Under Their Skin

"...bold in writing about sex, understanding that it is what the characters mean to one another that drives the tension. Ultimately, this is a gutsy novel and it confirms that this is a writer who can be read seriously," Jonathan Miller, Channel 4, UK

"The threads are brilliantly woven together in a very moving finale. This novel is tremendous fun to read. There is an added pleasure in the familiar Genevan landscape that is evoked throughout the novel and the gentle humour at the expense of the Swiss." Shirley Curran, book reviewer for "Geneva Lunch"

The Geneva laser clinic of Dr. Roman Micheli is as discreet as a Swiss bank—no matter who the patient, Roman is the dispassionate professional. His wife Isabel, a WHO leprologist, is even more dedicated to her work than Roman.

But the Michelis' technically perfect partnership unravels when an American violinist strides onto a concert stage and weaves the audience into her musical spell. The doctor strains from his seat to diagnose the purple birthmark marring this virtuoso’s beauty. The science of Roman's laser could transform this girl's future. He doesn't realize the ephemeral art of Mira's music threatens his.

A mordant comedy featuring chronic misunderstandings, lost opportunities, well-meant bungling, misplaced passions and fatal cultural confusion—in "Under Their Skin," nobody perceives what lies beneath the surface of our everyday actions and their unexpected consequences.

Dinah Lee Kung's "A Visit From Voltaire" was nominated for the Orange Prize in 2004.