Overview

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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9780349117461

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Reviews

'Page-turning, cleverly constructed ... an entertaining book' GUARDIAN *'A satisfying, brave novel' OBSERVER *'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 *'Not just serious, but substantial: a big story with big themes' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH * '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 * 'This is a well-written, interesting and earnest novel, in which some big ideas are thoughtfully handled ... There's much, in other word, to respect and enjoy here' TELEGRAPH * 'A bright spark ... Baddiel's novel provides an unusual glimpse into the ignorance and prejudices of war-torn Britain. Fusing fact and fiction, it's a war story and a love story inspired by his own German-Jewish grandfather's wartime experiences. It's an ambitious novel, full of sadness, regret and horror' MIRROR * 'David Baddiel has turned his undoubted narrative skills to a serious subject, without losing either his sense of humour or his fluid style ... page-turning, cleverly constructed ... an entertaining book' Eva Figes, GUARDIAN * 'A sombre, clever book, but, being Baddiel, is irradiated by flashes of dark humour' Sally Vickers * 'The Secret Purposes is a satisfying, brave novel ... By leaving behind the postmodern irony overload of the stand-up comic's novel, Baddiel has been able to confront the ironies of history' OBSERVER * 'An intriguing novel about history and truth ... The intelligence and inquiry of this book will surprise many' THE TIMES * 'Moving ... his tone is one of wry despair rather than outrage' SUNDAY TIMES * 'Taking a shameful part of Britain's wartime history, Baddiel vividly personalises it in a love story that questions the nature of romantic love' MARIE CLAIRE * 'An exuberant and compelling story of bigotry, displacement, love and loss, it deserves to liberate its author entirely from the category of 'celebrity novelist' ... The compassion of Baddiel's confrontation with one of the most harrowing episodes of twentieth century European history is as magnetic as his witty and meticulously articulated insights into moral frailty' ZEMBLA * 'This is excellent. Impeccably researched, intellectual without being over-erudite, and above all incredibly moving. I remember being surprised when they made him a Booker judge, but based on this I won't bat an eyelid if he wins it' Suzie Doore, Waterstone's Fiction Buyer *'The story that unfolds encompasses plotted murder, romance and, more significantly, the wilfully blind eye that British officials turned to the genocide taking place across the Channel' DAILY MAIL * 'His third novel is not just serious, but substantial: a big story with big themes ... it has a quiet pathos which is more effective than any amount of blood and thunder. The opening is masterly ... THE SECRET PURPOSES sheds welcome light on aspects of the Second World War that have too long been neglected' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

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 Information

Co-creator of three of the BBC's most successful comedy programmes, David Baddiel has proved himself an accomplished novelist (and critic) too.

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