The books

 

This page is an introduction to the four books in the series, and a brief description of the setting and the story. More detailed information about each volume, and some short extracts, may be found on the relevant page for that book.

A ‘spoiler’ warning: The story runs continuously through the four books, which are intended to be read as one, in sequence. There is no recap of past events at the start of each succeeding volume – and if you read the individual introductory pages of the later books here on this site, before having read the earlier books, this will probably give away a little of the story and the events which will happen to the characters. Be warned.

Much of the action in each book takes place in and around the Wimbledon area of South London. The story begins in 1989 with 43-year-old Michael Radcliffe living a moderately frugal existence in York with his wife Jennifer and their two teenage daughters. Over the years he has had a succession of jobs, some which he left of his own volition, but unfortunately there were rather more where he was told his services were no longer required.

He spent the longest single period of time with one company – eight years – when he was employed by Noguchi (UK) Ltd, an offshoot of a large Japanese electrical goods manufacturer. It was the relatively sudden death of his father that brought about his departure from that firm, the one job he had enjoyed and where he felt that his work was appreciated.

Now living in York to care for his elderly mother, Michael is invited to London for a reunion to celebrate the Noguchi company’s twenty-five years in England. Somewhat reluctantly Michael decides to attend, and it is there that he renews his acquaintance with a shy Japanese woman he barely knew when he had previously worked for the company.

The period of time covered by each book differs widely. The action in book one covers the events of just one week, then book two covers the following year, the next extends to almost five years, and the final volume sixteen years. In each book, chapters are headed by the date, so later in the series the chapters become more widely spaced.