A splendid tour-de-force of a novel. Part mysterious oddity, in "A Time Traveller's Wife" kind of way, part historical novel. The deeply cynical narrator's voice is a wryly funny treat from page one. This is a romantic - small 'r' - novel and none the worse for that. I confess this deeply cynical reader was for once moved to claim a particle of dust in his eye whilst reading.
I really did enjoy this book.