"This wonderful novel by Matthew Kneale addresses a narrated by Lawrence road trip with great sensitivity, humor and a charming spelling approximate [...] There is a nihilist fascination in Lawrence hobbies - especially his love for books of "horrific stories" featuring destructive Popes and Roman emperors of dubious psychology. But there is also a painful irony in this attraction to these difficult characters: the problems of his mother are much more complex than can be imagined. " Natalie Whittle, Financial Times