A cow looks out to sea, dreaming of a life that involves grass. Jan is also looking out to sea. He's in Goa, dreaming of the thief who stole his heart (and his passport) forty-six years ago. Back then, fate kept bringing them together, but lately it seems to have given up. Jan has not. In his long search he has travelled the world, tangling with murderers and pick-pockets and accidentally holding a whole Russian town at imaginary gunpoint. Now he thinks if he just waits and does nothing, fate may find it easier to reunite them - if only he can shake off an annoying teenager who won't go away. But then, perhaps an annoying teenager is exactly what Jan needs to help him find his old flame? Featuring a menagerie of creatures, each with its own story to tell, We Are Animals is a comic Homeric odyssey with shades of Jonas Jonasson's Hundred-Year-Old Man. A quirky, heart-warming tale of lost love, unlikely friendships and the mysteries of fate, it moves and delights in equal measure.

'A debut of magical charm, wit and humour. Echoing the spirit and the style of Jonas Jonasson, Ewins has a wondrous voice of his own' - Yorkshire Times, 'The feel-good story we all need right now' - Popsugar, 'Warm, funny and original - one of my favourite books of the year' - Frances Quinn, 'An amazingly inventive, funny book that deals with fate, love, teenagers and chance. It's like Life of Pi on its gap year. Utterly brilliant!' - Victoria Dowd, 'A heartwarming tale of lost love and unlikely friendships, featuring a menagerie of animals who each have their story to tell' - Waitrose Weekend, 'A witty, engaging, offbeat tale of a decades-spanning love, set in various locations across the world and co-starring several animals' - Bristol 24/7

Tim Ewins has enjoyed an eight-year stand-up career alongside his accidental career in finance. He has also had a very brief acting stint (he's in the film Bronson, somewhere in the background). He lives with his wife, son and dog in Bristol. We Are Animals is his first novel.