J. W. Ironmonger was born and grew up in East Africa. He has a doctorate in Zoology, and was once an expert on freshwater leeches. He is the author of THE GOOD ZOO GUIDE and THE NOTABLE BRAIN OF MAXIMILIAN PONDER, was part of a world record team for speed-reading Shakespeare, and once drove across the Sahara in a GBP100 banger. He lives in rural Shropshire with his wife, Sue, and has two grown-up children.
One of the most touching books I've read all year - GUARDIAN A love story that is also a story of ideas ... The love story between Thomas and Azalea is touching and gently written - METRO Ultimately it's an uplifting and rather poignant romance - BOOKSELLERS' CHOICE, SEPTEMBER This story twists like a pretzel, the author teases and tantalises the reader, and it's delightfully unexpected - THE TIMES This is an absorbing and unusual novel suffused with intelligence, charm and humanity and I highly recommend it - BOOKSELLER