In Pursuit of Love : A Journey in the Footsteps of Obsession

'Profound, shattering and utterly immersive' Frances Wilson

'Blurring the edges of biography and autobiography, Bostridge displays a profound empathy for Adele, even at her most baffing and elusive' Literary Review

In this unforgettably shattering memoir, Mark Bostridge finds himself haunted by the daughter of Victor Hugo. More than a century after her mysterious disappearance, he pursues Adele on her doomed and reckless journey of unrequited love.

But as he follows Adele's footsteps around the world, from Normandy to the Caribbean, he is forced to confront all the ways in which her fate parallels his own.

A TLS BOOK OF THE YEAR

FIVES STARS DAILY TELEGRAPH

'A compelling experiment in biography-cum-memoir' TLS

'An unforgettable journey' Ferdinand Mount

'Mark Bostridge's innovative biography... of haunting beauty and stylistic grace' Daily Telegraph

'Utterly immersive' The Oldie

Author: Mark Bostridge

France, Biography: literary

Published on 12 Feb 2026 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.