A Headache Tomorrow (or a Heartache Tonight)

"Loose lips sink ships."  Such was an old World War II-era slogan imploring soldiers to not divulge compromising information when writing home, and it is from that slogan that the title of Claire Berlinski's novel, Loose Lips, is derived.

The main character of the story is a young woman named Selena Keller.  Shortly after earning a doctorate in Oriental Studies from Columbia University and not wishing to become mired in the fever swamps of academia (a sentiment I understand well), Keller answers a CIA employment ad and soon finds herself being interviewed for possible admission into the agency's Clandestine Service Trainee program.  Thus begins an adventure that takes Keller through the rigorous interview process, subsequent paramilitary training, and a challenging series of courses wherein she learns how to spot, vet, and recruit foreign agents.  Along the way she also falls in love with a fellow trainee named Stan.  Once her training is complete, though, Keller finds herself the target of CIA Special Investigations Branch inquiry that may derail her fledgling career as an intelligence officer.

Readers expecting a Tom Clancy-style techno-thriller will be disappointed, but those fond of witty stories of romance, interpersonal drama, and humor will be delighted. But whatever one's literary preferences, one thing seems certain: either Berlinski herself or someone close to her must have gone through some or all of the CST program, so believable is the tale.

For my own part, I loved the novel.  As was the case with the main character, my own emotions varied throughout, ranging from wistfulness, to apprehension, to sadness, and then to relief.  Not to beat an oft-used phrase to death, but Berlinski's novel truly is a tour de force.  And speaking of cliches, I enjoyed reading the conversation between the author and her brother, related in the book's appendix, about whether or not another well-worn phrase should have been included in the story's dialogue.  I was instantly reminded of some lines from a favorite song of mine: "A Headache Tomorrow (or a Heartache Tonight)" by Mickey Gilley, off of his 1981 album You Don't Know Me:

The sun goes down,
the blues come around,
and the choice is black and white.

Low down and lonesome,
high as a kite.

When you can't win for losing,
you know it's just not right.

It's a headache tomorrow,
or a heartache tonight.

For those unfamiliar with the song, here is a video:



It is a hauntingly beautiful tune, much like the story that reminded me of it.  It is also a song of regret, of opportunities lost, of futures uncertain.  It is a song Selena Keller would understand well, were she a Texan and a fan of Urban Cowboy Era country music.  As for me, my only regret is that I did not read this novel, and enjoy its sentimental comfort, when it was first published seven years ago.