"An extraordinary novel by a genuinely original talent." --Beryl Bainbridge "A strange novel, hard to forget, that ostensibly sets out to tell the story of an orphan's emergence into a frightening world of mysterious and eccentric adults. Covertly, however, the book is a fairytale about magical transformations and unexpected redemption. Every word (tentative, revised, timidly advanced) counts in this fable. The tone is so mesmerizing that the narrator, far from being a neutral observer, turns into the most original character." --Edmund White " As Luck Would Have It , which is set in the drab London of the 1950s, is an understated study of repression and reticence. If its characters seem to be living half-lives, that is because Samuel Lock knows and understands that in pre-Wolfenden Report England, homosexual men and women had to be secretive. The narrative tone of this subtle novel is perfectly sustained, whilst the period is recreated without an excess of nudging details.

" --Paul Bailey "With its strange, philosophical serenity, prose stylishness and fey plotting, it could be destined for cult status. It is clearly a one-off; it is also one-of-a-kind." --Ian Sansom, The Sunday Telegraph "A delight . a wonderful period piece. As Luck Would Have It is humorous, tender and original." --Sebastian Beaumont, Gay Times.