The Tamarind Seed

Judith Farrow, Julie Andrews, a British Home Office assistant, has endured the death of her husband and a failed romance with a married Royal Air Force Group Captain Richard Paterson, David Baron. On vacation in Barbados, she meets Soviet attaché Feodor Sverdlov, and a cautious personal connection begins, drawing the wary eye of British intelligence.

Judith is captivated by a local tale about a tamarind tree seed that supposedly grows into the head of a slave hanged from a tamarind; Sverdlov dismisses it as folklore. Back in London, Judith receives a curious gift: an envelope containing a tamarind seed from Sverdlov.

British intelligence officer Jack Loder is handling a clandestine Russian spy codenamed “Blue” and discovers that his assistant George MacLeod is having an affair with Margaret Stephenson, wife of Fergus Stephenson, Dan O’Herlihy, a diplomat who acts as a conduit of state secrets. Loder advises Judith to contact him if Sverdlov reaches out.

Sverdlov, posted to the Soviet Embassy in Paris, suspects that his boss, General Golitsyn Oskar Homolka, distrusts him and urges that Judith could be recruited. He steals the “Blue” file to use as leverage for asylum in Canada and arranges a romantic stop in Barbados, where he expects to meet Judith.

Sverdlov escapes an assassination attempt at London Airport and reconnects with Judith in Barbados, where they consummate their relationship. But the group of Soviet agents disguised as businessmen arrives at the bungalow to attack with napalm; British agents intervene, killing most of the attackers. The episode is reported to kill Sverdlov, destroy the “Blue” file, and traumatize Judith.

Later, Loder tells Judith that Sverdlov’s death was a cover. Seconds before the explosion, Sverdlov was whisked away to Canada by Loder’s assistant, MacLeod.

Back on the mainland, Loder identifies “Blue” as Fergus Stephenson, using him as a tool to feed Moscow low-grade information until the Soviets believe he is a double agent and take him out. The tension between truth and deception fuels the spy drama, culminating in a fragile sense of resolve and re-connection.

In a Canadian mountain valley, Judith and Sverdlov meet again and share a quiet, bittersweet embrace.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 09:31