4.5 stars

“The theatre of the real”. Charlie was an actress in a countryside-touring troupe in England. She was recruited by an Israeli to go on an adventure to the Greek Isles, an adventure that would take advantage of her acting, as well as her remarkable memory, skills. That adventure was with an Israeli intelligence agent, who after he took her heart, took her mind by turning her into a double-agent to help Israel remove a dangerous Palestinian fighter. She went through with her duties, with her mind working flawlessly in the greatest of stress. But she felt abandoned by all she knew, and it tore her apart. It’s been too long since I read a le Carre’ book, so I was prompted by his recent death to pick up the next book on my list. Loved the Smiley books, but this is my favorite thus far. It’s quite a haul of a read, but easily compelling to stick with.