I'm sure that Elizabeth loves her mother, too. But. She hasn't seen her mother for years, possibly since she was recruited as a teen. She's had to stay connected to her mother through carefully worded, long distance communiques. Imagine having to distill all of the moments of your life into self-censored letters that are being scrutinized by the KGB. "Dear Mom. I love you. [I haven't seen you for 10 years.] Look, I have a family now. [I needed a couple of kids in order to masquerade as an American housewife. Sometimes I think I might actually love them, but that's not important because I only really love the cause.] I am doing well. [I murdered a few people and I've seduced dozens of men to get them to betray their country, but we won't talk about that.] I am happy. [I am serving my country. My duty is all there is. Except for my fake husband and fake kids who I think I might actually like, if that's okay with you and the Politburo.]"

How much of her true life and feelings could Elizabeth really share with her mother? And how genuine could her mother really be with her in return under these circumstances?

Elizabeth remembers that her mother absolutely, unhesitatingly encouraged her to join the KGB. Elizabeth is so proud of this memory. But it's also a kid's memory. If you think about it, what else could Elizabeth's mother have said to her? 'No, don't join the KGB?' Soviet Russia was a terrible place when Elizabeth was a child. Nobody dared to say no to the government. And the fact that Elizabeth's father was a deserter must have put even more pressure on her mother to want to prove her loyalty.