Same As It Ever Was

Claire Lombardo
Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £20, pp512

Lombardo’s outstanding second novel tells the story of 57-year-old Julia as she faces domestic upheavals: her son’s impending wedding and her daughter’s departure for college. A chance meeting with an old friend prompts memories of Julia’s affair that almost derailed her marriage 20 years ago. Tackling wealth, privilege and the tensions inherent in a long marriage, Lombardo writes with exceptional humour and insight about complex female interior lives and the often fraught dynamics between mothers and their children.

Hello Beautiful

Ann Napolitano
Penguin, £9.99, pp400 (paperback)

William Waters is six days old when his three-year-old sister dies. It is a defining moment in his life, prompting his parents’ emotional distance and, later, his own troubled marriage to Julia Padavano. Julia is one of four sisters – the parallel with Little Women is openly referenced – each of whom faces her own emotional struggles as they deal with illness, grief, divorce, betrayals and parenthood. Napolitano’s luminously beautiful novel explores the space between truth and self-delusion to powerful and incredibly moving effect.

The Golden Rule: Lessons in Living from a Doctor of Ageing

Dr Lucy Pollock
Michael Joseph, £16.99, pp352

Dr Lucy Pollock has specialised in the care of elderly people for three decades. Here, she brings together personal reflections and snippets from case histories over the years. In one chapter, she writes a note to her 80-year-old self, reminding her that she has accumulated knowledge and experience. In others, she rails against medical professionals who fail to listen to the needs of elderly patients. Compassionate and wise, it makes for empowering reading.

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