You Are Here, David Nicholls’s sixth novel, sits firmly in the category of rom-com that he towers over courtesy of One Day. The book’s conceit is clear from the outset. Outdoorsy geography teacher Michael, smashed by his wife’s leaving, accepts an invitation from a fellow teacher, a relentless matchmaker, to walk a few days of the iconic Coast to Coast trail that sets off from St Bees on the Irish Sea to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea. Among the intrepid group is precocious, indoorsy, lippy Marnie, also in retreat from a bad marriage. Will they, won’t they? Both alone in life, both reconciled to contentment at being alone, but both vulnerable to the idea of a second chance. The author is a consummate stylist, capturing in alternate chapters the inner lives of Marnie and Michael against the backdrop of beauty and the worst of British weather. With a supporting cast of colorful characters skilfully etched, the pace and tension are expertly choreographed. The dialogue is laugh-out-loud. And the rom-com conceit of endless tension is unreeled with nuance and intelligence. Laughs, insights into loneliness and love, genuine emotional heft … You Are Here has the lot.
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