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Shining Through
Shining Through
Author: Susan Isaacs
It's 1940 and Linda Voss, legal secretary extraordinaire, has a secret. She's head over heels in love with her boss, John Berringer, the pride of the Ivy League. Not that she even has a chance--he'd never take a second look at a German-Jewish girl from Queens who spends her time taking care of her faded beauty of a mother and following bulletins...  more »
ISBN: 91170
Pages: 375
Rating:
  • Currently 4.3/5 Stars.
 2

4.3 stars, based on 2 ratings
Publisher: Harper & Row
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

watch4birds avatar reviewed Shining Through on + 13 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Surprisingly, I quite liked the book. It did take a little while for the most intriguing part of the plot to begin (when Linda actually becomes a spy in Berlin). The plot leading up to that part was good, but it was nothing in comparison to Isaacs's description of war-weary Berlin through the eyes of a light-hearted, yet surprisingly competent, American spy.
MamaHendo3 avatar reviewed Shining Through on + 40 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
This is one of the most boring books I've ever read! The movie, however, is soooo much better and one of my favorites. I saw the movie first and then decided to read the book and I'm glad I did because if I'd read the book first, I probably would have never seen the movie. It was like the director read the book. liked the premise of the book but had to totally rewrite the script to make the movie much more interesting. I highly recommend the movie! The book -- not so much!
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reviewed Shining Through on + 54 more book reviews
It is 1940 and Linda Voss, legal secretary is in love with her boss.
reviewed Shining Through on + 199 more book reviews
Linda Voss, legal secretary becomes war heroine. I loved this book, although it took me a couple chapters to get into it. It was worth the effort. It's a thrilling story with intrigue and romance, told in Isaacs witty style. One minute I was holding my breath, and the next, laughing out loud. If you're thinking of the movie with the same title, the book is far superior.
reviewed Shining Through on + 533 more book reviews
A truly compulsive read, Isaacs's fourth novel (after Almost Paradise) is a smooth blend of romantic fiction and spy thriller. Again demonstrating her unbeatable flair for down-to-earth dialogue, sassy, outspoken heroines and social nuances that convey character and period, Isaacs tells a Cinderella story with a contemporary twist. Linda Voss is a 31-year-old secretary to the dreamiest looking man on Wall Street, international lawyer John Berringer, with whom she is secretly and hopelessly in love: she is a poor girl from Queens, and he boasts an Ivy League background along with his perfect profile. When circumstances lead to their unlikely marriage, however, sexual fireworks keep them together. As World War II engulfs Europe, the Berringers move to Washington, where both become involved in undercover work for the COI, soon to become the OSS. Heartbreak, plus a feeling of kinship for the victims of Nazism, leads Linda, whose childhood was spent in a German-speaking household, to volunteer for a dangerous mission in Berlin. There, events tumble her into heroic action. Isaacs's depiction of daily life in wartime Germany rings with accurate detail, as does her picture of the American espionage organization and of the psychological orientation of the people who made up its ranks. She has hit her stride here with a book that has all the marks of a runaway bestseller.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY REVIEW
reviewed Shining Through on + 5 more book reviews
Great book. Very different from the movie staring Melanie Griffiths and Michael Douglas, but still good.
Bernelli avatar reviewed Shining Through on + 266 more book reviews
Very well written. Fictitious account of Linda Voss, secretary, going underground during wartime Germany to divulge enemy secrets to the OSS and undermine Hilter's efforts. Great story.
PollyWannaBook avatar reviewed Shining Through on + 27 more book reviews
I was a fan of the film and wanted to read the book. They are two very different stories. I still prefer the film
Booknose avatar reviewed Shining Through on + 63 more book reviews
Isaacs is a brilliant author, I loved this book just as much as all her others
bibliophile1964 avatar reviewed Shining Through on + 3 more book reviews
I enjoyed this book. I also enjoyed the movie, although some of the parts were omitted or changed. Susan Isaacs has a humorous, wise-cracking way of writing. Parts were funny, adventurous, suspenseful and sad. The movie was a real tear-jerker.
reviewed Shining Through on + 187 more book reviews
This is a really good book...the concept sounds a little trite, but as the story evolves, you become very involved in the story line. There's enough intrigue to keep you turning the pages.
reviewed Shining Through on + 9 more book reviews
I was hooked with the first sentence.


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