Amelia Dee lives in a house on Marburg Street, with a rare Peacock Lamp outside her bedroom door. Her father is an inventor, her mother is a sculptor, and the enigmatic L K Vishwanath practises yoga in her garden. Amelia herself has a lively curiosity and a talent for writing. Intrigued by Mr Vishwanath and his one-and-only student, Amelia stumbles into the secret life of Princess Parvin Kha-Douri. Why does Mr Vishwanath bother to teach such an unpleasant woman? And why does this tragic princess share Amelia's fascination for the Peacock Lamp? In solving the mystery, Amelia discovers more than she ever imagined about history, philosophy, creativity, pride and - above all - the power of stories. This is Odo Hirsch at his most accomplished, writing in the tradition of Antonio S and the Mystery of Theodore Guzman and Hazel Green. A funny, touching new novel peopled with memorable characters and charged with ideas.