More Lives than One

Libby Purves

Kit Milcourt - impatient quirky idealistic and brilliant - has been a climber diver in exotic waters and affluent young city banker. Now because of his beloved Anna he is a teacher. Glumly mediocre Sandmarsh High School reeling under assaults from Inspectors and its own unpromising pupils is hard put to contain his maverick ideas. Year Seven on the other hand love them. Only the soothing presence of Anna keeps the peace.

But Anna can't guard her erratic husband on the school trip: instead a far darker more malevolent staffroom presence crosses Europe and discovers what Kit has secretly planned for the children amid the dim alleys of winter Venice. But children are unpredictable too and things move rapidly beyond both teachers' control.

Between farce and tragedy the resulting events swiftly change Kit's and Anna's live in unthinkable ways strain a great love to the limit and open a dark chasm into the past.