Gustav grows up in a small town in Switzerland, where the horrors of the Second World War seem a distant echo. But Gustav's father has mysteriously died, and his adored mother Emilie is strangely cold and indifferent to him. Gustav's life is a lonely one until he meets Anton. An intense lifelong friendship develops but Anton fails to understand how deeply and irrevocably his life and Gustav's are entwined until it is almost too late...
Now in paperback, this is the latest novel from the bestselling author of "Restoration, The Colour" and "The Road Home". Follows the life of Gustav, who grows up during WWII in Switzerland, and has an intense friendship with another boy, Anton, a talented pianist. 'This is a perfect novel about life's imperfection...' Kate Kellaway, "Observer"