Books to Read if You Love Fierce, Smart Women

Frances Conway, the witty narrator of Allison Amend's new novel, has lived an extraordinary life filled with secrets. After a meandering journey from her native Minnesota to San Francisco, she is recruited to be a spy in her mid-50s for the Office of Naval Intelligence, a predecessor of the CIA. It's a few months before the start of World War II and a suspicious number of Germans have settled in the remote islands of the Galápagos. Frances, posing as the wife of a veteran spy Ainslie Conway, a man with a closet full of personal and state secrets of his own, is sent to intercept any potential plots. This wild yet believable tale of intrigue is anchored by the friendship between Frances and the beautiful, imperious Rosalie, whose affection—and betrayal—serve as the catalyst for Frances' life of adventure. "Secrets shared by women are sacred," Frances realizes after decades spent trying to reconcile their problematic friendship. "They transcend the duties of country or marriage."