'Midway through my fortieth year, I reached a point where the balance of the past and all it contained seemed to outweigh the future, my mind so full of things said and not said, done and undone, I no longer understood how to move forward' May is at a crossroads. Although her career as a gardener for the university is flourishing, the rest of her life has narrowed to a parched routine. Her father is elderly, her brother estranged, and she keeps her neighbours at arm's length. The missing element, she realises, might be friendship. As May sets off on a journey to visit four neglected friends one-by-one, she holds herself (and them) to humorously high standards, while at home she begins to confront the pain of her past and imagine for herself a different kind of future. May's quest becomes an exploration of the power, and perhaps limits, of modern friendship.

A smart, funny and uplifting novel about loneliness and the art of being a good friend

About the Author
Jessica Francis Kane's first novel, The Report, was chosen as one of the Best Reads 2012 for the Channel 4 TV Book Club. She is also the author of two story collections, Bending Heaven (Chatto & Windus, 2003) and This Close (Graywolf, 2013). She lives in New York City with her husband and their two children.


Book Information
ISBN 9781783784653
Author Jessica Francis Kane
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Granta Books
Publisher Granta Books
Weight(grams) 215g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 18mm