Product Description [MP3CD audiobook format in vinyl case.] From the author of The Absolutist comes a propulsive novel of the Russian Revolution and the fate of the Romanovs. Part love story, part historical epic, part tragedy, The House of Special Purpose illuminates an empire at the end of its reign. Eighty-year-old Georgy Jachmenev is haunted by his past - a past of death, suffering, and scandal that will stay with him until the end of his days. Living in England with his beloved wife, Zoya, Georgy prepares to make one final journey back to the Russia he once knew and loved, the Russia that both destroyed and defined him. As Georgy remembers days gone by, we are transported to Saint Petersburg, to the Winter Palace of the czar, in the early twentieth century - a time of change, threat, and bloody revolution. As Georgy overturns the most painful stone of all, we uncover the story of the house of special purpose. Review ''John Boyne brings a completely fresh eye to the most important stories . . . He guides us through the realm of history and makes the journey substantial, poignant, real. He is one of the great craftsmen in contemporary literature.'' --Colum McCann, New York Times bestselling author''An exciting, fast-paced story…deft plotting and strong dialogue. Absorbing and richly satisfying.'' --Times (London) ''No Irish writer since perhaps the late Brian Moore has possessed the same facility for recreating diverse historical places as John Boyne. Boyne is a natural storyteller . . . This is an intriguing novel, restrained and unafraid of sentiment, imbued with an old-fashioned sense of fidelity.'' --Sunday Independent (London)''Boyne exercises total control over pace and revelation. A work that chimes perfectly with our times.'' --Irish Times ''A riveting, bittersweet tale of love, loss, and intrigue . . . It is both a spellbinding journey and a compelling read.'' --Winnipeg Free Press About the Author JOHN BOYNE was born in Ireland in 1971 and is the author of seven novels for adults and two for children. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas won two Irish Book Awards, was short-listed for the British Book Award, reached number one on the New York Times bestsellers list, and was made into an award-winning Miramax feature film. Boyne's novels are published in more than forty languages. He lives in Dublin.