available on Desertcart United States of America*
*Store origin: US*
*Last updated: 2026-03-13*