Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In an interview with The Guardian, Elizabeth Strout said, "All ordinary people are extraordinary." I share that sentiment, which is why I like books about the ordinary lives of ordinary people. Not for me are imaginary universes, wizards, and magic spells. I like Strout's Amy and Isabelle a lot.

The novel presents the dynamic and the evolution of a difficult mother-daughter relationship. Traumatic events in the daughter's life force the mother to face the secrets of her own past. Life in a small town is shown with depth and insights. The psychological portraits of the two women are well-drawn and convincing. The events feel realistic so that I believe I have learned something about human nature when I read the book.

So why only three stars? First, because three-and-a-half is not an option. Seriously, though, this is my sixth novel by Ms. Strout; I liked all other five a lot (three of them to the tune of four stars), and I am now familiar with the author's excellence in writing about the ordinary lives of ordinary people. She has raised the bar too high! Anyway, I highly recommend Amy and Isabelle!

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Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal by Ben Macintyre
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An entertaining read! The book belongs to the non-fiction genre as the story told in Agent Zigzag actually happened in real life. This story could not be told in a work of fiction: no one would publish something so incredible!

Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal tells the story of Eddie Chapman, a master con man and a criminal, who served time in prison, and who became one of the most successful agents of British intelligence. The story of a man, who was simultaneously a traitor and a hero, a German agent, a double British agent, and an unreformed thief. The only British person who had ever received the German Iron Cross for outstanding service to the Reich, but who was also highly regarded by the British intelligence community for his extraordinary service to the United Kingdom.

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