Sophisticated and profound, human, pacy and funny, this is a shuttle-ride of a novel. Philip McLaren gives us a view of the world through the eyes of realistic yet highly individual characters, in a journey from earthy country town to city rhythm and the wonderful harbour of dreams. A voyage of talent through marriage, official kidnap, family roots, mystic Clevermen, music, art, courtroom battles, the charm of youth and the tragedy that lurks in a darkened alley or a splash of molten metal: love, choice, chance and hidden forces, those sometimes eerie, somehow right patterns of life bring the unforgettable Lottie to her ultimate fate.