Martel's first novel is narrated by a writer whose life is followed from childhood onward. Born male, the narrator moves between countries with his family and grows up amid changing places, languages and friendships. The story explores identity, desire and how a person understands themselves over time. At a turning point, the narrator's sense of self changes in a surprising way, and the book follows the consequences. It is a thoughtful, experimental work about growing up, writing and the many versions of a single life.