Mother's Boy by Patrick Gale

A superb historical novel of Cornwall, class, desire and two World Wars from the bestselling author of A Place Called Winter and Take Nothing With You.
 
Mother's Boy is the story of a man who is among, yet apart from his fellows, in thrall to, yet at a distance from his own mother; a man being shaped for a long, remarkable and revered life spent hiding in plain sight. But it is equally the story of the dauntless mother who will continue to shield him long after the dangers of war are past.
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'One of the joys of Gale's writing is how even the smallest of characters can appear fully formed, due to a charming wickedness alongside deeper observations.' - Irish Times
'A writer with heart, soul, and a dark and naughty wit, one whose company you relish and trust.' - Observer