A magical, charming and deeply moving fable about love, family, war and resilience from the Costa Prize-winning author of Day

'Charming lessons in life, death and kindness . . . Hugely moving' Observer

This is the story of Mary, a young girl born in a beautiful city full of rose gardens and fluttering kites. When she is still very small, Mary meets Lanmo, a shining golden snake, who becomes her very best friend.

The snake visits Mary many times, he sees her grow and her city change, as bombs drop and war creeps in. Lanmo wonders, can having a friend possibly be worth the pain of knowing you will lose them?