FICTION

Prague Spring

by Simon Mawer
Other. Nov. 2018. 416p. ISBN 9781590519660. pap. $17.95; ebk. ISBN 9781590519677. F
COPY ISBN
British diplomat Sam Wareham, stationed in Prague, is captivated by Czech student Lenka, who, like Lara in Dr. Zhivago, is abused by an influential man. In the West, "just-friends" Oxford students James and Eleanor continue their continental hitchhiking tour into Prague. They arrive on the eve of the Warsaw Pact's 1968 move to crush President Alexander Dubček's "socialism with a human face." Jolted by an attack on Lenka, James and Eleanor lose their adolescent joie de vivre in the blink of an eye. Sam has to shepherd his nationals out of the country and cannot help his adored Lenka either.
VERDICT Billed as historical spy fiction, this newest work from Mawer (The Glass Room) succeeds as an infiltration into the nuanced territory of Alan Furst and Joseph Kanon. Though the sensuous attraction of lovers teasing each other could be a distraction, here it is a mirror of the interplay of youthful Czechoslovaks who believe in the burgeoning political springtime yet also fear it.
Reviewed by Barbara Conaty, Falls Church, VA , Sep 15, 2018
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

GRAPHIC NOVELS

Spiral and Other Stories
by Koch, Aidan
FICTION

Not in Love
by Hazelwood, Ali
FICTION

Heads Will Roll
by Winning, Josh
FICTION

The Year of What If
by Patrick, Phaedra
GRAPHIC NOVELS

Anna
by Oberländer, Mia
MEDIA

Finding Sophie
by Mahmood, Imran
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?