Where'd You Go, Bernadette? meets Jess Walter in this "gem of a novel about the tangles of love, regret, and hope that might or might not hold a marriage together" (Maggie Shipstead, author of Seating Arrangements).
Despite the success of his first solo show in Paris and the support of his brilliant French wife and young daughter, thirty-four-year-old British artist Richard Haddon is too busy mourning the loss of his American mistress to a famous cutlery designer to appreciate his success.
But after Richard discovers that a painting he originally made for his wife-when they were first married and deeply in love-has sold, it shocks him back to reality and he resolves to reinvest wholeheartedly in his family life...just in time for his wife to learn the extent of his affair. Rudderless and remorseful, Richard embarks on a series of misguided attempts to win Anne back while focusing his creative energy on a provocative art piece to prove that he's still the man she once loved.
Skilfully balancing biting wit with a deep emotional undercurrent, debut novelist Courtney Maum has created the perfect portrait of an imperfect family-and a heartfelt exploration of marriage, love, and fidelity.
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MOMENTS OF great import are often tinged with darkness because perversely we yearn to be let down. 1
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(@TouchstoneBooks, 10 June 2014, ebook, 320 pages, bought from @AmazonKindle)
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I really shouldn't like this book which is a sort of nauseating heterosexual love story but somehow, I really enjoyed it. I fell hard for the characters and their story. I disliked Richard and wanted to give him a slap for messing up his marriage to an amazing woman. I really felt for Anne. I also felt sorry for Lisa, the mistress, caught up in Richard's mess because their relationship seemed to mean a lot more to him than it ever did for her. I could relate to them. Plus, I'm a sucker for a good love story, OOT romantic gestures and I just want everyone to be happy. This book got to me.
