The Other Family by Joanna Trollope

I sometimes feel as if I have grown up and grown older with Joanne Trollope. She is like a good friend – great company and a great story teller who never lacks insight or empathy. You kind of know when you pick up one of her books what you should expect. It’s often described as middle-England but it applies just as well to middle-Ireland. Reasonably educated, reasonably well-off, women in relationships with reasonably educated and well-off men that for one reason or another come off the tracks. But more than, her books explore the wider relationships of friends and family. I enjoyed her work through my thirties, my forties and now – at fifty – I have just finished reading her latest book, The Other Family. It is a simple story and one that probably echoes in every family these days since few of us escape the emotion and complications of broken and second relationships. My sympathies went pretty much fifty fifty with the first and second wives of the late Richie and mothers of teenage daughters will find much to identify with in the portrayal of Tamsin, Dilly and Amy. Of all the characters, probably the most likeable is Richie’s son, Scott. But this is not a novel of strong characters – it is more an exploration of feeling and coping that will resonate with women of a certain age. As with all Joanna’s books, this is a quick and enjoyable read so arm yourself with coffee and biscuits, snuggle into your sofa, and enjoy.