Dolores and Victor, both parents, both successful in their careers, both living in England without their families, both old enough to know better - meet on the train to Oxford and fall instantly in love, totally immersing themselves in a relationship that must end in one short year. Both have known the pain and guilt of failure, how to live in a present haunted by the ghosts of other times, other places. Together they explore the passion of loving and living with a ferocious intensity that will mark them for the rest of their lives.'The Bleeding Heart' is a classic of modern fiction that marks a milestone in our understanding of human relationships.