Berta Isla by Javier Marías.
Berta Isla expects to build a life with Tomas Nevinson, but his recruitment into British intelligence changes the terms of their marriage. Javier Marias examines the distance secrecy creates between people who intend to know one another.
Read it for the private costs of a public vocation. The novel asks what loyalty means when one partner cannot say where he has been or what he has done.
Edition note: The cover shown is the Vintage paperback (ISBN 9780525563129). The Barnes & Noble option is the hardcover (ISBN 9780525521365); Apple Books and Kobo offer the English ebook (ISBN 9780525521372). These editions use Margaret Jull Costa's translation. Kobo's linked worldwide store may require an address in a supported region.
