Cassie McCullagh

is actually really sexist and old-fashioned and is about searching for all sorts of codified behaviour.

It often drives me nuts, some of the questions that some types of scientists ask about women's behaviour in particular.

So she's got this character who's interested in women's desire.

and sexuality.

And she's exploring it by looking at these bonobos who have a cooperative matriarchal society and they play it out by having an awful lot of sex.

Like they're sort of these giant orgies before they eat every meal.

But it's also being controlled by Mama, the main character, the main bonobo.

And so she looks at them and then she starts to see hidden patterns and do her research.

No.

Okay.

No, she actually is doing research.

She's doing observational.

Okay.

But there is no cross-species sex going on.

But it seemed to me, Felicity, that individual bonobos in this book become characters.

We know who they are.

We know how they act.

We know how they interact.

Frankie and an off-sider of hers, who's also another important character, they're observing these creatures very closely.

Did that work for you?