But compared with the work of Jane Austen - which Ms Rooney admires, and in which courtship drives the plot and the climax is marriage - her tales of messy modern love follow improvised patterns.
On land, fireflies dance with glowing abdomens as part of courtship rituals, while some fungi, such as the honey mushroom, contribute an eerie glow in forests, and are known as 'ghost mushrooms' in some cultures.
In the weeks since Mr.Raysby died of the virus, Ms.James said she had wanted to wave a photo of him - a quiet, bespectacled man who once wooed her daughter with purple roses - at the world.