Suzanne Nelson's riveting first work of adult fiction, The Librarians of Lisbon, follows two best friends from the United States who find themselves in Portugal's ostensibly neutral capital city during World War II, working by day as librarians and by night on differing covert missions. Despite their deep friendship and fierce loyalty to each other, there's much Bea and Selene can no longer share, and the men they are drawn to have secrets of their own. Nelson explores the daylight world of information gathering and the seedier, seductive nighttime world of spies and intrigue as her characters do their best to balance competing priorities, all the while wondering whom they can trust.
Nelson (A Batch Made in Heaven) draws on wartime archives and historical figures to craft her narrative, which touches on numerous aspects of the war, including refugees fleeing into Portugal from nations across embattled Europe; the suspicion--and reality--of double agents lurking in the shadows; and the importance of wolfram (also known as tungsten), a metal much sought after by the Axis and Allied powers. She alternates between the perspectives of daring, confident Selene and cautious, methodical Bea--polar opposites who became friends back in Boston, Mass., and are now an ocean away from home, working day jobs that employ their analytical and organizational skills, and attempting to infiltrate the Axis spy network in their off-hours. For Selene, this means attending glittering events in the company of disgraced cabinet member Luca Caldeira, and trying to curry favor with the wealthy mistresses of other important men. For Bea, it means many hours spent in a secret underground room, where she reviews intelligence (and makes use of her photographic memory) and tussles with the enigmatic Gable, a skilled double agent whose knowledge and scars run deep. Meanwhile, both women are nursing heartbreak from their lives back in the U.S.: Bea is searching for her missing soldier fiancé, while Selene is wrestling with her family's disapproval of her choices.
Although Bea and Selene care deeply for each other, their assignments create a chasm of secrets between them. But as their missions progress toward an unsettling conclusion, the information they withhold could have steep costs for the two friends. Nelson skillfully builds her suspense and raises the emotional stakes, leaving her two librarians--and readers--racing toward the final confrontation.
Layered with Portuguese phrases, sparkling evening gowns, and details of World War II spy craft, The Librarians of Lisbon is a gripping espionage thriller and an emotionally nuanced tribute to a lifelong friendship. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams
Shelf Talker: Suzanne Nelson's gripping adult fiction debut follows two best friends working as librarians and covert agents in neutral Portugal during World War II.