By Paul Torday, Phoenix Press 2007.

When Dr Alfred Jones, a fisheries scientist, is asked by a wealthy Yemeni sheikh to introduce salmon into the highlands of the Yemen, he scoffs at the absurdity of the idea. We do too. But somehow, once planted this seed of an idea starts to take hold.

What makes this gem of a book work is that the reader starts to will the success of the project, irrespective of how ridiculous the venture.

Torday , a keen River Tyne salmon angler himself, weaves his story around his undoubted in depth knowledge of wild salmon. Whether he is describing the physical geography of Yemeni wadis, poking fun at the machinations of the Civil Service, exposing the farce of political spin or commiserating with the death throes of a failing marriage, Torday keeps a light touch throughout and keeps the reader engaged.

A book for romantics (like me)!