A funny, compelling novel about love, family, and the precarious business of being a man.Michael O'Dell is hit by a car. When he doesn't die, he is surprised and pleased. But he can't seem to move from the crash position. In fact, the accident is just the first in a series of family crises: His wife Wendy is heroically supportive, but when his daughter Rosie punches out a vindictive schoolmate, all hell breaks loose. His son Declan is found with a stash of illicit drugs. A strange policeman starts harassing the family and ordinary mishaps take on a sinister desperation. To top it all off, Michael's professional life starts to crumble.Mark Lamprell's extraordinary debut examines the terrible truth: sometimes you can't pull yourself together until you've completely fallen apart.

"New York, Paris, London—every grand metropolis—has its own irresistible attraction but Rome so swirls with stories of saints and sinners...lovers and fighters, that she compels you towards her, like gravity.... No one leaves her unaltered. Part of you always loves her. This is the place where passions are aroused, senses inflamed, and lovers fall into each other's arms. It all appears to unfold like magic but I will tell you what really happens...Come with me, if you will, and observe my labors." For readers of The Little Paris Bookshop and fans of Love, Actually comes an enchanting novel about three couples drawn irresistibly to Rome, narrated by the city itself. Alice, an art student in New York City, has come to Rome in search of adventure and inspiration before settling down with her steady, safe fiancé. Meg and Alec, busy parents and successful business people from LA, are on a mission to...