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VB Book Club: Lea Carpenter

September 12, 2018

This September we celebrated the launch of our friend, Lea Carpenter’s second novel, Red, White, and Blue at our Madison Avenue store in New York. A tale of espionage, love, and loyalty, Lea’s prose grab you from the very first sentence and hold you long past the last. Get to know more about Lea and her life as a writer below and be sure to pick up Red, White, and Blue! We promise you won’t be able to put it down.

What inspired you to write Red, White, and Blue?

After writing my first novel, Eleven Days, which was set in the special operations community, a few friends within the intelligence community approached me about writing on that subject. I went to Langley. I did some research. I thought I might be able to look at that world differently. And of course, my father had died, and he had served in military intelligence, he loved spy stories, he loved Bond. Maybe writing this story was a way to think about parts of his life, too.

Is there an autobiographical component to Red, White, and Blue?

I lost my father and we were very close, so there is that. But I wanted to write about more than just spies; I wanted to write about a marriage in its early days, a happy marriage. I wanted to write about the current political climate. I wanted to try and address some rough topics—like enhanced interrogations, for example—while allowing for some glamour, too, parts of the story set in Cap d’Antibes, and Klosters. A spoonful of sugar, maybe that was the idea.

In the afterward you mention that you were given no classified information to write this novel. Tell us about your experience doing research for this project.

Research is always the best part. I met extraordinary people. I listened. I tried to understand the history of CIA which, after all, is quite a young organization. I tried to look at its post 9/11 period then also try to take the long view, really see what the essence of espionage is. Espionage is intimacy. Espionage is the art of cultivating intimate relationships, and trust. That struck me as universal.

Why do you think so few women write about espionage?

I think it might simply be a question of supply and demand. Maybe women are not demanding espionage. Or maybe it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. There is no reason espionage, or any other genre, should be considered “male.” Though Le Carre is of course the master.

Each of your novels feature strong female protagonists. Who are some of your favorite literary female protagonists? Why?

For me, it is easier to think of writers I admire who happen to be women, then consider their female characters. Jane Austen. Joan Didion. Hilary Mantel. Not a literary protagonist, but I loved Maya in Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty.

How do you overcome writers block?

I procrastinate so endlessly that by the time I actually sit down to write I sort of can’t afford to be blocked. But on days when I feel despair about not wanting to write, reading is always a good antidote. Or something physical, like cooking.

What advice do you have to aspiring writers?

If the joy in the work is there it will carry you through the challenges. And, turn your phone off.

What’s next on your reading list?

Craig Brown’s Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret. Ronen Bergman’s Rise and Kill First. Di Lampedusa’s The Leopard. The last book I read, Waiting for Eden by Elliot Ackerman, is heartbreaking, beautiful, and can be read in one sitting. It should be next on everyone else’s list.

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us size bust waist hip
00, XS 31.5 24 34
0, XS 32.5 25 35
2, XS 33.5 26 36
4, S 34.5 27 37
6, S 35.5 28 38
8, M 36.5 29 39
10, M 38 30.5 40.5
12, L 39.5 32 42
14, L 41 33.5 43.5
16, XL 42.5 35 45
18, 2XL 47 40 50
20, 2XL 49 42 52
22, 3XL 51 44 54
24, 3XL 53 46 56
US SIZE SHOULDERS BUST WAIST HIP
00, XS 14.25 31.5 24 34
0, XS 14.5 32.5 25 35
2, XS 14.75 33.5 26 36
4, S 15 34.5 27 37
6, S 15.25 35.5 28 38
8, M 15.5 36.5 29 39
10, M 15.875 38 30.5 40.5
12, L 16.25 39.5 32 42
14, L 16.625 41 33.5 43.5
16, XL 17 42.5 35 45
18, 2XL 17 47 40 50
20, 2XL 17.5 49 42 52
22, 3XL 18 51 44 54
24, 3XL 18.5 53 46 56
 Jacket Size Dickey Size

00

00 - 14

0

00 - 14

2

00 - 14

4

00 - 14

6

00 - 14

8

00 - 14

10

00 - 14

12

00 - 14

14

00 - 14

16

16 - 24

18

16 - 24

20

16 - 24

22

16 - 24

24

16 - 24

us size bust waist hip
00, XS 31.5 24 34
0, XS 32.5 25 35
2, XS 33.5 26 36
4, S 34.5 27 37
6, S 35.5 28 38
8, M 36.5 29 39
10, M 38 30.5 40.5
12, L 39.5 32 42
14, L 41 33.5 43.5
16, XL 42.5 35 45
18, 2XL 47 40 50
20, 2XL 49 42 52
22, 3XL 51 44 54
24, 3XL 53 46 56
us size bust waist hip
00, XS 31.5 24 34
0, XS 32.5 25 35
2, XS 33.5 26 36
4, S 34.5 27 37
6, S 35.5 28 38
8, M 36.5 29 39
10, M 38 30.5 40.5
12, L 39.5 32 42
14, L 41 33.5 43.5
16, XL 42.5 35 45
18, 2XL 47 40 50
20, 2XL 49 42 52
22, 3XL 51 44 54
24, 3XL 53 46 56
us size bust waist hip
00, XXS 31.5 24 34
0, XS 32.5 25 35
2, XS 33.5 26 36
4, S 34.5 27 37
6, S 35.5 28 38
8, M 36.5 29 39
10, M 38 30.5 40.5
12, L 39.5 32 42
14, L 41 33.5 43.5
16, XL 42.5 35 45
18, 2XL 47 40 50
20, 2XL 49 42 52
22, 3XL 51 44 54
24, 3XL 53 46 56
 US SIZE WAIST HIP
23 23 34
24 24 35
25 25 36
26 26 37
27 27 38
28 28 39
29 29 40
30 30.5 41.5
31 32 43
32 33.5 44.5
15 36 46
16 38 48
18 40 50
20 42 52
22 44 52
us size waist hip
00, 24, XS 24 34
0, 25, XS 25 35
2, 26, XS 26 36
4, 27, S 27 37
6, 28, S 28 38
8, 29, M 29 39
10, 30, M 30.5 40.5
12, 31, L 32 42
14, 32, L 33.5 43.5
16, 15, XL 35 45
18, 16, 2XL 40 50
20, 18, 2XL 42 52
22, 20, 3XL 44 54
24, 22, 3XL 46 56
us size waist hip
00, 24, XS 24 34
0, 25, XS 25 35
2, 26, XS 26 36
4, 27, S 27 37
6, 28, S 28 38
8, 29, M 29 39
10, 30, M 30.5 40.5
12, 31, L 32 42
14, 32, L 33.5 43.5
16, 15, XL 35 45
18, 16, 2XL 40 50
20, 18, 2XL 42 52
22, 20, 3XL 44 54
24, 22, 3XL 46 56
 US SIZE EUROPE UK
5 35 3
5.5 35.5 3.5
6 36 4
6.5 36.5 4.5
7 37 5
7.5 37.5 5.5
8 38 6
8.5 38.5 6.5
9 39 7
9.5 39.5 7.5
10 40 8
10.5 40.5 8.5
11 41 9
 US SIZE BUST WAIST HIP TORSO
XS 32-34 24-26 34-36 58.5
S 34-36 26-28 36-38 60
M 36-38.5 28-30.5 38-40.5 61.5
L 38.5-41.5 30.5-33.5 40.5-43.5 63
XL 41.5-43 33.5-35 43.5-45 64.5
2XL 47 40 50 70

Conversion Guide

VB US NUMERIC

VB US/INTL ALPHA

IT

FR

UK/AU

CN

KR

00/24

XXS

34

32

2

150/72A

33

0/25

XS

36

34

4

155/76A

44

2/26

XS

38

36

6

160/80A

44-55

4/27

S

40

38

8

165/84A

55-66

6/28

S

42

40

10

170/88A

66

8/29

M

44

42

12

175/92A

77

10/30

M

46

44

14

175/96A

77

12/31

L

48

46

16

180/100A

88

14/32

L

50

48

18

185/104A

88

16/15

XL

52

50

20

190/108A

99

18/16

2XL

54

52

22

195/112A

-

20/18

2XL

56

54

24

200/116A

-

22/20

3XL

58

56

26

205/120A

-

24/22

3XL

60

58

28

210/124A

-

Conversion Guide

VB US NUMERIC

VB US/INTL ALPHA

IT

FR

UK/AU

CN

KR

00/24

XXS

34

32

2

150/72A

33

0/25

XS

36

34

4

155/76A

44

2/26

XS

38

36

6

160/80A

44-55

4/27

S

40

38

8

165/84A

55-66

6/28

S

42

40

10

170/88A

66

8/29

M

44

42

12

175/92A

77

10/30

M

46

44

14

175/96A

77

12/31

L

48

46

16

180/100A

88

14/32

L

50

48

18

185/104A

88

16/15

XL

52

50

20

190/108A

99

18/16

2XL

54

52

22

195/112A

-

20/18

2XL

56

54

24

200/116A

-

22/20

3XL

58

56

26

205/120A

-

24/22

3XL

60

58

28

210/124A

-

How to measure the body:

Size Guide Diagram

How to measure the body:

  1. Shoulders: measured from shoulder blade to shoulder blade
  2. Bust: circumference measured at the fullest part of the chest
  3. Waist: circumference measured at the smallest part of the waist
  4. Hip: circumference measured at the fullest part of the hips (or 8” down from the waist)
  5. Sleeve length: measured from the center of the back of the neck to the wrist
  6. Inseam: measured from the top of inside the leg to the ankle
Have questions about sizing? Contact Us.

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