Alexander von Reisden
Encyclopedia
Alexander von Reisden is a fictional character
in a three book mystery series by Sarah Smith
. The novels, set in turn of the 20th century Boston
and pre World War I
Paris
, are The Vanished Child (1992), The Knowledge of Water (1996), and A Citizen of the Country (2000).
Reisden is an Austria
n baron and chemist with an unexplained gap in his childhood memories. His 1905 return to America solves both the question of the murder of William Knight and the eighteen-year-old disappearance of Knight's grandson Richard.
Reisden discovers that he is, in fact, Richard Knight. His grandfather was physically abusive and Richard shot him. Unable to deal with what he had done, the child stowed away on a ship that was bound for Africa. There, he lived the life of a street child, sometimes sleeping under a bridge or working for a junk seller. At age 10, Reisden was discovered by Count Leo von Loewenstein, a wealthy Austrian aristocrat
and diplomat
who was looking for children with just such an uncertain background whom he could raise to spy on upper crust radicals. Reisden was given a new identity as Baron Alexander von Reisden, the son of an Austrian couple who emigrated to Africa
and then died. Having forgotten his earlier identity as Richard Knight, he was educated as an Austrian aristocrat and juvenile spy. Eventually, he rebelled against his guardian, married an actress and became a chemist. After his wife died in a car accident, Reisden had a nervous breakdown and attempted to kill himself. A few years later, he was mistaken for Richard Knight and went to Boston. After the events of The Vanished Child, Reisden decides to keep silent about his newly discovered identity and returns to Paris, where he eventually marries Perdita Halley, a visually impaired pianist who is close to Gilbert Knight, Reisden's recently re-discovered uncle. But Reisden's uncle and other associates of the Knight family continue to intrude upon Reisden's life in Paris
. He is called upon to solve other mysteries while he attempts to integrate his memories of Richard Knight with his life as Reisden.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in a three book mystery series by Sarah Smith
Sarah Smith (writer)
Sarah Smith is an American author living in Brookline, Massachusetts.-Life:She holds a B.A. and a Ph.D. in English literature, both from Harvard University. She was an Assistant Professor of English for several years before going to work in the computer industry...
. The novels, set in turn of the 20th century Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and pre World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, are The Vanished Child (1992), The Knowledge of Water (1996), and A Citizen of the Country (2000).
Reisden is an Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n baron and chemist with an unexplained gap in his childhood memories. His 1905 return to America solves both the question of the murder of William Knight and the eighteen-year-old disappearance of Knight's grandson Richard.
Reisden discovers that he is, in fact, Richard Knight. His grandfather was physically abusive and Richard shot him. Unable to deal with what he had done, the child stowed away on a ship that was bound for Africa. There, he lived the life of a street child, sometimes sleeping under a bridge or working for a junk seller. At age 10, Reisden was discovered by Count Leo von Loewenstein, a wealthy Austrian aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
who was looking for children with just such an uncertain background whom he could raise to spy on upper crust radicals. Reisden was given a new identity as Baron Alexander von Reisden, the son of an Austrian couple who emigrated to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and then died. Having forgotten his earlier identity as Richard Knight, he was educated as an Austrian aristocrat and juvenile spy. Eventually, he rebelled against his guardian, married an actress and became a chemist. After his wife died in a car accident, Reisden had a nervous breakdown and attempted to kill himself. A few years later, he was mistaken for Richard Knight and went to Boston. After the events of The Vanished Child, Reisden decides to keep silent about his newly discovered identity and returns to Paris, where he eventually marries Perdita Halley, a visually impaired pianist who is close to Gilbert Knight, Reisden's recently re-discovered uncle. But Reisden's uncle and other associates of the Knight family continue to intrude upon Reisden's life in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He is called upon to solve other mysteries while he attempts to integrate his memories of Richard Knight with his life as Reisden.
External links
- Sarah Smith's Web site at http://www.sarahsmith.com/