The Double Life of Katharine Clark: The Untold Story of the Fearless Journalist Who Risked Her Life for Truth and Justice

by Katharine Gregorio

In 1955, Katharine Clark, the first American woman wire reporter behind the Iron Curtain, saw something none of her male colleagues did. What followed became one of the most unusual adventure stories of the Cold War.

While on assignment in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Clark befriended a man who, by many definitions, was her enemy. But she saw something in Milovan Djilas, a high-ranking Communist leader who dared to question the ideology he helped establish, that made her want to work with him. It became the assignment of her life.

Against the backdrop of protests in Poland and a revolution in Hungary, she risked her life to ensure Djilas's work made it past the watchful eye of the Yugoslavian secret police to the West. She single-handedly was responsible for smuggling his scathing anti-Communism manifesto, The New Class, out of Yugoslavia and into the hands of American publishers. The New Class would go on to sell three million copies worldwide, become a New York Times bestseller, be translated into over 60 languages, and be used by the CIA in its covert book program.

Meticulously researched and written by Clark's great-niece, Katharine Gregorio, The Double Life of Katharine Clark illuminates a largely untold chapter of the twentieth century. It shows how a strong-willed, fiercely independent woman with an ardent commitment to truth, justice and freedom put her life on the line to share ideas with the world, ultimately transforming both herself―and history―in the process.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Biography Memoir, Memoir, Journalism, European History

384 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2022

Reviews

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love love love books that highlight the strong women of history whose stories have previously been untold. Katharine Clark is definitely someone with whom we should all be familiar.

About the book: “In 1955, Katharine Clark, the first American woman wire reporter behind the Iron Curtain, saw something none of her male colleagues did. What followed became one of the most unusual adventure stories of the Cold War.

Meticulously researched and written by Clark's great-niece, Katharine Gregorio, The Double Life of Katharine Clark illuminates a largely untold chapter of the twentieth century. It shows how a strong-willed, fiercely independent woman with an ardent commitment to truth, justice and freedom put her life on the line to share ideas with the world, ultimately transforming both herself―and history―in the process.”

Another thing I loved? That Katharine Gregorio, Clark’s great-niece, penned this important story of her life. Katharine Clark is working in Belgrade when she is introduced to a high-ranking Communist leader, a leader who has experienced strong doubts about the system in which he was an integral part (until he is jailed), and she begins working with him. Katharine’s job is dangerous; her mission is to share Diljas’s manifestos with American publishers. Not only did she do that, but it becomes a New York Times bestseller.

I learned so much while reading this, having not read a book set in the former Yugoslavia during this time period. I think both Katharine and Milovan were heroes, and their story is highly readable, suspenseful, and exciting. It reads as well or better than any hist fic. Highly recommended.

I received a gifted copy.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by Katharine Clark’s grand-niece the book brings to light the lengths to which her great-aunt went to in order to give Yugoslavian Milovan Djilas a voice to expose the truth that he had discoverer, first hand, about Communism.

Djilas, a top associate of Tito since WWII, became disenchanted with communism, spoke out and was jailed. It was only with the covert assistance of journalist Katharine Clark that his classic “The New Class” as well as his biography were published in the West.

I didn’t find anything to indicate “The Double Life…” mentioned in the title and in spite of what she did to assist Djilas I did not warm up to Katharine Clark who came across as cold and calculating – maybe that’s how she had to be in order to do what she did – but I found her very unlikable.

I have not read “The New Class” but I suspect it is a book that is relevant today as it was in the 1950’s. It is very much due to the efforts of Katharine Clark that the book got published at all and for that she must be applauded.

What this book did was introduce me to the hero Milovan Djilas. It was worth it to look him up on Google.

**Not one photograph is included in the book which I find unusual for a Biography**

[Kirsten | K’s Book Nook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Special thanks to the publisher, Source Books, and my local indie, Snail on the Wall, for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is set to publish on March 15, 2022, and believe me when I say you'll want to preorder this one - even if you claim not to like nonfiction!

Katharine Clark is an American journalist behind the Iron Curtain in 1950s Yugoslavia. When high ranking leader Milovan Djilas goes on trial stripping him of his leadership and power, Katharine knows he has more to say. Thus begins an unusual friendship spanning decades, providing insights into Communism no one else had.

YOU GUYS. Wowowowow. I don't often rave about nonfiction, but when I do it's because of books like this one: written like a fiction novel, interesting (and in this case previously untold) history, and unputdownable. Through Katharine Gregorio, Clark's great-niece, we are told a tale of intrigue, spies, and secrets against insurmountable odds. The relationship between Katharine and Milovan and what they accomplished blew my mind. They worked together to write and publish Milovan's anit-Communism manifesto, The New Class, with the Yugoslav Secret Police watching their every move. There is a lot packed into three hundred pages, and it’s well worth the read. I have a more thorough review about what I learned, thoughts, and impressions up on my blog {www.kirstensbooknook.com}!

5/5 Stars

CW: war/prison stories

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not a dry scholarly book merely full of names, places, dates, etc. This is a complex bio of a woman journalist who had already travelled the world (father was career US Army) before the end of WW2. Married to a professional journalist who worked for another publication not in competition with her own employers, she was in a unique position to benefit from her husband's contacts in a time more misogynistic than now. the writing style jars occasionally with times of background information, but this is not a real detriment. That Ms. Clark was a relative of the author made some of the research less arduous (knowing which libraries to contact is a major help). Very interesting reading!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Sourcebooks via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Katharine Clark was the first female reporter behind the Iron Curtain. During her time in Belgrade, she befriended Milovan Djilas, a high ranking Yugoslavian Communist official, and his wife. While early in his life he had been an ardent supporter of the Communist party, his opinions and perspectives had changed over time and Clark worked with him on articles critical of Communism that were published in the west. Following the publication of the articles, Djilas was imprisoned. Clark then worked with Djilas’ wife to smuggle out the manuscripts for two other books - a memoir of his life and The New Class, a condemnation of Communism from the inside. Clark worked tirelessly with American publishers to get the works published and acted as a go-between with the Djilas family even though she had lost the right to travel into Yugoslavia. The New Class went on to become a bestseller, selling millions of copies worldwide and Djilas was sentenced to another 7 years in jail following the publication. While much of the book focuses around Clark’s work with Djilas, the author also explores her experiences during this time reporting from Poland and Hungary - and this also was fascinating. I appreciated learning more about this trailblazing woman.
As a side note, it’s a pet peeve for me when authors get into descriptions of clothes, inner thoughts, etc that realistically they wouldn’t know - it seems like speculation that doesn’t add to the story. Near the end of the read, I found out that the author is the great-niece of Katharine Clark and I took back some of my frustration with that element. It seems much more likely that if she was speaking personally with a family member that some of these things might have actually come up.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly readable, this recounting of how the most amazing anti communist book was smuggled out of Yugoslavia to be published during the Cold War. The inside information provided certainly brings to light that frightening period of our history…and illustrates that our current political situation is not totally unique.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glad that these stories are coming to light. Women have been doing important work since the beginning of time; they just haven't received credit for it.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing, informative, and descriptive!

The Double Life of Katharine Clark is the insightful, meticulous story of Katharine Clark’s personal and professional successes, frustrations, experiences, sacrifices, and accomplishments as an International News Service journalist stationed in Eastern Europe during the early stages of the Cold War.

The writing is clear and precise. And the novel is a compelling, absorbing tale of one woman’s dedication and passion, under extremely dangerous circumstances, to help record and have published a manuscript and a series of articles dictated and written by a high-ranking communist officer, Milovan Djilas, who was subsequently arrested and jailed for his criticism of the Yugoslavia government.

The Double Life of Katharine Clark is, ultimately, a valuable, suspenseful, insightful biography by Gregorio inspired by real-life events that does an exceptional job of highlighting her impressive research into her great aunt’s plight as a female journalist during the 1950s and her extraordinary courage and determination to do whatever it took to have an important story told and heard.

Thank you to Sourcebooks for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when stories are unearthed they have been waiting in the shadows for decades to be told. Gregorio’s connection to her story is personal, she writes of her great aunt and the incredible woman she was, as well as an astute journalist. Due to her aunt’s bravery and temerity, a Yugoslavian’s writings were smuggled to the west and revealed the truth about communistic rule.
The narrative flowed well and I was absorbed by all the details the author shared.
I enjoyed the interview with the author at the end, which contributed more nuggets of information.
This is when real journalism existed and the lengths Clark went to capture the truth.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the advance read.

[Mainlinebooker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Debut author Katherine Gregorio relates this interesting story of her great-aunt Katharine Clark ,a strong spirited independent woman who helped Milovan Djilas, a Yugoslavian Communist leader
get a series of articles and books published in the United States. Clark was stationed in the Eastern European area as a foreign correspondent during the 1950's Cold War. Her husband Ed was a Time life correspondent as well, although offers came to him first as women's skills were not believed to be up to par as a mans. Djilas was a high ranking Communist leader under Tito and thought to be Tito's successor. But as time went on, Djilas's views evolved and changed, he denounced the regime, and was put on trial, stripped of housing, work, passport and privileges. Clark befriended him and his wife and went to great lengths with much secrecy to share 2 of his written works. One, the New Class became an international best seller as it dared to disparage the party and show the crooked and entitled life of the individuals in the party's leadership. This book is thought to have sparked future resistance to Soviet communist regimes in the future. Though the book is primarily about Milovan and Katherine's efforts in getting the books out of the country, there are side stories of Tito and Kruschev that made me LOL.
What bothered me about the novel was what I felt to be a little unevenness. Some sentences appeared to be repeated in different points in the narrative.
The warts of her marriage were on display but the relationship between husband and wife were never fleshed out. Huge fights were immediately followed with paragraphs of life as normal with no explanation of what had happened in the interim. I admit I was horrified that she left her son to be raised by the grandparents in the USA while they pursued their careers. That vision colored my perception of her as a person, and how caring she could be to Milovan and his wife but have little relationship with her own son.
An interesting and informative read but not compelling or engrossing..



Though the book was compelling and readable it was not that engrossing.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Double Life of Katharine Clark is a narrative nonfiction account of journalist Katharine Clark’s life, primarily, in Eastern Europe during the 1950s and 1960s. Katharine and her journalist husband Ed, befriended Milovan and Steffie Djilas during their time in Yugoslavia. Milovan was a high-ranking Communist leader who began to question his ideologies and denounce them—highly dangerous in a Communist country. Milovan and Katharine work together to respectively write and edit Milovan’s memoirs and his denouncement of Communism. The book also discusses the sexism and discrimination Katharine faced as a female journalist, the revolts in Poland and Hungary, and the pressure of the Soviet Union on Communist countries to resist the influence of Western countries.

Gregorio’s writing was fluid and clear to understand. She included ample documentation, including letters and newspaper reports, to tell Katharine’s history. What an amazing project to undertake about her great-aunt, and what an amazing woman to write about.

My three star rating is a reflection of Gregorio’s purpose for writing—what is she trying to convey? What is her main point in the book? After reading and reflecting on this book, I am not quite sure. Katharine and Milovan’s relationship was very important to Katharine, but Gregorio is trying to paint a more complex picture than that. It was a great read, don’t get me wrong, but Gregorio discusses many aspects of Katharine’s life, her relationship with the Djilas family, the countless people she met and worked with, and the politics and isms of the time. Life is complex and Gregorio depicts that in the book but I personally believe the narrative aspect of the book took away from the facts of Katharine’s life. I am not familiar with Yugoslavian history and therefore want the facts so that I can understand the political culture. Perhaps I got muddled in the narrative, or perhaps it is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that made this book a bit challenging to follow. Either way, I would have liked to have seen this book written solely as a biography of Katharine, or only as a narrative of Katharine and Milovan’s relationship.

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks for providing me with this timely and important book.

[Myersakrawiec · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a book club pick otherwise I don’t think it would have been my pick to read. I decided not to finish it with about 50 pages to go which seems like a let down, but I felt peace as soon as I made the decision to stop so I know it was the right choice. This book was poorly written and mostly boring. The story could have been much more, but the author focused on pointless descriptions that didn’t move the story along at all. Her sentence structure is very confusing as well and made it hard to follow what was happening. I think injecting a little more emotion other than just righteous indignation would have made the story more interesting. Katharine Clark sounds like an incredible person, but that did not come across in this book. Just because you are related to the subject of a book doesn’t mean you are the best person to write their story.

[Gena Lott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing story of a woman most modern females have never heard of.
The only downside of my experience is that the audio book is read by a not so great reader.
However, the story is so great and it filled in many gaps for me about the Hungarian revolution--my father participated in that event. Thank you Gregorio for writing this story.

[Vicki Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, what an amazing woman risking it all to help her friends in need. I enjoy reading these historical nonfiction narratives set in unfamiliar (to me) slices of history. As a former newspaper reporter, I especially enjoyed seeing peeks inside Katharine’s career and front row seat to history being made.

[Michael Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathtaking Double Life of Katharine Clark is absolutely loaded with intrigue, action, tension and suspense. The amazing thing to remember is this is a true story of heroism, freedom of expression, gender disparity, unusual friendship, sacrifice and determination written beautifully and clearly by Clark's great niece who felt compelled to share it with the world. I am so glad she did!

Post-war Yugoslavia in the 1950s and 1960s was rife with unease. Communication and transportation were particularly challenging. Americans Katharine and Ed Clark were journalists in Europe during WWII and beyond, the only ones who worked behind the Iron Curtain and were followed by secret police, though often for rival organizations. Belgrade was their base for several years while they covered stories in surrounding countries. Infuriatingly, Katharine often did groundwork only to be undermined by her male counterparts. But she struck pure gold in the form of gratifying work and deeper still, lasting friendship when she met Milovan and Steffie Djilas. Author and theorist Milovan was in line after Josip Broz Tito to become the next President of Yugoslavia but as an intellectual pondered the communism paradox, became disenchanted with it, denounced and criticized it. His sacrifice meant he was stripped of his position, titles and his passport. He was imprisoned but persevered in writing several articles and books including The New Class and Land Without Justice which changed perceptions worldwide. Katharine meticulously captured his words and thoughts in English and did everything in her power and beyond including smuggling documents to get Milovan's works published. She and Steffie were also fast friends and the two couples remained friends for life.

My favourite aspects are the Clarks' real-life adventures abroad and the lengths people were prepared to go to for various freedoms. Reading about the East's perceptions of the West and vice-versa is always fascinating. Descriptions such as the aftermath of war, telex machine, communication between Katharine and publishers, what to do if shot at and characters including Nikita Khrushchev are brilliant. The author's notes and inspirations are incredibly riveting.

As I live part time in the Balkans this helped satiate my desire to learn more about ex-Yugoslavia history, yet it increased my thirst a thousand fold at the same time. If you are even remotely interested in the Balkans, especially this era, do seek out this unmissable book.

My sincere thank you to SOURCEBOOKS and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this astounding biography, one of the most compelling I have ever read. That is saying a lot as a rabid Nonfiction reader.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story! This is the tale of Katharine Clark’s adventures as a journalist in post WWII Yugoslavia, and her relationship with Milovan Djilas, a former politician turned communist dissident and writer. Through courage, cleverness, and tenacity, she works to acquire and smuggle his astonishing writing to be published in the west, exposing the world to a rare insider perspective of the pitfalls of communism.

The book is historical narrative nonfiction, so original source material is knitted together into a cohesive story through the author’s imagination and secondary research - and although I’ve been disappointed in the past by similar books, it works really well here. I found myself hoping for a big screen film version because both the action and the moody scenes are so sharply defined and thrilling. The furtive strategies she uses to disguise the intent of her relationship with Djilas lead to scenes both gripping and occasionally funny (like an inadvertent game of soccer with their secret police stalkers).

It was so refreshing to read a story focused on a women in a period of her life later than what is usually told. Katherine’s history as a young woman and mother is only scantly mentioned, and the book spans a decade of her life from her mid-40’s to mid-50s. Despite being married (and dealing with some insufferable sexism in the industry including her own scoops getting passed to her journalist husband), her story is truly her own. Often women are doing the essential work in the background of important stories, and it’s definitely the case here - Katharine’s work was often that of persuasion, sideward influence, and developing connections - but it’s truly astounding to see both how much effort, wit, and courage went into that endeavor, and how absolutely essential it was to the success of her mission to bring Djilas’s ideas into the light.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves narrative nonfiction, as well as political, historical, or adventure fiction readers.

[Aimee Dars]

In the mid-1950s, Katharine Clark, a former war reporter, was the first female American journalist working behind the Iron Curtain. Clark covered protests in Poland and a revolution in Hungary while helping Westerners see what daily life was like living in a Communist country, and she even later became a bureau chief for INS in Vienna. However, some of her most important—and dangerous work was clandestine and the details unknown until now.

Katharine encountered Milovan Djilas, a high ranking Communist in Yugoslavia, when he was out on trial for criticizing the ideology he once embraced. She and her husband, also a journalist, befriended the Djilases, and Katharine helped Milovan write a series of articles. Both families were monitored by the secret police, always making sure to play the radio to deter bugs.

At great personal risk, she was able to smuggle Milovan’s writings, his articles and two manuscripts, out of Yugoslavia. In addition, she helped shepherd them through publication. One of these books was 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴, a searing indictment of communism that became an classic political theory text.

Katharine’s great-niece had no idea of her aunt’s important role until seeing a plaque at Georgetown University. That inspired her to take on this project, a meticulously researched non-fiction book that reads like fiction.

I learned so much from this book! I was unaware of Yugoslavia’s “unique path to communism” and its conflict with the USSR. Even more so, I was fascinated by the details regarding how Western journalists had to operate in these countries. It was also inspiring to hear of Katharine’s determination and courage.

I recommend for readers interested in 20th Century history or those who like reading about trailblazing women.

Thank you to Noelle Brown and @sourcebooks for a gifted copy of the book.

[Billy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Double Life of Katharine Clark provides an excellent look at Yugoslavia during the early years of the Cold War, through the eyes of the eponymous Katharine Clark, the first Western woman journalist to report from behind the Iron Curtain. Written by Clark's great-niece, Katharine Gregorio, from Clark's papers donated by her husband (fellow journalist Ed Clark) to the archives at Georgetown University, this narrative non-fiction work tells of Clark's reporting in Eastern Europe through the 1950s and 60s, specifically focusing on her friendship with Milovan Djilas, former deputy prime minister and head of Yugoslavian parliament, who became critical of and later disillusioned with Communism, resulting in his ouster from Tito's government and multiple prison sentences. In the course of their unexpected friendship, Clark helped smuggle Djilas' writings critiquing communism to the West, where they were eventually published as the book The New Class. Clark and the Djilas family remained friends throughout their lives, helping Milovan get more anti-communist writing, including his memoirs and accounts of official visits with Stalin, to the West, and providing aid to Milovan's wife and son during his imprisonments. Along the way, Clark deals with the Yugoslav secret police and obstacles in publishing while filing regular reports throughout the Eastern Bloc.

Overall, a fascinating look at a pioneering woman journalist and her friendship with a high-profile Yugoslav dissident, taken straight from Clark's archived writings. An excellent work of narrative non-fiction, and a book worth reading for anyone with an interest in trailblazing women, journalism, or Cold War history.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you #SourceBooks for this ARC. This book was so good and interesting. There were so many quotes and information that could be used in today's world to describe Russia and the invasion of Ukraine that is happening right now in 2022. The author is related to Katharine Clark and has used letters, articles, family interviews, and other documents to write this historical non fiction. Gregorio's book is really great because it reads like a novel and it is easy to understand. I really like reading about women who do extraordinary things because sadly, most of the time, their contributions are not well known. From the summary, "While on assignment in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, Clark befriended a man who, by many definitions, was her enemy. But she saw something in Milovan Djilas, a high-ranking Communist leader who dared to question the ideology he helped establish, that made her want to work with him. It became the assignment of her life." Milovan Djilas' books are "Land Without Justice" and "The New Class." 'The New Class" was the book that blew the lid off of Communism for the West. He was very brave to speak out against Communism and telling the world why it was wrong and why he felt that way. And, Katharine was very brave to do everything she did to get Djilas' story typed and smuggled out to mail the book to publishers to print. Recommended!!
"There is a saying in the Balkans that behind every hero stands a traitor. The difficulty, of course, is to determine who is hero and who is traitor." pg 43
"Man is not simple, even when he is one piece. That piece has many corners and sides." Milovan Djilas pg 306

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Double Life of Katharine Clark is a fascinating, if sometimes uneven story of journalist Katharine Clark and her time spent in Russia during the Cold War. I say fascinating because there really aren't books out there about female journalists during this time period, let alone ones that at great risk to themselves smuggled work out of Communist parts of Eastern Europe that decries communism by someone that served in high levels of government. I say uneven because the main message I receive about this book is that it is primarily about the relationship that Katharine has with Milovan Djilas and his family as she works to share his story through various published works, but occasionally strays off topic. When the story covers Katharine's difficulty in being taken seriously as a journalist or when she's corresponding with publishers on Milovan's behalf it works. When it veers into Hungary and Poland's struggles to break free from Communism, it doesn't for me, even though Milovan has decried the communist state. The book itself is an easy to read narrative nonfiction style, and makes me want to seek of Djilas' book, The New Class, which is mentioned in the book. Incredibly popular in it's time, I had never heard of it, and it and this book are both timely reading considering Russia's invasion of Ukraine shortly prior to the publication of this book. A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the depths of the post-Stalin Cold War in the mid 1950s, Katharine and Ed Clark were two journalists working in Communist Yugoslavia. Katharine faced many obstacles in her career, as women weren't offered the same assignments or opportunities as men, and she often felt frustration when her husband was offered jobs she wanted. But when no one else is interested, she befriends Milovan Djilas. He was an old-time Communist from Tito's struggle first against the Nazis and then against monarchists. He was the Vice-President when he began seeing Communism's flaws and hypocrisy and began writing articles critical of the system. Over the next few years he writes more articles and books, which have an enthusiastic audience in the United States and Western Europe. But the secret police are watching, he's been stripped of his titles, and he begins relying on Katharine's U.S. passport and journalist credentials to smuggle out his work. Add to that atmosphere of repression, Katharine also visits Poland where riots and demonstrations have been brutally squashed, and to Hungary where she literally dodges bullets as the Soviets destroy Budapest and any hope of a more free country. As today's Russia repeats its brutal Soviet history of force as a means of control, the book is a good reminder of events I was barely aware of as a child--mainly the Hungarian revolution of 1956.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first American woman to work as an accredited journalist behind the Iron Curtain, Katharine Clark befriended Milovan Djilas, a high-ranking Yugoslavian official who became disenchanted with Communism and dared to speak out and then put his thoughts into print. Often putting herself at great personal risk, Clark was determined that Djilas’s writings would be published in the west and with impressive bravery smuggled his anti-Communist manuscripts out of the country. Djilas was arrested and jailed for his dissident views and Clark continued to work tirelessly to keep his plight in the public eye. The book is an impressive work of narrative non-fiction, meticulously researched, and an insightful biography of an intrepid investigative journalist, who deserves to be better known. I learnt a lot from my reading, not just about Clark and her work, but also about events in the Communist east, at which Clark was often an eye-witness. Occasionally the narrative gets a little bogged down in superfluous detail, especially when describing the publishing world, but overall it’s story well worth the telling.

[Kim McGee · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insiders look at Eastern Europe and Russia in the 50's and 60's seen through the eyes of American reporters living in Yugoslavia. Katherine and Ed Clark lived out of a suitcase traveling the world reporting to their respective papers. It was when the couple lived in Belgrade that they became friends with Milovan Dijilas and his wife Steffie. Milovan had recently been ousted from Tito's government due to his unpopular ideas. He was quickly becoming disillusioned and felt that Yugoslavians were edging away from the basic ideals of Communism which put a target on his back by the Russians. Katherine Clark saw a bigger story than her husband and fought to smuggle Milovan's articles and a book out of the country. This put the target on her and her husband's backs. Another shining example of a previously unnoticed woman doing the right thing and taking great risks without the rewards. For those who follow American journalists abroad, spy stories involving Europe after the war and women behind the scenes. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the history lesson learned in this amazingly researched book. Katharine Clark is someone I am glad to now know and appreciate all she did during the Cold War. The story of her life is fascinating and show an incredible woman who was ahead of her time. The level of detail included is astounding and if you love historical, political, and/or international nonfiction you’ll love this book.
I have to be honest and say that this particular reader needs more of a fictional style to the story to really get into it. I chose it when I saw it described as reading like “thriller fiction” but it wasn’t enough of that to keep me engaged. This book was a heavy one for me and it took me several weeks to finish. I’m glad I did for all I learned. It’s not a straight up history book, nor is it dry, it just doesn’t have enough story telling for this reader.
Thanks to Katherine Gregori for unearthing this important contribution to history. Thanks to Net Galley and to Sourcebooks for the advance copy. I’ll stick to fiction from here on!

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to get an advance copy of this book and was interested to read it as I have been learning more about the Cold War. To say I devoured it would be an understatement, as I plowed through the book in two days. The author does a fantastic job of transporting you back in time with great descriptions; you really feel like you're in Eastern Europe during the Communist era. Katharine Gregorio brings to life historical figures (Tito, Kruschev) with personal stories while also showcasing the drama of a young woman's hunt to bring out the truth behind the Iron Curtain. I found it intriguing, informative, and suspenseful. The characters feel like they are people you know and you'll have a vested interest in what's happening to them as their personal story plays out against the backdrop of world events. The prose is wonderful and the writing paced nicely. Here's hoping for more stories from the author.

[Katie Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Double Life of Katharine Clark is a riveting tale of an assiduous female journalist driving change in a male-dominated profession and political environment. It reads like fiction but is carefully researched biography. The book covers Katharine Clark's journey to share with the West untold stories of life under Communist regimes. The story itself is compelling and kept me wanting more. The author’s writing breathes life into each character and provides appropriate color and nuance on the complexities of individual choices in difficult times and circumstances.

The writing brings the subject matter alive and transports one to life as it was under the Communist regime including significant events during the Tito, Khrushchev, Poplavsky, and Dobi regimes.

I highly recommend it. It is a must-read for those interested in female empowerment, the impact of American journalism abroad, and the lesser-known but fascinating stories of life behind the Iron Curtain.

[Becky Ruden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gregorio’s debut novel is meticulously researched and written with such clarity and detail that I was immediately immersed in both the characters and chilling landscape of post-war Europe.

While the era is a bleak moment in history, the resourcefulness and relentless determination of the protagonist, Katharine Clark, to bring the truth about Communism to Western civilization brings energy to every page. The author’s ability to synthesize and distill what must’ve been a hefty amount of historical documentation into a crisp narrative with a plot line that reads like fiction makes it hard to believe it’s her debut novel. The writing is lucid, strong, and beautifully nuanced.

More than anything, this story demonstrates how grit, resolve, and courage can change the course of history as we know it. Those enduring traits were the DNA of Katharine Clark, and her story is an example of bravery at its finest.

I highly recommend this book!

[Nursebookie · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐄: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐤: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝗪𝐡𝐨 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞⁣
𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑: 𝐊𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐨⁣
𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝟎𝟑.𝟏𝟓.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐 𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐀𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞⁣
⁣
This is the reason why I love historical books - I learn so much, and this particular book was written in such a manner that grabbed my attention, kept me at my toes, and read like a suspenseful fiction novel. At times I had to check and make sure, is this real? And yes, it is a true story, a biography of an extraordinary woman during the height of the Cold War brave enough to seek truth and justice. ⁣
⁣
Written by her niece Katharine Gregorio, this biography was meticulously researched and highlights the largely untold chapters of Yugoslavian history. Clark, through wit and bravery smuggled Milovan Djilas, a high-ranking Communist leader’s communist manifesto and exposed the truth to the world.⁣
⁣
Amazing woman and an amazing biography!⁣

[Lyndin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Double Life of Katharine Clark - a true story about a courageous journalist who befriends former communist, Yugoslavian, Milovan Djilas in the 1950s.

This book chronicles her time behind the Iron Curtain and her role in supporting Djilas before, during and after his imprisonment.

Author (and our protagonist’s great-niece) Katharine Gregario, piques your interest from the very beginning and the first half is fast paced. I did find I got lost in the details about halfway through, so unfortunately, the ending was somewhat underwhelming. I felt that some careful editing could have streamlined some of the non-essential facts to focus the reader.

It was a worthwhile read about a subject matter unfamiliar to me. A glimpse behind the Iron Curtain and the life of a journalist during that time were quite fascinating.