Eleven by Mark Watson

Watson is a popular British stand-up comedian but the humor in this story is more edgy than funny. Xavier Ireland is the understanding voice on a late night talk show in London. But his story began in Australia before he remade himself into Xavier. Now he is a mild mannered competitive scrabble player, whose closest friend is his stuttering cohost Murray. But there is always that back story. One day he observes a young boy being bullied and makes the choice to not get involved. That apparent non-choice sets in motion a series of seemingly unrelated events. It seems that every act is a choice that sets a path for people one has never met. Can we escape our past? Can we avoid affecting the future? Should you sleep with your cleaning lady?