When I think of thrill-a-minute page turners, I do NOT think of historical fiction about obscure 1930s tax attorneys. And yet, here we are! Graham Moore’s The Wealth of Shadows is easily my favorite read of 2024.
Are you as skeptical as I was? It shouldn’t be a surprise that Moore is adept at either the historical setting or dialogue – he won an Academy Award as the screenwriter of The Imitation Game.
The Wealth of Shadows explores the economic arena of World War II, fictionalizing the clandestine meetings and hallway conversations the Allies and Axis supporters as they sought to shape the twentieth century. While the book centers on Ansel Luxford and his trajectory from the Twin Cities to Washington, London, and beyond, plenty of national and international figures pop in and out of the years-long plot. Moore is interested in our shared understanding and use of money, trust, power, truth, and what we can stomach individually and as a people to secure any and all of those ideas.
History buffs will enjoy the pop-up-video style trivia in the end matter of the book. Moore uses his Author’s notes section to explain in a chapter-by-chapter format which people and events were real, and which portions were dramatized for the book. The most common thing he seems to have done is compressed or expanded timelines to aid in storytelling. I especially appreciated how he gives the readers his source materials so they can explore particular events or theories more on their own and form their own conclusions.
This one has earned a big time recommendation from me. Enjoy the story, and learn something along the way!