Francis Goodwine is an aspiring English artist, who resigned from his job and moved to Paris with the dream of making a living as a painter. In this book we follow his exploits as he finds a local Irish bar, where he meets lots of fascinating characters. We are treated to a snapshot of his life as he plods from one night out to another, and one gallery to another leaving us to wonder if he will be successful or whether he will have to return to London.
The life of an artist is always changing - trying to sustain dreams at the cost of doing jobs that they don't enjoy. Such is the life of Francis who, being English, earns his living through translation jobs in Paris. Like his paintings, Francis keeps experimenting, moving from translation to teaching. Francis' paintings are the result of his observation of the people, the culture and the emotions around him. His relationship with the city takes an interesting turn when he meets Alicia. As their mutual affinity becomes increasingly intimate, Francis finds that she is impacting his creativity in unexpected ways. The story vibrantly depicts the city of Paris, the people, the culture and his friends, who in some way or another keep his creativity flourishing.