Set for release May 1, 2025

Rose Janowitz is a pioneer in the 1950s golden age of television, as she navigates the transition from radio to TV soap operas. But beneath the glitz and glamor lies a web of secrets. Rose’s radical past and her hidden romance with Jonas Cain, the African-American leading man who made Guiding Light a hit on radio. How long will Rose be able to hide Jonas Cain’s identity—and their romantic relationship—from the public, and from Irna Phillips, the formidable doyenne who invented the soap-opera, a woman who makes—and breaks—professional careers on a whim.

In the 1980s, Rose’s daughter Emma Kagan abandons her privileged life in the USSR as the daughter of high-profile American defectors, to return to the country of her parents’ birth just as Mikhail Gorbachev announces the new openness known as glasnost. In the US, Emma navigates the hypocrisy and inherent contradictions of the political left and the right, as the collapse of the Soviet Union sends her scrambling for survival. Emma’s search for a place to fully belong finds her looking for personal freedom in the strangest of places—with unexpected and often life-threatening results.

In 2012, Libby, Emma’s daughter and Rose’s granddaughter, embarks on a bold journey to Rojava, Syria, joining the Women’s Revolution. Her search for utopia pulls Rose and Emma into the fray, where family secrets long buried are unearthed amid the anarchy of war.

New York Times bestselling author Alina Adams brings her unique perspective as a Soviet immigrant to the US who mastered English through soap operas to this multilayered tale. With a background in broadcast communications and a history of writing compelling narratives, Adams captures the essence of each era with authenticity and emotional depth. From the author of the acclaimed historical novel My Mother’s Secret, Go On Pretending offers a powerful exploration of the struggles for personal freedom and the enduring strength of family bonds.

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But it’s not all a history lesson! We’ve got romance, friendship, betrayal, mother-daughter relationships, heroism, self-sacrifice, and heartbreak, too!

Don’t take my word for it. Check out some of these early reviews:

“Alina Adams takes readers on 18 year old Regina’s journey while, in 1930, she flees Moscow certain she will be captured by the Kremlin. She heads to Birobidzhan, the first Jewish Autonomous Region and located on the boarder of Russia and China. Confused by the actions and betrayals of those she left behind, Regina doesn’t know who to trust and what to believe, until she decides … at great expense … to follow her heart.”

“It is a story of survival and the harsh realities to establish a Jewish homeland in Russia. Not an easy read at times, one might have trouble with some of the storyline. What Regina did to save her daughter and what consequences she faced will make the reader wonder if you would do the same.”

“In terms of portraying life in the Soviet Union and in Birobidzhan and in terms of explaining the origins of the Jewish Autonomous Region, the book is fabulous. I learned so much, which is actually one of the goals of the publisher History Through Fiction. I found the writing quite compelling and generally excellent, except for the occasional passages that went beyond excellent. These I would re-read several times. My one problem with the book is that I did not like the inner thoughts of the protagonists, although I think it was necessary in order to show their growth. But the historical aspect of the book was extraordinary and outweighed the negatives.”

“I found this novel to be gripping and suspenseful. I liked the author’s writing style.”

“I had never heard of Birobidzhan and knew little of life in the USSR at the beginning of World War II so the first half of the book was a fantastic learning opportunity built into a great story, would definitely recommend if you want to know more and I will be looking at some of the resources in the authors note.”

“If you find historical fiction to be entertaining and the idea of a bygone era rife with a turbulent setting, pick this up! The cover is gorgeous and you’ll be enmeshed in conflict and conspiracies.”

“It took you into the problems of living under an autocratic despotic regime, yet cultivated a powerful love story where the protagonists demonstrated bravery, determination and self sacrifice above the call of duty. It deserves to be read.”

Want to learn more about the story behind the story of “My Mother’s Secret: A Novel of the Jewish Autonomous Region?” I love to speak at book clubs! Please reach out to me to schedule yours!

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Odessa, 1931. Marrying the handsome, wealthy Edward Gordon, Daria―born Dvora Kaganovitch―has fulfilled her mother’s dreams. But a woman’s plans are no match for the crushing power of Stalin’s repressive Soviet state. To survive, Daria is forced to rely on the kindness of a man who takes pride in his own coarseness.

Odessa, 1970. Brilliant young Natasha Crystal is determined to study mathematics. But the Soviets do not allow Jewish students―even those as brilliant as Natasha―to attend an institute as prestigious as Odessa University. With her hopes for the future dashed, Natasha must find a new purpose―one that leads her into the path of a dangerous young man.

Brighton Beach, 2019. Zoe Venakovsky, known to her family as Zoya, has worked hard to leave the suffocating streets and small minds of Brighton Beach behind her―only to find that what she’s tried to outrun might just hold her true happiness.

Moving from a Siberian gulag to the underground world of Soviet refuseniks to oceanside Brooklyn, The Nesting Dolls is a heartbreaking yet ultimately redemptive story of circumstance, choice, and consequence―and three dynamic unforgettable women, all who will face hardships that force them to compromise their dreams as they fight to fulfill their destinies.

“Adams’ sweeping tale offers captivating explorations of her characters and their complexities, particularly when it comes to their struggles between the pull of the heart and the realities in which they live.” – Booklist

“The Nesting Dolls is a vividly rendered, sweeping historical novel. Alina Adams deftly portrays three generations of women, beautifully weaving their coming of age stories about love, sacrifice, family, and ultimately survival. I absolutely devoured this compulsively readable gem of a novel.” (Jillan Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of The Lost Letter and In Another Time)

“A moving saga of three generations of women determined to triumph over the forces of history no matter the cost. The Nesting Dolls is memorable story of courage that is both inspiring and bittersweet.” (David R. Gillham, New York Times bestselling author of City of Women and Annelies)

“The author’s wry Soviet-Jewish humor enlivens the well-developed characters, who make fatal mistakes as well as selfless sacrifices. This is a satisfying, life-affirming saga.” – Publisher’s Weekly

“The novel adds a degree of nuance to a historical narrative that is often flattened: It depicts some of the subtleties and complexities of being a Jew in the Soviet Union, offering a partial corrective to the frequent oversimplification of a chapter of history that is anything but simple.” – The Kirkus Review

“The book contains several obscenities directed at Stalin.” – World Magazine

More reviews at Goodreads!

AIina loves to speak at Book Clubs! Download a book club kit here, and get in touch to schedule your own visit!

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