'Kay Langdale has got the knack of writing books that you carry on sitting in an empty carriage for a few extra minutes to finish, to stay a little longer with her characters' Lucy Dillon (author of A Hundred Pieces of Me)

'There's no doubt Langdale is a wonderful writer, plots beautifully and is brilliant at showing her characters' inner worlds' Daily Mail

What happens when difficult mothering makes you a difficult woman?

Since their youngest son, Teddy, was diagnosed with a life-defining illness, Anna has been fighting: against the friends who don't know how to help; against the team assigned to Teddy's care who constantly watch over Anna's parenting; and against the impulse to put Teddy above all else - including his older brother, the watchful, sensitive Isaac.

And now Anna can't seem to stop fighting against her husband, the one person who should be able to understand, but who somehow manages to carry on when Anna feels like she is suffocating under the weight of all the things that Teddy will never be able to do.

As Anna helplessly pushes Tom away, he can't help but feel the absence of the simple familiarity that should come so easily, and must face the question: is it worse to stay in an unhappy marriage, or leave?

Perfect for fans of Adele Parks and Maggie O'Farrell.

'I read the book in one sitting . . . This could well be my book of 2017: so much of the moment, but completely timeless' The Book Bag

. . . And in your words:

'Nothing I can say can go anywhere near conveying how good it is' Vicki D
'This is such a special book and I can't praise it highly enough. It's a must read' Jo
'[Langdale] is educated and clever in her writing . . . This is a valuable book which pulls you right in from the start' Katharine Kirby
'I can't stop thinking about these characters - they feel like real people to me' RatherTooFondofBooks