The Bequest by John De Falbe
1864. After years of service in the Russian navy and a gruelling expedition to Greenland, Captain Frederick Ziege of the Royal Danish Navy is enjoying chaperoning his mother, sister and two marriageable nieces for a season on the Riviera. There he meets Emmeline Leslie, a young Australian widower and veteran of the bush. The differences between their complex histories enrich their ensuing romance, but frustrate their search for a home. The Bequest takes the reader from Italy to France, North Africa, Greece, Siberia, Greenland, Australia, and finally England. It is a novel about identity and belonging; about the place of history and memory in uprooted lives. Objects - many of which are pictured, such as an ivory China trade puzzle, a jewelled pencil, a clock - have an almost talismanic role in the interlocking stories of this rich and moving tale.
"a tremendously powerful and superbly written tale of love" * Andrew Roberts, Sunday Telegraph *
"A limpidly written, perfectly pitched story of interlocking families, the novel unpicks the complexities of a moving love affair in the 19th Century with great dexterity. Its power is measured and filtered through a calm and objective narrative voice but, all the same, the book resonates with deep feeling and an impressive veracity." * William Boyd, Mail on Sunday *
"an engaging...valuable and interesting book, particularly as it illuminates our relationship to that other country of the past...an intriguing and intelligent novel that celebrates the fleeting connections that the past bequeaths to us..." * Michael Newton, The Guardian *
"A limpidly written, perfectly pitched story of interlocking families, the novel unpicks the complexities of a moving love affair in the 19th Century with great dexterity. Its power is measured and filtered through a calm and objective narrative voice but, all the same, the book resonates with deep feeling and an impressive veracity." * William Boyd, Mail on Sunday *
"an engaging...valuable and interesting book, particularly as it illuminates our relationship to that other country of the past...an intriguing and intelligent novel that celebrates the fleeting connections that the past bequeaths to us..." * Michael Newton, The Guardian *
JOHN DE FALBE is director of the team of booksellers at the legendary John Sandoe, one of London's outstanding literary bookshops. He is the author of The Glass Night and a regular critic for the Spectator.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781843430391 |
| ISBN 10 | 1843430398 |
| Title | The Bequest |
| Author | John De Falbe |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Vintage Publishing |
| Year published | 2003-10-02 |
| Number of pages | 336 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |