THE SPY WHO LOVED BY CLARE MULLEY

Book Club took place on Tuesday 14 January at Anne's house.  Absent were SB and JB

The Spy Who Loved by Clare Mulley - 14 January 2014

Born in May 1908 in Warsaw to a lapsed Roman Catholic and a non-practising Jew, Maria Krystyna Janina Skarbek was hastily baptised as she was a small and frail baby.  She was baptised a second time in 1913 because her parents wanted to have a more elaborate celebration of their daughter's arrival than had been possible at her birth.  She led a very privileged childhood, basking in her father's attention and supported by her mother's love and money.  She was bright, adventurous and self-confident and was given every opportunity and freedom.

In adulthood she lived life to the full, was married twice and had many sexual liaisons, but she also risked her life time after time for her country, Poland, which she loved.

Maria Krystyna Janina Skarbek changed her name to Christine Granville during the second world war.  During the war she carried out dangerous and secret work for the British government which involved ski-ing over the mountains into and out of Poland with secret information nd helping PoW's to escape from Poland/Russia.

During her life she changed her name and nationality, left two husbands and numerous lovers and won international honours.

I found this book very difficult to read as, I felt, Clare Mulley had included so much unnecessary information and it made the book tedious.  However, I will finish it because, despite the deluge of unrelenting facts, I find it quite incredible that I have never heard of her before.

As I haven't finished the book I can't really rate it.



Next book club will be at LD's on 11 Feb to discuss, Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantell.

We also decided upon 3 further books and 3 further meeting dates, as follows:

Tues 11 March at SB's, commencing 11am.  Book to be read, Love, Nina by Nina Stibbe

Tues 8 April at JB's, commencing 11am.  Book to be read, Hangover Square by Patrick Hamilton

Tues 13 May at CH's, commencing 11am.  Book to read, So Long, See you Tomorrow by William Maxwell

Obviously the dates and venues can be re-arranged if necessary.