Two lonely people with differing backgrounds find themselves crossing paths while living in the beautiful city of Prague. They soon discover, however, that they have a shared love of history, and also come to appreciate each other’s love of the works of Rainer Maria Rilke and Matsuo Basho. Fifty-something Englishman Edward Stone is divorced and semi-retired, a man with his own mind who is an enthusiastic blogger and walker. Thirty-something Brita Kraus has never married, and whilst she enjoys her independence, also feels there is something greatly missing from her life, the result of a family tragedy which she dare not divulge to anyone – until now.
Would it be possible, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis wondered in the 1930s, to write fiction that might combine: a love of history; a desire to debate the defenders of the modern world and point out the many foibles of modern living; and a way to promote one’s philosophical and religious beliefs without being overly…