| Restless | |
|---|---|
1st edition |
|
| Author(s) | William Boyd |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Spy novel |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury |
| Publication date | 2006 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | 1596912367 |
| OCLC Number | 64289453 |
| Dewey Decimal | 823/.914 22 |
| LC Classification | PR6052.O9192 R47 2006 |
Restless, an espionage novel by William Boyd, was published in 2006 and won the Costa Prize for fiction.[1]
The novel depicts the tale of a young woman who discovers that her mother was recruited as a spy during World War II. Its intrigue may well be a function of the style of prose. The book continually switches between time periods and, in doing so, from first to third person. This variety in narration adds an extra quality to the novel.
According to the author, it is one of the first novels to deal with the British Security Coordination service in New York. The book gained general public interest when it was chosen for inclusion in 'Book Club 2007', on the UK television show Richard & Judy, and the commercial success of the novel is evident in its inclusion on numerous 'best-seller' lists throughout the world.
Contents |
In the novel, Boyd tells the story of Eva, a young Russian woman, who is recruited after her brother's death to work for the British secret service. During this time she falls for her mentor and boss, Lucas Romer. But all is not as it seems as Romer is working as a double agent which ultimately leads to the attempted murder of Eva, alongside the deaths of other agents. The tale is interlinked with the present day story of Eva's daughter and how she comes to terms with the discovery of her mother's secret life. The setting of the novel is in London, Oxford, Scotland, Europe, and the United States.
Restless, William Boyd, Bloomsbury, 2006, ISBN 978-0-7475-8620-3