The Secret Heart: John le Carré: an intimate memoir

A Telegraph Book to Read for Autumn 2022 A Times Best Non-fiction Book for Autumn 2022 A Daily Mail Book of the Year 2022 A Waterstones Best Book of 2022: Biography The astonishing new portrait of the master of spy fiction, by the woman he kept secret for almost half his life John le Carré led a life entirely constructed of secrets. First as a British 'spook' during the Cold War, then as a world-renowned writer of espionage fiction, but also in his personal involvements. He guarded his private life with fierce determination, so that even when he finally permitted his life story to be written, there was still one element he insisted be excluded: the women. Married with children for virtually all his adult life, le Carré – David Cornwell – had a number of secret affairs, usually conducted abroad with women encountered by chance on his travels. These relationships were always intense, dramatic, even tragic, yet each was destined to last no more than a few months. But there was one love affair that withstood the test of time; just one woman in all his life whom he took into the innermost sanctum of his writing and his heart. The Secret Heart is the account of Suleika Dawson's unique and enduring love affair with John le Carré. Written with fearless honesty and insight, the book sheds a bold new light on one of the foremost British writers of the 20th century and offers an alternative measure of the man over the literary legend. "The astonishing portrait of the master of spy fiction, by the woman he kept secret for all of his life. Even after he left his former career as a British spy and agent runner during the height of the Cold War, John le Carre still pursued a secret life, not just in the labyrinthine intrigue and double-dealing of his novels, but also in his personal involvements. He guarded the secrets of his private life with fierce determination, fending off would-be biographers for many decades. It was not until his ninth decade that he finally relented and permitted his full life story to be written. But even then, there was still one element that he insisted be excluded: the women. Despite being married for almost all of his adult life, le Carre also had a number of secret affairs. These relationships were usually conducted abroad with women he met by chance on his research trips. They were always intense, often dramatic and sometimes even tragic, yet none was destined to last more than a few months. There was one relationship, however, that was of an entirely different order; one great love affair that withstood the test of time; just one woman in all his life whom le Carre took into the innermost sanctum of both his writing and his heart. Of all le Carre's loves, she was the only one who was ever truly his 'secret sharer', the only one he ever let that far in. The Secret Heart is the account of Suleika Dawson's enduring love affair with John Le Carre. A thoughtful, artfully written and intimate biography, the book aims to shed a new light on one of the greatest British writers of the 20th Century and offer an alternative measure of the man over the literary legend"--Publisher's description John le Carr led a life entirely constructed of secrets not just in his first career, as a British spy and agent runner during the height of the Cold War or in his second, as a world-renowned writer of espionage fiction, but also in his personal involvements. He guarded his private life with fierce determination, fending off all would-be biographers until his ninth decade, when he finally relented and permitted his life story to be written. But there was still one element that he insisted be excluded, even then: the women. Despite being married for virtually all of his adult life, le Carr had a number of secret affairs. Most often conducted abroad with women he met by chance on his travels, these relationships were always intense, occasionally dramatic and sometimes even tragic, yet each was destined to last no more than a few months. But there was one that was of an entirely different order; one great love affair that withstood the test of time; just one woman in all his life whom le Carr took into the innermost sanctum of both his writing and his heart. Of all le Carrs undisclosed loves, she was the only one who was ever truly his secret sharer, the only one he ever let that far in. The Secret Heart is the account of Suleika Dawsons enduring love affair with John le Carr. Written with fearless honesty and insight, by turns funny and sad, the book sheds a bold new light on one of the greatest British writers of the 20th Century and offers an alternative measure of the man over the literary legend.