The Secret Purposes

The Secret Purposes

by David Baddiel (Author)

Synopsis

THE SECRET PURPOSES, David Baddiel's third novel, takes us into a little-known and still somewhat submerged area of British history: the internment of German Jewish refugees on the Isle of Man during the Second World War. Isaac Fabian, on the run with his young family from Nazism in East Prussia, comes to Britain assuming he has found asylum, but instead finds himself drowning in the morass of ignorance, half-truth, prejudice, and suspicion that makes up government attitudes to German Jews in 1940. One woman, June Murray, a translator from the Ministry of Information, stands out - and when she comes to the island on a personal mission to uncover solid evidence of Nazi atrocities, her meeting with Isaac will have far-reaching consequences for both of them. A haunting and beautifully written tale of love, displacement and survival, THE SECRET PURPOSES profoundly questions the way that truth - both personal and political - emerges from the tangle of history.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 416
Edition: 1st Abacus Edition
Publisher: Abacus
Published: 07 Apr 2005

ISBN 10: 0349117462
ISBN 13: 9780349117461
Book Overview: * National press (SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, METRO) and nationwide Adrail posters to highlight magnificent reviews * Ongoing author PR activity to include media interviews and appearances at literary festivals *Submitted for trade promotions *Reading copies available

Media Reviews
An intriguing novel about history and truth . . . The intelligence and inquiry of this book will surprise many * THE TIMES *
Wonderful . . . brilliantly realised * INDEPENDENT *
It is a sombre, clever book, but, being Baddiel, is irradiated by flashes of dark humour * Sally Vickers, SPECTATOR *
David Baddiel's excellent new novel . . . Sensitive, intelligent and deeply moving, THE SECRET PURPOSES is both a gripping read and a long overdue indictment of Britain's treatment of Jewish refugees * IMAGE *
Author Bio
Co-creator of three of the BBC's most successful comedy programmes, David Baddiel has proved himself an accomplished novelist (and critic) too.