Mother Country
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Even her closest friend agreed that Shark Grayson wasn't fit to keep her baby. A heroin addict, living in a sordid London squat, she was already close to death when her American lover took charge of the situation by force, and carried off the baby Alexander to give him a loving home in the Mid-West and an affluent future. But now Alex is twenty-seven, orphaned again and afflicted by a sense of lost roots and a romantic vision of England. A business trip provides the chance to go and trace his unknown relatives. He finds friendship; encounters some startlingly predatory girls; and confronts mystery in the eccentric alternative health centre run by the austere Julia. He discovers that while some British people are very hard indeed to get along with, some turn out to be, after all, more closely akin to him than he could ever have imagined.
Read MorePraise for Mother Country
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Purves's great skill is her ability to marry her cultural and historical insights with her characters' personal development - all wrapped up in a well-paced detective story. . . . Engrossing. - The TimesFor three-quarters of its course, the novel is pure late Shakespeare . . . A comedy of manners . . . drawn with skill and humour. - Sunday TelegraphAmusing, wry and often thought-provoking . . . its greatest rewards are to be found in the subtle changes which occur in Alex and the people he encounters as he gets ever closer to discovering the truth. - Yorkshire Evening PostA thoughtful and entertaining read. - Northern EchoA complex and compelling detective story . . . surprising but satisfying - Home & CountryCompelling reading with an array of skilfully conceived characters - TabletContemporary and assured . . . There is a hint of Henry James in the lonely, bright and kindly young man from America - Oxford TimesA beautifully written story, rich in evocative language and emotion. - Good Book Guide
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