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From the author of Closure and Wasting Time, a razor-sharp, darkly funny novel which explodes the myth of having it all.'My husband left me earlier this evening because of my crabbiness, my insomnia and my meanness with money.'Charlie's departure marks the end of Lucy's wonderful life – the one that was supposed to be her reward for being a good girl and always playing by the rules. But what has she really lost – was the idyll all that it appeared? Her gorgeous husband is in fact an irresponsible layabout who leaves because he can't handle the responsibility of a second child, and her glamorous career as a newspaper columnist takes places in the vituperative atmosphere of a struggling local rag where enemies behave like friends and friends can't be counted on. But still, it's everything Lucy thought she wanted and now she's losing it. Suddenly the rules have changed, and she's got to learn them all over again if she wants to hang on. Although with the help of North London's most handsome – and most eccentric – nanny, and an old friend who's seizing the chance to be upgraded into a lover, she begins to think that it won't that hard after all. Soon, things are going to be perfect again. Well, as perfect as they were before, anyway…
When Lucy’s husband abandons her, she is forced to confront the reality that her carefully constructed life is built on a foundation of illusions. Lucy must navigate the sudden collapse of her domestic stability while managing the pressures of a toxic workplace and the demands of motherhood. As she attempts to reclaim her status quo, she encounters an eccentric nanny and a rekindled friendship that challenge her rigid adherence to the rules she once followed. The narrative employs a sharp, observational tone to dissect the protagonist's internal struggle between her expectations of perfection and the messy reality of her circumstances.
The narrative suggests a focus on the friction between social expectations and the reality of personal failure. The premise points to a character-driven exploration of mid-life disillusionment, utilizing a cynical wit to examine the protagonist's attempts to regain control. Readers likely find the tone to be biting and observational, reflecting the protagonist's struggle to reconcile her past choices with her current predicament. The story appears to prioritize the internal evolution of its lead character over conventional plot resolutions, offering a look at the process of redefining one's own identity.
Page Count:
416
Publication Date:
2001-09-17
Publisher:
HarperCollins
ISBN-10:
0006513956
ISBN-13:
9780006513957
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