Carol Webb

A Question of Identity Carol Webb

Sophie Rankin is a magnet for any kind of mishap! After a broken engagement, she goes to London to teach at an inner city school. She receives a wedding invitation from her childhood friend, Charlotte, who is marrying Sophie's former fiancé. Charlotte also invites Lucas Baird, an imaginary boyfriend Sophie has created to prevent those at home feeling sorry for her. Sophie advertises in a stage magazine for an actor to play Lucas at the wedding, and arranges to meet Henry Gibb for lunch. Owing to a mix-up over the restaurant name, Sophie ends up meeting Bennett McCullers, the star of a series of popular, macho films, believing him to be Henry. Ben, puzzled and intrigued by Sophie's freshness and sense of humor, decides to play along with her mistake. The attraction between them grows, although Sophie thinks Henry is playing the very part she hired him for, and Ben wonders if Sophie's naiveté can be genuine. The accidents and misapprehensions that arise as Sophie wrestles with everyday life lead both to the lovers' separation, and to their final reconciliation.