"Restless" by William Boyd ****

• Originally published in 2006
• Scottish author
• Epigraph:  "We may, indeed, say that the hour of death is uncertain, but when we say this we thing of that hour as situated in a vague and remote expanse of time; it does not occur to us that it can have any connection with the day that has already dawned and can mean that death may occur this very afternoon, so far from uncertain, this afternoon whose timetable, hour by hour, has been settled in advance.  One insists on one's daily outing, so that in a month's time one will have had the necessary ration of fresh air; one has hesitated over which coat to take, which cabman to call; one is in the cab, the whole day lies before one, short because one must be back home early, as a friend is coming to see one; one hopes it will be as fine again tomorrow; and one has no suspicion that death, which has been advancing within one on another plane, has chosen precisely this particular day to make its appearance in a few minutes' time....". - Marcel Proust, "The Guermantes Way" 

• Vocabulary:
• judder:  to vibrate violently.

• Quotes I Like:
• p. 73...."They never knew the consequences of their clever little fibs;  it was as if the individual members of this unit were players in an orchestra, sequestered in soundproof rooms - only Romer was able to make out the harmonies of the tune they were playing."
• p. 233..."Maybe all great schemes are like that,' he said.  'Happenstance intersecting with received wisdom produces something entirely new and significant.' "
• Review:  It's difficult to say if this is a really well written espionage novel, a very enjoyable WWII novel, or a very good novel about what it means to be human.  Of course it is all three, so I guess I am just saying to be careful not to pigeon-hole this novel in one category!  To share an illuminating quote from the book itself, "Maybe all great schemes are like that,' he said.  'Happenstance intersecting with received wisdom produces something entirely new and significant.' "  A mother and daughter are trying to find ways to live their lives in some sort of genuine manner, and yet they must face the fact that no one is completely known to us.  We all have secrets from one another.  Yet on we go, and that is the point!  Good read. I waver between three and four stars on this one......I think four because I definitely want to read more of Boyd's novels.