Review: Off the Record

Off the Record by Sara Goodman Confino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Judy Greenberg wants to be a journalist, which isn't easy for a Jewish girl in 1962, so when she gets offered a job in the typing pool at a Washington DC newspaper (despite having a degree in journalism) she takes it hoping to be spotted and given her big break.

Miss Kelly who runs the typing pool with an iron fist warns Judy against fraternising with the journalists and editors, saying that's what got her predecessor fired, but Judy has not intention of looking for a husband.

The junior White House reporter Jack Fields is particularly irritating, constantly hanging around Judy's desk and getting her into trouble with Miss Kelly. The galling thing is the leads for his articles are never right - Judy could (and does) do far better. But rather than being angry with Judy for editing his articles Jack encourages her, whilst taking all the credit ... until Judy calls him out for it.

Nevertheless, when Judy takes a very strange message for one of the editors after hours while temporarily filling in for his secretary Jack is the only person she can turn to for help in investigating what the message means.

This book is set shortly after the Bay of Pigs incident. Height of the Cold War, think Russia, Cuba, Kennedy. Women were still expected to get married and churn out lots of children, even Judy as a twenty-two year old woman had her hair, make-up and clothing monitored by her mother.

This had it all, politics, intrigue, women's issues, spies, and romance. A great read and fascinating to find out how much of the story is based on real happenings and people and places (whilst obviously also being fictitious).

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

View all my reviews