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Restless (novel)
Encyclopedia
Restless, an espionage novel by William Boyd
, was published in 2006 and won the Costa Prize
for fiction.
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.
William Boyd (writer)
William Boyd, CBE is a Scottish novelist and screenwriter.-Biography:Of Scottish descent, Boyd spent his early life in Ghana and Nigeria, in Africa...
, was published in 2006 and won the Costa Prize
2006 Costa Book Awards
The Costa Book of the Year shortlist was announced on 10 January 2007 and the final results at a ceremony held on 7 February 2007.-Book of the Year:*Stef Penney, The Tenderness of Wolves-Children's Book:Winner:*Linda Newbery, Set in StoneShortlist:...
for fiction.
The novel depicts the tale of a young woman who discovers that her mother was recruited as a spy during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. 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
British Security Coordination
British Security Coordination was a covert organization set up in New York City by the British Secret Intelligence Service in May 1940 upon the authorization of Winston Churchill.-Operation:...
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
Richard & Judy
Richard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...
, and the commercial success of the novel is evident in its inclusion on numerous 'best-seller' lists throughout the world.
Plot summary
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.External links
- Winner of the 2006 Costa Novel Award (video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITC0Y2M_y4s&feature=related
- William Boyd reading a section from 'Restless' (video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnwDtuehEDo&feature=related
Youtube video
- William Boyd—The Book Show Episode 2 -- Sky Arts (WB discussing ‘Restless’ and spies) http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=dA9dkj0JUSE&NR=1