Craig was my idea, taking a man on holiday with us, to share between the four of us. Avoid the complications that come with boyfriends.

I meant it as a joke, of course, but the girls thought it was a great idea and the idea became Craig.

That's how I got to know him and how I got tangled up in his story, the one that he was writing, and the real one that has twisted and turned in ways that I could never have imagined.

I'm still angry with him, even after all these years. But maybe I should thank him.

The anger dragged me out of the hole that I had been digging for myself ever since I was a little girl, forcing me to look for answers to all of the questions that he left behind, sending me tumbling into a new life in a new place and a new way of seeing the world.

Maybe all of the confusion and frustration and pain have been worth it. There again, maybe not. If he turns up at my door I think I'll probably punch him in the face. Same goes for Kirkpatrick Durham.

From the Publisher

E. V. Connan has proved to be every bit as elusive as Kirkpatrick Durham, the eponymous character in this extraordinary story. Beyond correspondence about the manuscript we have had no contact with or information from the author, so it is impossible to say if Evie is a creation of her imagination, or a version of her real self.

What is not in doubt is the honesty of the the character of Evie as she recounts the events that propel her from an unhappy, isolated twenty-something on the periphery of life to a middle-aged woman who is more entangled in the messy, frustrating, joyful business of living than she ever thought was possible.

The story, while centred in Scotland - Glasgow and the Highlands - ranges effortlessly across the globe, from London to the Canaries, North America, Australia, and equatorial Africa, introducing and developing characters who add to the veracity of Evie's own voice.

Everything feels real - the locations, the weather, the coupling, the laughter, and the tears - which is a testament to the author's ear for dialogue and her ability to conjure up a sense of place with a few well-chosen observations.

Above all, Evie's story is inspirational, showing how life in the doldrums can be transformed by events. All we have to do is allow ourselves to get involved.