John is infinite. He can become any book, any combination of words - every thought, act and expression that has ever been, or ever will be, written. Now 800 years old, John wants to tell his story. Looking back over his life, from its beginnings with a medieval anchoress to his current lodgings beside the deathbed of a Cold War spy, John pieces together his tale. A love story about books like no other, weaving texts and lives in a family tale that leads the reader on an extraordinary historical journey.