A Hidden Affair
Pam Jenoff, 2010
Atria
320 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781416590729
Summary
Past wars, past lives, past loves . . . can we ever really let them go . . . and should we?
Ten years ago, U.S. State Department intelligence officer Jordan Weiss’s life was turned upside down when she was told her college boyfriend, Jared, drowned in the River Cam. In a shocking discovery, though, she realizes that things weren’t as they seemed and that she had been lied to and betrayed by those closest to her.
Reeling from the shock—and the knowledge that Jared is still alive—Jordan resigns her State Department post and sets off in search of answers. Traveling to Jared’s last known whereabouts on the French Riviera, she encounters Nicole, a mysterious woman who flees after refusing to disclose what she knows about Jared.
Following Nicole across Europe, Jordan soon discovers that she is not alone in her pursuit— Aaron, a handsome and enigmatic Israeli, is chasing Nicole for his own cryptic reasons. Though distrustful of each other, Jordan and Aaron join forces on a journey that takes them half a world away, and only steps ahead of grave peril.
As Jordan draws closer to finding the answers that have eluded her for a decade, larger questions remain: Can she reconcile her attraction to Aaron with her unresolved feelings for Jared, the only man she ever loved? Will the truth be too devastating to handle or finally set her free?
Will she have a chance at happiness at last? Thrilling, romantic, and impossible to put down, A Hidden Affair gives us a brave and relentless heroine who never gives up on her search for the truth. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—N/A
• Where—Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
• Education—B.A., George Washington University; M.A., Cambridge University; J.D., University of Pennsylvania
• Currently—lives in Cherry Hill, New Jersey
Pam Jenoff was born in Maryland and raised outside Philadelphia. She attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Cambridge University in England.
Upon receiving her master's in history from Cambridge, she accepted an appointment as Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. The position provided a unique opportunity to witness and participate in operations at the most senior levels of government, including helping the families of the Pan Am Flight 103 victims secure their memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, observing recovery efforts at the site of the Oklahoma City bombing and attending ceremonies to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of World War II at sites such as Bastogne and Corregidor.
Following her work at the Pentagon, Pam moved to the State Department. In 1996 she was assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Krakow, Poland. It was during this period that Pam developed her expertise in Polish-Jewish relations and the Holocaust. Working on matters such as preservation of Auschwitz and the restitution of Jewish property in Poland, Pam developed close relations with the surviving Jewish community.
Pam left the Foreign Service in 1998 to attend law school and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. She worked for several years as a labor and employment attorney both at a firm and in-house in Philadelphia and now teaches law school at Rutgers.
Pam is the author of The Kommandant's Girl, which was an international bestseller and nominated for a Quill award, as well as The Diplomat's Wife, The Ambassador's Daughter, Almost Home, A Hidden Affair and The Things We Cherished.
She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and three children. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
this thriller should keep romantic suspense fans hooked until its explosive climax.
Publishers Weekly
Guaranteed to appeal to a wide variety of fiction readers, it's a winner in every way
Library Journal
Discussion Questions
1. What compels Jordan to resign her position with the State Department and set out on her own to search for Jared? What are her main reasons for wanting to find him?
2. “The fact that Jared is alive means that the past ten years of my life, every thought I had and decision I made, was predicated upon a flawed assumption” (pg 22), says Jordan. In what ways did her belief that Jared was dead affect her life and the choices she made, both personally and professionally?
3. Jordan initially dislikes Aaron, finding him “dismissive and condescending” (pg 39). When does she begin to feel differently about him? What conflicts develop between them, and are they things that can be overcome? Is the fact that they’re both intelligence operatives an advantage or a detriment in their romantic relationship?
4. Why is Jordan even more determined to find Jared after she finds out that he’s married to Nicole? Why does Nicole encourage Jordan to go see Jared alone after their confrontation on the dock?
5. Jordan and Jared were college sweethearts, together for less than three months before his presumed death. Would their relationship have withstood the test of time? Why or why not? Who is the better romantic partner for Jordan, Jared or Aaron?
6. Discuss the historical and political aspects of the novel, including how wine was used during World War II. Regarding Jordan and Ari’s difference of opinion about Israel, which one do you think presents the stronger argument?
7. “[Jared] has the life that I do not, that I could not have while I was eternally grieving for him. I feel angry and foolish at the same time” (pg 225), admits Jordan. Why was she unable to get past Jared’s “death,” while he moved on with his life? Discuss whether or not you think Jared was justified in faking his own death.
8. Discuss Jordan’s reunion with Jared. How is it different than what she had imagined? Ultimately, what realizations does Jordan come to about herself and Jared? Does she find the closure she was seeking? Why or why not?
9. When Jordan finds out that Noah has been kidnapped, she offers to help rescue him. Why does she put her life at risk to save Jared and Nicole’s son?
10. How compelling did you find the suspense aspect of the storyline? Were you able to predict any plot turns, or did the author keep you guessing until the end?
11. Have you read Almost Home, the prequel to A Hidden Affair? If so, what are your thoughts on the continuation of Jordan’s story? If not, share whether or not you’re now interested in reading Almost Home.
(Questions courtesy of the author.)