Reply To: TBC: The novel is set against the backdrop of the Red Scare and McCarthyism.

Since Reka was Hungarian and once a member of the communist party it had to be very frightening for her living in the States during this time. I imagine she was always looking over her shoulder and worried about who might turn her in. And, of course it was Arlene who did just that costing Reka her meager wages. It was also tragic that she had to “sell” artistic treasures to a senator to secure her safe passage to the States during a time when she should have been welcomed with open arms not fleeced by an elected government official. Once again Reka has to figure out how to survive. In order to do so she must become a thief and steal back valuables from the Senator who took them from her.

Grace, was on the run from her heritage. Her dad was a Russian and her mom was Ukrainian living in Leningrad during Stalin’s regime. After Grace’s family starved to death she had no where to go and no reason to stay in Russia. Not knowing how else to get out of Russia she entered training to become a communist spy in the States. Now Grace is the enemy within America that McCarthy was preaching about. The fact that she always carried weapons indicated her concern during that time of hate and unrest that someday she might have to physically defend herself. But Grace had a naturally heightened ability to observe human behaviors. She used her talents to find her neighbor’s patterns of behavior which helped her ease some of the tensions in their lives. By doing so she brought the residents of Briarwood House together which helped them form a circle of friendship and a sense of family. In the end these new friendships, this new family, served as her safety net.