Restless
Boyd, WilliamWhen Ruth Gilmartin learns the true identity and the WWII profession of her ageing mother, Sally, she is understandably surprised. Sally, nee Eva Delectorskaya, a Russian migrant living in Paris in 1939, was recruited as a spy by the head of a secretive propaganda group called British Security Coordination, a covert branch of British Intelligence created to coax America into the Second World War. Ruth's mother was eventually betrayed, and forced to flee to England and live under an assumed identity. Ruth is swept into a dangerous game: finding her mother's betrayer before it's too late. Historical thriller.
Comments from Groups
We liked the unusual fact of having a female spy, the suspense, the mystery, the entwined stories of mother and daughter and the ending. Martinborough 001 This was a brilliant book enjoyed by all the group - gripping, insightful, and beautifully crafted. Greytown 001 We all enjoyed Restless as a 'light adult spy novel'. Not perfect but a good read. Whangarei 008 A very readable spy story. Good discussion. Te Pahu 001 This would be one of our favourite reads. Liked that the story was of two 'strong' women and another side of war - English spies in the USA. Whakatane 012 Most of us really enjoyed Restless. For several this was the first time we had read a spy novel. Richmond 001
Pages
325
325
Year
2006
2006
Reviews
15-10-2024
Many of our group found the book hard to get into. In places the book dragged and some didnt manage to finish.
02-07-2024
One of the few books that everyone in the group enjoyed. A few noted that at times it was obviously a man writing from a woman's point of view, but despite that all found it an interesting story and several group members plan to read more by this author.
11-01-2024
Enjoyed by our group. Good discussion.
30-10-2023
We found 'Restless' very gripping and page turning. Very evocative. It was written beautifully - a flowing read; we felt that William Boyd wore his intellect lightly.
11-04-2023
A spy story. One of those long and winding stories that spread across lots of years in different lives. Initially I struggled a bit, but once I got in the swing of it, I really enjoyed it and finished it. I have since read some reviews, especially the one star reviews and I can relate to what those people are saying, but it wasn't like that for me.
08-02-2023
Hard to get into but once we were all over halfway through, we all enjoyed it. We were all shocked at how easily the media was manipulated.
10-09-2022
We all enjoyed this, a quick read and interesting. Some parallels to modern society and disinformation. All felt we were keen to read something else by this author.
09-06-2022
Rather lighter than our usual reading and enjoyed by all. Well-written and with a plot full of surprises.
05-03-2022
Most in group enjoyed the book. Plot, suspense and intrigue complemented and all felt well-written. Discussions on whether some of the writing portrayed what a women would actually feel/think in certain instances or if what a male writer thought they would think. Character discussion generally found characters well rounded and believable, Ruth's character was not liked by some of the group, but generally understood. This generated a discussion on mothers' and daughters' relationships and how realistic it was that a daughter would know so little about their mother.
02-10-2021
Wide range of opinions - some got caught up in the story and enjoyed the historical and geographical settings, others were very critical of the plot which was very loose and unbelievable in places. Some of us were disappointed that such a reputable writer could write something so lacking in style and credibility.
25-05-2020
There was unanimous approval of this book - for its subject matter and the writing style. We all felt drawn into the plot - and learnt more history as we read.
23-08-2019
Everyone enjoyed the book, some saying it was the best book we've had from BDS. Others commented on the writer's skill, especially in describing the British countryside in the opening chapter. And it was a revelation to many that British spies had operated in the USA to draw that country into the war and ensure the defeat of Germany.
31-01-2018
Enjoyed but not loved. The characters were hard to sympathise with. An interesting read of place and time.
09-01-2018
We enjoyed this book very much. It was beautifully written and the story was gripping. It caused much animated discussion.
09-01-2018
An interesting read. It took a while to adapt to which character, mother or daughter, was telling the story. At times it seemed very far fetched, but to find out it was based on a true story was amazing!
09-01-2018
Wonderful story, great discussion. An ending we didn't see coming.
09-01-2018
We all enjoyed this book and spent some time discussing it. Many of the group had not read spy stories before and this was a great introduction to that genre. We enjoyed the book on many levels - the characterisation, plot, language and structure. We felt comfortable with the way the author did not tie up all the loose ends!
09-01-2018
This was one of the rare books about which the group was unanimous - everybody enjoyed it enormously. It was found to be cleverly written, easy to read and a real page-turner. Interesting insights into the world of spies, and particularly their role in the USA prior to Pearl Harbour. The notes and questions were excellent too, and generated an animated discussion! The author was unknown to most of us, but we are now all keen to read more by him.
09-01-2018
A good group discussion - not many of us had read a book quite like it before. Well written and full of twists and turns which kept the reader "on their toes". Well received by all.
09-01-2018
Devoured by all.
09-01-2018
Most members found this an easy and enjoyable read, weaving the two stories together easily. Some aspects of the stories were predictable yet there were some elements of suspense.
09-01-2018
This was an extremely popular book with our group. Members are already looking for other books by this excellent writer. We had a great discussion and found the questions great 'starters' - the notes were useful too.