Transcription, by Kate Atkinson. Pub 2018
I have a few Kate Atkinson’s on my shelf. I’ve “read” (on Audible) a few other books of hers, and especially enjoyed Life After Life. She is also a mystery writer, with the Jackson Brodie series (also quite good). I wanted to try her in print so see if she’s as enjoyable, and delightfully, she is.
Set in London in World War II, the story focuses on one of the usually nameless “girls” of the security service, in this case the transcriptionist for an operation to identify fifth columnists and keep an eye on their activities. Juliet Armstrong is said transcriptionist, who ends up with more serious spying duties thrust upon her quite quickly in the early days of the war, duties that linger throughout her life. Atkinson uses time effectively, moving forwards and back between the 40s, 50s, and 80s to tell a life’s story from the various time vantage points. This seems to be a trope of hers, one that she’s very adept in. Unlike with Life After Life, there are no do-overs here, and Juliet’s story, while fascinating and well-told, is clearly one of the many potential tales from that turbulent time. There is an interesting afterword from the author describing the process of amalgamating fiction from fact, working from declassified records and files to create the story. Art imitating life.
I was reminded somewhat of Iona Whishaw’s Lane Winslow and her mysterious wartime activities and active post-war life, where the security service is constantly shadowing the rest of her life. And like Lane’s experiences, Juliet’s are filled with the sexism and marginalization of women as the tea-makers, the tidy-uppers, and the window dressing. Unlike Lane, Juliet is not clever nor brave, and only manages to survive her situations through luck and the intervention of the savvier agents around her. It’s this last part – her lack of smarts and courage – that makes this book interesting. Juliet is ordinary and yet, like so many others like her I’m sure, was caught up in and a part of extraordinary times and events. She’s not a heroine, but her adventures have heroic elements that keep the reader engaged.
Fate: charity shop. Also, with so few categories ticked, I suspect this one may drop from the list. Time to get choosier about books selections.
1- a book with a murder
8 – female author
20 – one-word title
rclr 