Quirky. A novel within a novel,. And enough 1950s skullduggery to keep things interesting.

Set in New York City in 1953, this is a frothy (I thought!) story about a young journalist making her way through a man's world in publishing. Louise Leithauser is writing articles for her boyfriend's new literary magazine, Downtown, under a male pseudonym, of course. She's also writing a science fiction romance on the side, The Lunar Housewife. I missed the part that this was historical fiction so imagine my surprise when I read the author's notes that this book was inspired by the true story of the CIA's use of American arts and letters as propaganda during the Cold War. Still a quick fun read! (read less)

Set in New York City in 1953, this is a frothy (I thought!) story about a young journalist making her way through a man's world in publishing. Louise Leithauser is writing articles for her boyfriend's new literary magazine, Downtown, under a male pseudonym, of course. She's also writing a science fiction romance on the side, The Lunar Housewife. I missed the part that this was historical (read more)