"The first rule is that you don't fall in love, ' he said... 'There are other rules too, but that is the main one. No falling in love. No staying in love. No daydreaming of love. If you stick to this you will just about be okay.'"
Of course, it's never as easy as this, is it? And living for years upon years without love sounds just about impossible. Tom Hazard, who looks like an ordinary 40-something, has actually been alive for centuries, living through history. He's known Shakespeare and Captain Cook, shared cocktails with F. Scott Fitzgerald, and traveled the world. However, now he just wants an ordinary life. Of course, when you don't appear to age, it can become dangerous to stay in one place, so up until now, Tom has kept moving, changing locations about every eight years. Moving back to London, he takes a job as a history teacher, but finds he's fascinated by a young French teacher at his school. However, remember that first quote above; this is the one rule enforced by the Albatross Society, a secretive group which protects people like Tom.
I really loved this original story which had moments of being reflective, funny, and a bit sad. Tom has led quite the life, and you get parts of the story from the past, as well as the present-day, so you really get a good sense of how Tom's past has informed how he moves through the world in the present. Tom doesn't lose himself in the past, constantly dragging it forward, but he can't forget it, either. And that's what's tricky sometimes; he can't admit that he knows way more about history than he's letting on, and he can't really share his life with anyone without putting them in harm's way. But that doesn't mean the story is completely sad; it's just a lot of thoughtfulness and reflection.
I did especially like that Tom's character is a musician and that thread runs through much of the story. In particular, this one bit stayed with me (p. 99): "Music doesn't get in. Music is already in. Music simply uncovers what is there, makes you feel emotions that you didn't necessarily know you had inside you, and runs around waking them all up. A rebirth of sorts."
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