What happens when a man wonders aloud if a pig would make a good pet? A great deal - once his wife discovers a kind the size of a handbag.

Matt Whyman is a writer and house husband. He enjoys the quiet life. His career wife, Emma, prefers the chaos a big brood can bring. On top of four challenging children, one freaked-out feline, a wolf-like dog and a wild bunch of ex-battery chickens, she brings minipigs Butch and Roxi into the fold.

But can the new arrivals really cuddle up on the sofa, or will their growing presence spark a battle of hearts, snouts and minds?

Funny, touching and entertaining, Pig in the Middle charts the trials and errors of one man and his menagerie. With help and advice from a seasoned local smallholder, Matt sets out to master the art of managing minipigs - inside the house and out. Then someone suggests breeding minipiglets, and Matt's understanding of marriage is tested in the most unexpected ways...

Previously published as Oink! My Life With Minipigs by Hodder & Stoughton.