The House of Special Purpose

The House of Special Purpose

From the Bestselling author of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas.

Russia, 1915: At the age of 16, Georgy Jachmenev steps in front of an assassin's bullet intended for the heart of a senior member of the Russian Imperial Family. He is instantly proclaimed a hero and before the week is out, his life as the son of a peasant farmer has changed forever.

Georgy is escorted to St Petersburg to take up his new position- as a body guard to Alexei Romanov, the only son of Tsar Nicholas II. Slowly he learns the customs of the Imperial Court, befriends the young Alexei and forms a special but dangerous bond with the Tsar's daughter, Anastasia. But great changes are taking place in Russia and soon, Georgy's loyalty to the Romanovs is tested to its limit…

Sixty five years later, visiting his wife Zoya as she lies dying in a London hospital, memories of St Petersburg and the life they have lived together flood his mind. Their marriage, while tender, has been marked by tragedy, the loss of loved ones, and experiences of exile that neither can forget.

The House of Special Purpose is a novel about a young man ripped from a loving home and trust into the heart of a dying empire. Privy to the secrets of Nicholas and Alexandra, the machinations of Rasputin and the events which led to the final collapse of the autocracy. Georgy is both witness and participant in a drama which will echo down he century.

John Boyne was born in Ireland in 1971. He studied English Literature and Creative Writing and worked as a bookseller while writing his first three novels. It wasn't until 2006, following the publication and phenomenal success of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, that John began to write full time.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas was a departure from John's usual writing style- a children's novel, which he wrote in a sustained burst of creativity over just three days. It went on to become a huge international bestseller, which to date has sold over 4 million copies worldwide, has been translated into over 30 languages, and has been made into an award-winning Miramax feature film. Its publication literally turned John's life upside down and he has spent the last two years criss-crossing the globe for literary and film festivals, from Madrid to Mexico, promoting the book and the film versions of The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas, while also writing Mutiny on the Bounty and his latest novel, The House of Special Purpose.

The House of Special Purpose
Random House Australia
Author: John Boyne
Price: $32.95