'Elegant and well-paced ... Like "Emily in Paris" meets "Scandal"—fantastic fun.'— The New York Times
A mysterious First Lady. The intrepid journalist writing her biography. And the secret that could destroy them both.
Tired of covering the grating dysfunction of Washington and the increasingly outrageous antics of President Henry Caine, White House correspondent Sofie Morse quits her job and plans to leave politics behind.
But when she gets a call from the office of First Lady Lara Caine, inviting her to come in for a private meeting, Sofie's curiosity is piqued.
Sofie, like the rest of the world, knows little about Lara - only that she was born in the USSR, raised in Paris, and worked as a model before moving to America and marrying the notoriously brash mogul.
When Lara asks Sofie to write her official biography, and to finally fill in the gaps of her history, Sofie's curiosity gets the better of her.
As Lara's story unfolds, Sofie can't help but wonder why Lara is rehashing such sensitive information.
Why tell Sofie? And why now?
Suddenly, Sofie is in the middle of a game of cat and mouse that could have explosive ramifications.
'Spectacular... The story succeeds on every level' — Lee Child
'A gripping legacy of the Cold War and its people' — People Magazine
'Wholly original' — Entertainment Weekly
Genre: Thriller
A mysterious First Lady. The intrepid journalist writing her biography. And the secret that could destroy them both.
Tired of covering the grating dysfunction of Washington and the increasingly outrageous antics of President Henry Caine, White House correspondent Sofie Morse quits her job and plans to leave politics behind.
But when she gets a call from the office of First Lady Lara Caine, inviting her to come in for a private meeting, Sofie's curiosity is piqued.
Sofie, like the rest of the world, knows little about Lara - only that she was born in the USSR, raised in Paris, and worked as a model before moving to America and marrying the notoriously brash mogul.
When Lara asks Sofie to write her official biography, and to finally fill in the gaps of her history, Sofie's curiosity gets the better of her.
As Lara's story unfolds, Sofie can't help but wonder why Lara is rehashing such sensitive information.
Why tell Sofie? And why now?
Suddenly, Sofie is in the middle of a game of cat and mouse that could have explosive ramifications.
'Spectacular... The story succeeds on every level' — Lee Child
'A gripping legacy of the Cold War and its people' — People Magazine
'Wholly original' — Entertainment Weekly
Genre: Thriller
Praise for this book
"This should be catnip to political thriller fans--a smart, witty take on a fictional, foreign-born First Lady with a secret tied to Cold War espionage who tests the boundaries of friendship with her would-be biographer. This fast-paced novel about love, loyalty, and the secrets we should or should not keep will keep you gobbling up each page." - Melanie Benjamin
"An irresistible political thriller with wit and heart, Our American friend is a fascinating take on a mysterious fictional First Lady and a moving, rueful exploration of love, loyalty and the presence of the past." - Amy Bloom
"Spectacular - a global thriller with pace, tension and ever-higher stakes, born of an intimate and unlikely friendship between two very different women ... the story succeeds on every level." - Lee Child
"I was immediately hooked on this novel about Sofie, a burned-out political reporter, who develops a friendship with the mysterious and elegant First Lady. Pitoniak blends a sharp look at present-day Washington, DC with an exploration of power, love and politics and the result is this smart, addictive page-turner. OUR AMERICAN FRIEND is a delicious political thriller and I couldn't put it down." - Jennifer Close
"Anna Pitoniak's Our American Friend is a smart, political thriller, sharply observed and well-written." - Alan Furst
"Anna Pitoniak's latest page-turner OUR AMERICAN FRIEND is packed with Cold War spy intrigue, complex women characters, and rich historical details. I read this novel in one sitting, pouring over the pages, wanting to know what secrets the unforgettable character of First Lady Lara Caine held. OUR AMERICAN FRIEND does what good fiction does best--it reaches across time to speak to the present moment." - Lara Prescott
"OUR AMERICAN FRIEND is an intriguing Russian nesting doll of modern Washington politics, Cold War spy games, and above all women with secrets. A burned-out White House correspondent gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she is selected to write the biography of an enigmatic Russian model turned even more enigmatic First Lady of the United States. Just what is the President's wife hiding? Anna Pitoniak's masterful puzzle of espionage, love, and betrayal keeps us flipping the pages to find out!" - Kate Quinn
"An irresistible political thriller with wit and heart, Our American friend is a fascinating take on a mysterious fictional First Lady and a moving, rueful exploration of love, loyalty and the presence of the past." - Amy Bloom
"Spectacular - a global thriller with pace, tension and ever-higher stakes, born of an intimate and unlikely friendship between two very different women ... the story succeeds on every level." - Lee Child
"I was immediately hooked on this novel about Sofie, a burned-out political reporter, who develops a friendship with the mysterious and elegant First Lady. Pitoniak blends a sharp look at present-day Washington, DC with an exploration of power, love and politics and the result is this smart, addictive page-turner. OUR AMERICAN FRIEND is a delicious political thriller and I couldn't put it down." - Jennifer Close
"Anna Pitoniak's Our American Friend is a smart, political thriller, sharply observed and well-written." - Alan Furst
"Anna Pitoniak's latest page-turner OUR AMERICAN FRIEND is packed with Cold War spy intrigue, complex women characters, and rich historical details. I read this novel in one sitting, pouring over the pages, wanting to know what secrets the unforgettable character of First Lady Lara Caine held. OUR AMERICAN FRIEND does what good fiction does best--it reaches across time to speak to the present moment." - Lara Prescott
"OUR AMERICAN FRIEND is an intriguing Russian nesting doll of modern Washington politics, Cold War spy games, and above all women with secrets. A burned-out White House correspondent gets the opportunity of a lifetime when she is selected to write the biography of an enigmatic Russian model turned even more enigmatic First Lady of the United States. Just what is the President's wife hiding? Anna Pitoniak's masterful puzzle of espionage, love, and betrayal keeps us flipping the pages to find out!" - Kate Quinn
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