Until I find you

About “Until I find you”

Until I Find You is a novel by John Irving about the actor Jack Burns, tracing his life, relationships, and search for the truth about his parents. When Jack is four, he travels with his mother, Alice, a tattoo artist, to North Sea ports looking for his father, William, a church organist and womanizer who always leaves before they arrive. They give up the search, and Jack is raised in Canada and New England, where he has relationships with older women. He moves to Los Angeles with Emma Oastler, who becomes a novelist, and he starts a career as an actor. The novel follows his experiences, including eccentric characters and personal struggles. After his mother dies, Jack begins a second journey across Europe to find his father and uncover the truth. The story explores themes of obsession, loss, and storytelling. It is a comic and emotional novel that reflects on the lasting impact of family and the search for identity.