Deep within the lines of Ann Hagedorn’s book, Sleep Agent, the tale of a Soviet spy wandering through America’s atomic mist is unveiled. Published on July 20, 2021, this historical thriller conveys a secret soviet espionage mission to uncover the secrets of the atomic bomb. In Sioux City, Iowa, the Jewish Russian is introduced as George Koval. Despite being at the top of his class growing up, his encounters with the KKK and anti-Jews influenced his decision to return to the Soviet Union. In his eyes, the only place in the world that would accept Jews at the time was the Soviet Union. Upon his return, he studies chemistry at the Mendeleev Institute of Chemical Technology. Soon after, he is drafted into the Red Army, the Soviets military. Due to his lack of a Russian accent, and his past experience in America, he creates the perfect candidate for a spy. Now with the Soviet spy network and his new identity on his back, his return to America kicks off. He attends CCNY and with his scientific background, is noticed by the government and drafted to work on the Manhattan Project, America’s top-secret project to create an atomic bomb. Through the dozens of scientists working on the project, he is moved through various work buildings, obtaining more information. Nobody would have expected Koval to be working for another organization. Once the Red Army requested his recall, Koval left America and overseas, returned to the Soviet Union where he would be awarded by President Vladimir Putin. While being very informal, the pace of the book slows down its engagement and ultimately causes it to be very tiresome. Personally, I think the book would be good if you wanted to learn about history, but other than that, there’s no other reason to pick it up.
Geoffrey Mar
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