Heads You Win

Jeffrey Archer is one of the best international authors who always comes up with something new and creative. His novel Heads You Win is an amazing story of fate, twists, and turns. Archer has showcased his remarkable writing finesse via this book that keeps its readers glued and hooked till the last page.

Heads You Win is a unique tale of Alexander Karpenko’s life as an immigrant and the course of his life depending on whether he boards a ship bound for England or the United States. The story starts off in Leningrad, Russia in 1968 where Alexander lives with his father and mother, both of whom work at the docks, he as a foreman and she as a waitress in officers’ mess. Alexander’s father is against the communist regime in Russia and is involved in plans to create a trade union at docks. However, Vladimir, Alexander’s friend, overhears his discussion about the plan and reports it to his local KGB officer to win the trust and increase his chances of a bright career in the KGB. This leads to the assassination of Alexander’s father at the docks by the KGB officials. Distraught by the death of his father, Alexander and Elena (his mother) plan to escape Russia to save their lives with the help of Elena’s brother. They decide to flee Russia by way of hiding in containers of the ships at the dock which, depending on the one they choose, will take them either to a life in the United Kingdom or to a life in the United States. Unable to decide, Alexander tosses a coin and it is at this point that the story splits in two.

Archer’s narrative takes the reader along with Alex and Elena to America or with Sasha and Elena to England. Archer imagines both the fates, splitting Alexander in two and exploring both lives, as Alex and Sasha. However, as the story unfolds, Alexander comes to realize where his destiny lies and accepts that he must face the past he has left behind in Russia. I won’t spoil the details of the plot too much but their lives in both countries are very different and eventually in different ways successful and rewarding, but both plots reflect on what would have happened had they got in the alternative container.

The story is full of ups and downs. One minute you’re rejoicing with the protagonist and the other you feel bad for him. There are sudden twists that you never saw coming. And then there is a shocking ending of the book. A twist so big your mouth will drop. You will never see it coming. The book captivates you and you find yourself thinking about the characters way after you have stopped reading.

The story is one of hope, albeit tempered by realism. It is largely apolitical, although it pointedly rejects nationalism as both versions of Alexander strive to build a world that emphasizes on what is common rather than the existing differences, a world that runs on principles of equality and cooperation. In the atmosphere of America First and Brexit, any story that reminds us of the value immigrants bring to a nation is ought to be recommended, particularly when it is executed with the storytelling skill for which Archer is known.