A Question of Love (44 page)
‘That
is
a very serious question,’ I say.
He looks at me expectantly. ‘And…?’
I smile. ‘The answer is yes.’
I would like to thank Janet Newman, Mary Asprey and Sophie Woodforde of the National Missing Persons’ Helpline for their invaluable assistance during the planning and research for this book. The National Missing Persons’ Helpline number is 0500 700 700.
I would also like to point out that the medical programme described in Chapter Ten does not actually take place at St Thomas’s hospital in London. I have transposed it from the Volunteer Cuddlers’ Program at the Royal Women’s Hospital, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
The following books provided very helpful background during the course of my research:
Brain Men: A Passion to Compete
, by Marcus Berkmann; Abacus.
And No Passes
, by Mary Elizabeth Raw, R & W Publications Ltd.
Second Wives
, by Susan Shapiro Barash; New Horizon Press.
Generation Ex: Tales From the Second Wives Club
, by Karen Karbo; Bloomsbury.
How to Survive Your Boyfriend’s Divorce: Loving Your Separated Man Without Losing Your Mind
, by Robyn Todd and Lesley Dormen; M. Evans and Co. Inc.
Divorced Dads’ Survival Book: How to Stay Connected With Your Kids
, by David Knox and Kermit Leggett; Da Capo Press.
Step-Families, Living Successfully With Other People’s Children
by Suzie Hayman; (Relate Guides), Vermillion
‘Just When I Needed You Most’ Words and Music by Randall Van Warner © 1979 Terraform Music and Fourth Floor Music, USA. Warner/Chappell North America Ltd, London W6 8BS. Lyrics reproduced by permission of IMP Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
‘Baby Love’ Words and Music by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and Eddie Holland. © 1964, Stone Agate Music, USA. Reproduced by permission of Jobete Music Co Inc/EMI Music Publishing Ltd, London WC2H 0QY.
‘Get Up Stand Up’ © 1973 Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. Reproduced by kind permission of Fifty-Six Hope Road Music Ltd, Odnil Nusic Ltd/Blue Mountain Music Ltd administered by Fairwood Music Ltd.
The quiz,
Whadda Ya Know?!!
, a description of which is contained in this novel, is the author’s original work in which all rights are expressly reserved.
The ‘BurpaBib’, as described in this novel, is patent pending.
I am indebted to a number of people who kindly helped me in the planning and research for this book. For the background to the world of TV quiz shows I am grateful to the
Fifteen to One
team who were very generous with their time—William G. Stewart, Janet Mullins, Chris Shoebridge, Angus McDonald, Elizabeth Salmon, Tim Eaton, Sian Roberts and Brenda Haugh. The Quizzing.co.uk website was also a very helpful resource. For information about independent television companies, I would like to thank Richard Bradley of Lion TV. I am also very grateful to Angus Broadbent of the Broadbent gallery, to Zsuzsanna Szekeres for enlightening me about all things Hungarian, to Glenn Livingston from ‘Pygmy Goat Secrets’ and to Jane Kerr of the
Daily Mirror
. I owe a debt of gratitude to Jim Parton of Families Need Fathers, and to the three women at the SecondWives.Com website who shared their stories with me, but who prefer to remain anonymous. I would also like to thank Tom Maxey of Groom Bros., Spalding for information about floriculture, and Suzanne Noot of St. Thomas’ Hospital. Tim Bamford of Withers kindly gave me copyright advice, Jacqueline Freeman of W. P. Thompson advised me about patent applications, and Sarah Anticoni of Charles Russell provided me with information about various aspects of divorce. I would also like to thank my friends Kate Williams, Roz Hanna, Eliana Haworth, Louise Clairmonte and Caroline Heroux who all gave me helpful contacts and raised my morale along the way.
As ever I would like to thank my agents, Clare Conville, Sam North and everyone at Conville and Walsh. I have very much appreciated the wonderful editorial guidance I have had from Maxine Hitchcock at HarperCollins and from Rachel Hore and Jennifer Parr. I am extremely grateful, as ever, to everyone at HarperCollins—especially Lynne Drew, Amanda Ridout, Fiona McIntosh, Steve Newall, Jane Harris and David Swarbrick. I would especially like to thank Greg for his love and encouragement throughout the writing of this book and for being so tolerant of the long hours required. Finally, I am lucky enough to live in a very happy ‘blended’ family of my own, and it is to the three children, who make it so worthwhile, and such fun, that I dedicate this book, with much love.
Isabel Wolff was born in Warwickshire and read English at Cambridge. Her first novel,
The Trials of Tiffany Trott
, was an international bestseller and was followed by
The Making of Minty Malone, Out of the Blue, Rescuing Rose
, and
Behaving Badly
, all of which have been published worldwide. She lives in London with her family. For further information, visit www.IsabelWolff.com
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
PRAISE FOR A QUESTION OF LOVE:
‘Feel-good, gritty and full of surprises.’
Cosmopolitan
‘Funny.’
Mirror
‘Compulsive.’
Heat
‘A charming, funny and unpredictable novel.’
Company
MORE PRAISE FOR ISABEL WOLFF:
‘Too clever for chick-lit.’
Time Out
‘A generally superior confection…Wolff’s writing quirks are charming.’
Independent on Sunday
‘A brilliant look at love and life.’
You
‘Wolff has a light touch and a slick prose style that makes this story flow effortlessly.’
Marie Claire
‘A warm, witty romantic comedy. Perfect! Isabel’s work has a lot of substance as well as fun.’
Helen Lederer,
Express
Also by Isabel Wolff
The Trials of Tiffany Trott
The Making of Minty Malone
Out of the Blue
Rescuing Rose
Behaving Badly
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
HarperCollins
Publishers
77-85 Fulham Palace Road,
Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
www.harpercollins.co.uk
First published by HarperCollins
Publishers
2005
Copyright © Isabel Wolff 2005
Isabel Wolff asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
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EPub Edition © AUGUST 2009 ISBN: 978-0-007-34348-5
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