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Born Under An Assumed Name: The Memoir of a Cold War Spy's Daughter
Author(s): Sara Mansfield Taber (Author)
- Publisher: Potomac Books, Inc.
- Publication Date: 28 Feb. 2012
- Edition: Illustrated
- Language: English
- Print length: 396 pages
- ISBN-10: 1597976989
- ISBN-13: 9781597976985
Book Description
As Taber leads us on a tour through the alluring countries to which her father is assigned, we track two parallel stories―those of young Sara and her Cold War spy father. Sara struggles for normalcy as the family is relocated to cities in North America, Europe, and Asia, and the constant upheaval eventually exacts its price. Only after a psychiatric hospitalization at age sixteen in a U.S. Air Force hospital with shell-shocked Vietnam War veterans does she come to a clear sense of who she is. Meanwhile, Sara’s sweet-natured, philosophical father becomes increasingly disillusioned with his work, his agency, and his country.
This is the question at the heart of this elegant and sophisticated work: what does it mean to be an American? In this fascinating, painful, and ultimately exhilarating coming-of-age story, young Sara confronts generosity, greatness, and tragedy―all that America heaps on the world.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“A gorgeous and shocking tale . . . Taber’s poetic, vivid language bathes us in cultural beauty and harsh realities, her psychological insights into the costs of a clandestine life are fascinating, and her ability to electrify history during the era of ‘red devils’ make this memoir a sizzling read.”–Carole Geithner, author of
If Only“Lyrical and evocative prose . . . These tales of coming of age are filled with the exotic flavors of far-flung places but also touch on close-to-the-bone feelings about family and childhood relationships that befall all of us, no matter where we grow up.”–Sandra Dibble, reporter,
San Diego Union-Tribune“Taber has worked magic with this intoxicating memoir of her childhood. This vibrant family portrait of love and heartache also reveals much about America–our passion, confusion, contradictions, and especially the tragedy we bring upon the world despite our very best intentions.”–Mary Stucky, reporter, Minnesota Public Radio
“With a poet’s sensibility, a seasoned journalist’s sense of where and when to probe, and a ravishing talent for conveying the exotic, Taber’s writing is on par with anything by M. F. K. Fisher, Jan Morris, or V. S. Naipaul. Everyone who wants to understand America should read this book.”–C. M. Mayo, author of
Miraculous Air: Journey of a Thousand Miles through Baja California, the Other Mexico
