_Vargas Llosa has captured the exquisite pain of sexual obsession and the human capacity for cruelty and created a compelling narrative that brims with compassion._ Stephanie Merritt, ObserverA gripping new novel from one of Latin America_s greatest writers.When the beautiful teenage Lily arrives in Lima in 1950, fifteen-year old Ricardo falls instantly in love with her. She claims to be from Chile, but vanishes the moment it becomes clear that she has lied about both her name and her nationality. A decade later, now living in Paris, Ricardo falls in love with a woman named Comrade Arlette, who is incredibly similar to Lily but refuses to acknowledge that she is the same person. For his whole life, Ricardo seems doomed to keep running into _Lily_, and to keep falling in love. Will he ever discover who she really is?_Vargas Llosa_s writing is as subtle and sensuous as ever._ Michael Arditti, Daily Mail_Splendid, suspenseful and irresistible._ Kathryn Harrison, New York Times_Intriguing and poignant._ Lucinda Byatt, Scotland on Sunday