First published 2002
Claire Pitt lives alone in her family's London apartment after her mother's death. She works at a bookshop owned by two unmarried sisters in their eighties, the Collier sisters. Her life follows quiet routines marked by isolation. She has brief encounters with people but has never sustained a lasting relationship. Claire compensates for her solitary existence by imagining rich inner lives for herself and others around her. When she meets Martin Gibson, a refined academic who immediately attracts her, Claire becomes determined to win his affection. She pursues him despite clear signs that her feelings may not be reciprocated. Claire refuses to acknowledge the reality of their situation, preferring instead to construct fantasies about their potential future together. Her pursuit of Martin reveals the depth of her loneliness and her willingness to ignore uncomfortable truths in favor of romantic illusions.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: pursuit-of-affection, unreliable-narrator
Setting: London
Period: 20th-century
281 pages · Paperback · Belfond