A Man. A Woman. The Heat of an Iowa summer. And the brief encounter whose passion will last a lifetime.

'If you read only one book this year, make it this one' (New Woman).

'A hauntingly understated love story, set in small town America, that stays with you long after you've reluctanly finished reading the final page' (Terrence Stamp).

'We all dream of the chance meeting, that moment when we feel we are really living. Waller shows us that it can happen, with compelling assurance' (Sunday Telegraph).

'Robert James Waller's narrative is painful, beautiful, unputdownable. Read it and weep' (Woman's Journal).

'A bitter-sweet tale of profound love' (Today).

'A story of surprising complexity and emotional power' (Mail on Sunday).