Kate Atkinson always did have a knack for book titles. Her novels – all 12 of them – have boasted names that were sometimes long and sometimes unwieldy, but always memorable. There was Behind the Scenes at the Museum, for example, or Started Early, Took My Dog. A God in Ruins would look striking in any font, while Human Croquet conjured up all sorts of intriguing visual images.
Nevertheless, when she presented her latest novel to her editor last year, relaying with habitual Atkinson confidence what she was planning to call it, there was a collective intake of breath.
