“A Map of Betrayal’: Spy storyline sluggish but thoughtful

In most novels and movies, the life of a spy is a glamorous one. But for many real spies, a successful career means a quiet life: a split-level house in the suburbs; barroom talks about jazz; routine walks in the park. Yet behind this calm exterior the spy lives in fear that today will be the day it all comes crumbling down. This divided existence is the life of China's top spy Gary Shang in Ha Jin's new novel, 'A Map of Betrayal.”

Gary kept a diary from 1949 to 1980, and when his American daughter Lillian receives it, she becomes determined to travel back to China and learn more about her deceased father: Was he really the indispensable spy China said he was? The reluctant family man her mother said he was?

The novel alternates in perspective and time between Gary in the 1950s and his daughter in present day, but the two storylines do little to bring together the larger themes of the novel, such as patriotism and the illusiveness of home. As a result, the novel feels divided and uneven. There is little at stake in Lillian's storyline until she discovers her nephew's life is following her father's path - but this plot twist is so convenient the turn feels forced instead of suspenseful.

And while Jin's close examination of Gary's life can be moving at times, particularly when he ruminates on his divided loyalty to China and the United States, Jin's in-depth recounting of historical events from the late 1940s to the 1970s makes the book feel like a history text masquerading as a novel, with a thin plot carefully doled out to link the events together.

Yet even with its sluggish and uncertain pace, there are still a number of thoughtful moments, such as when Lillian and her nephew discuss patriotism: 'Ben and I couldn't see eye to eye on this issue. I told him that I loved America, but not more than I loved my husband.”

While disjointed, 'A Map of Betrayal” succeeds in raising important questions about the life of a spy, the risks and gains and the devastating consequences that can be felt for generations.