Title: Exposure
Author: Helen Dunmore
Publisher: Random House UK, Cornerstone
Read: July 2016
Synopsis (Goodreads):
London, November, 1960: the Cold War is at its height. Spy
fever fills the newspapers, and the political establishment knows how and where
to bury its secrets.
When a highly sensitive file goes missing, Simon Callington is accused of passing information to the Soviets, and arrested.
His wife, Lily, suspects that his imprisonment is part of a cover-up, and that more powerful men than Simon will do anything to prevent their own downfall.
She knows that she too is in danger, and must fight to protect her children. But what she does not realise is that Simon has hidden vital truths about his past, and may be found guilty of another crime that carries with it an even greater penalty.
When a highly sensitive file goes missing, Simon Callington is accused of passing information to the Soviets, and arrested.
His wife, Lily, suspects that his imprisonment is part of a cover-up, and that more powerful men than Simon will do anything to prevent their own downfall.
She knows that she too is in danger, and must fight to protect her children. But what she does not realise is that Simon has hidden vital truths about his past, and may be found guilty of another crime that carries with it an even greater penalty.
My thoughts:
What would have happened if I hadn’t answered the phone?
This question will plague Simon, whose happy life as husband to his beautiful
wife Lily and father to their three young children is about to unravel because
of one phonecall from an old friend, who asks him an impossible favour. A favour which Simon cannot refuse,
because there is history between him and Giles, a past Lily does not know about
and which might well destroy his reputation and marriage if it ever came to
light. A threat which will compel him to plead guilty to a charge of espionage,
even though he is innocent. At the height of the Cold War, such accusations are
serious, and soon Lily finds herself on her own with her children, having to
rely on her own resilience to keep her family together ....
Exposure is a very character driven novel, and I especially loved
the voice of Lily, who proves how resourceful women can be in times of crises.
Barely having escaped Nazi Germany with her Jewish mother as a child, Lily has
known threats to her own life and that of her family before, and it has made
her strong, even if some think her cold. Most of all, she loves her family, and
will do anything in her power to keep them safe. Despite being female and held
in little regard by the men of her time, Lily is not easily cowed, even when
pitted against dark powers who think they can control and manipulate her into
obeying orders. As the story progresses, Lily slowly grows into her own,
getting stronger and more determined to bring her husband home, despite the toll
it takes on herself and her children.
Of all the characters, Simon was probably the weakest link,
shaped by a childhood growing up in the shadow of overbearing parents and
bullying brothers. Constantly criticized and cowed, it is easily understandable
why he gravitates towards the confident and flamboyant Giles, who will later
betray him. And yet Giles is a fascinating character study in itself, his life
slowly unravelling after the accident which was the catalyst for the event
following. Despite his failings, I could not loathe the man, even when he was
prepared to sacrifice his old friend so readily.
Dunmore has done an excellent job in portraying her
characters and the era they live in, and I enjoyed the story, right up to its
dramatic finale.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free electronic copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
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