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World Book Day


Usha Vance became the Second Lady of the United States, following JD Vance, her husband’s election as Vice President. An accomplished attorney and the first Asian-American holding the position. Last week, she occupied the center stage in India. A lot was talked about the book Iliad, which she carried during the campaign for her husband. What interested me was neither of them, but her title. It reminded me of something I had read years ago. Irving Wallace’s THE SECOND LADY.

In our younger days, we frequented libraries and often the shops at Janpath in Delhi to buy reasonably priced paperbacks or second-hand books. My sister and I visited our chachi to borrow her library books. She would recommend them, much like Goodreads. Those were not the times of the internet, and recommendations were always made through word of mouth.

I remember her narration of the political thriller. “The first lady of the United States is abducted during a state visit to Moscow and replaced by a Russian actress meticulously trained to impersonate her. The Soviet goal was to extract sensitive information from the President through deception. The actress navigates her role in the White House, while the real first lady must find a way to escape captivity and put an end to the espionage plot. A novel dwelling on the high-stakes world of international politics during the Cold War.” Chachi revealed no more and left the rest for us to discover by reading.

If that intrigues you, read the book; there’s a twist in the end that you will love to discover.

Happy Reading, Happy World Book Day.

 

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