The summary of About a Boy is that it is a novel by Nick Hornby that was published in 1998. It tells the story of a thirty-six year old man named Will Freeman, who is a bachelor and lives off of the royalties of a Christmas song his father wrote. He meets a twelve year old boy named Marcus, who is living with his suicidal single mother, Fiona. Will and Marcus become friends, and through their friendship, Will learns how to be a better person.