The Mission Song by John Le Carre (First Edition)
Bruno Salvador, known to friends and enemies alike as Salvo, is the ever-innocent, twenty-nine-year-old orphaned love-child of a Catholic Irish missionary and a Congolese headman's daughter.
Educated first at mission school in the East Congolese province of Kivu, and later at a discreet sanctuary for the secret sons of Rome, Salvo is inspired by his mentor Brother Michael to train as a professional interpreter in the minority African languages of which, almost from birth, he has been an obsessive collector.
Soon a rising star in his profession, he is courted by City corporations, hospitals, law courts, the Immigration services and - inevitably - the mushrooming overworld of British Intelligence. He is also courted - and won - by the all-white, Surrey-born Penelope, star reporter on one of our great national newspapers, whom with typical impulsiveness he promptly marries.
Yet even as the story opens, a contrary and irresistible love is dawning in him. Despatched to a no-name island in the North Sea to attend a top-secret meeting between Western financiers and East Congolese warlords, Salvo is obliged to interpret matters never intended for his re-awoken African conscience.
About the Author
John le Carre was born in 1931. His recent novels include Absolute Friends, Single & Single (for which he was described as 'the essential voice of our time' by the Daily Telegraph)and The Constant Gardener. The Mission Song is his twentieth novel.
Format: Hardcover | 352 pages
Dimensions (cm): 24.0 x 16.4 x 3.0 | 666g
Publication Date: 12 Oct 2006
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication City/Country: London, United Kingdom
Language: English
Edition Number: 1
ISBN10: 034092196X
ISBN13: 9780340921968
Condition: Very Good
A book that does not look new and has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket included and in good condition (minor, but obvious, scuff marks along the edges, and minor scratching). No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. Dust jacket aside, book is in excellent condition. Very minimal wear and tear.