The Unwitting by Ellen Feldman

The Unwitting

Ellen Feldman

Set during the Cold War this is both a story about marriage as well as political journalism. Whilst Nell tells her side of the marriage in a way that manages to be both witty and tragic, Charlie's point of view brings an entirely new light to everything we had believed to be true. Themes of betrayal and guilt add to the tension in the story and although I didn’t always care for the historical aspects, I found the love story very compelling.

Extract
We drove through mile after mile of crumbling church steeples, buildings with gaping holes where windows and doors used to be, steps leading to nowhere, and apartments torn open and bared to the world. Here and there, shadows moved about the exposed rooms in the light of a single candle or small fire.
'It’s like living on a stage set,' Woody said.
'The perfect metaphor for a society where everyone is under surveillance.'
'Don’t forget to put that in one of your articles,' he said, and I couldn’t tell if he was teasing me or being serious.
Parallels
  • The American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld
  • On Green Dolphin Street by Sebastian Faulks