The East Neuk of Fife, The Isle of Bute, Edinburgh, Paris...

Dingle Bay, Galway, Cape Clear, Ireland...

Callum, a musician and journalist, reflects on the people who have shaped him as he stumbles down life's path - part-time strippers, lucked-in pop stars, book shop hoarders, footballing maestros, sold-out artists, reclusive authors...

Reine, his long-time partner, is portrayed through glimpses of their shared past, while Sylvie, a later love, brings Callum new confidence as they attempt to build a life together, despite the cards life eventually plays them. Friends such as Edna and Sparrow, whose turbulent experiences weave through the narrative, play pivotal roles in Callum's understanding of love, loss and renewal.

This fragmentary novel flips between rural Scotland, the West Coast of Ireland and beyond. We visit discos, bird hides and the Top of the Pops studio, Parisian flea markets and Edinburgh bookshops. We swim underneath the stars in bitterly cold Irish loughs, before hurrying back for warmth. These poignant and amusing, daft and serious tales explore just who we can really be from one day to the next.

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By James Yorkston