Information about the author
William Boyd was born in 1952 in Accra, Ghana, and grew up there and in Nigeria. His first novel, A Good Man in Africa (1981), won the Whitbread First Novel Award and the Somerset Maugham Prize. His other bestselling novels include Any Human Heart, Restless, and Sweet Caress. He is married and divides his time between London and south-west France.

Blurb
A philandering art dealer tries to give up casual love affairs, seeking only passionate kisses as a substitute. A man recounts his personal history through the things he has stolen from others throughout his life. A couple charts the journey of their five-year relationship backwards, from awkward reunion to lovelorn first encounter. At the heart of the book is a 24-year-old young woman, Bethany Mellmoth, who embarks on a year-long journey of wishful thinking.