Our American Friend takes readers on a journey of espionage, love, and political intrigue. Journalist Sofie Morse, disillusioned after covering President Henry Caine’s administration, is invited by First Lady Lara Caine to write her biography. Lara, a Russian-born former model, shares her secretive past, drawing Sofie into a tale of Cold War espionage, betrayal, and a doomed romance with dissident Sasha, whose influence reshaped her life. Anna Pitoniak alternates timelines between 1970s Paris, where Lara’s youthful idealism clashes with Soviet realities, and Sofie’s present-day efforts to understand Lara’s motives. The story’s global settings—Moscow, Paris, and Washington, D.C.—and complex characters add depth. The novel’s structure can feel disjointed, especially in audio […]