Motherland - by Nicole Breland Aandahl (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

1968. Washington, D.C. is the volatile epicenter of the Cold War, civil rights, and anti-war movement. The Nation's Capital buzzes with the electric energy of a powder keg about to explode. But Maryanne Freeman, a young, Black astrophysicist working at NASA, could care less about what is happening on Earth. All she wants to do is listen to the cosmos, immersing herself in the mysteries of outer space. However, her brilliance is overshadowed by racial prejudice and gender bias, and her talents are squandered at work. Disillusioned by the lack of respect she receives and horrible dating experiences that have all but extinguished her belief in love, Maryanne vows to focus solely on advancing her studies and career.

Her resolve is tested when she meets a charmingly handsome man named "Michael" who appears to be the answer to her romantic woes. Initially resistant to his advances and afraid to date outside of her race, Maryanne finds herself drawn to a man who seems to finally understand her.

Unbeknownst to Maryanne, "Michael" is a Soviet spy with a mission to infiltrate the U.S. space program and sabotage it from within. As he gains Maryanne's trust and affection, his original intentions begin to conflict with his growing feelings for her.

Michael, who is eager to impress Moscow by recruiting more Americans, befriends his neighbor Leroy, a seemingly Communism-friendly Black revolutionary. But Leroy is secretly an undercover FBI Special Agent assigned to the COINTELPRO program. Unhappy with his current assignment and hungry to snag his first foreign spy, Leroy finds his suspicious neighbor a much more relevant target than civil rights leaders.

The lives of Maryanne, Michael, and Leroy suddenly collide when D.C. erupts after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Maryanne finds herself torn between two men and two countries. Her life, dreams, and liberty on the line, what will she choose?