Green Grass

Publisher and industry reviews

UK Kirkus review

In this sparkling and witty novel we meet 38-year-old Laura Sale, who has a seemingly enviable lifestyle. Her partner Inigo, charming but self-absorbed, is an internationally successful conceptual artist. They have almost lovely twins, now entering the terrible teens. Their home in North London is elegant and Laura has a key role in organizing Inigo's professional schedules. Yet she feels as though she has become invisible in her own life and is unable to feel any emotion other than anxiety as she arranges her days around her demanding, over-indulged family. She recalls how when the twins were toddlers, in lieu of a wedding, Inigo organized a commitment service on a rooftop in New York. To symbolize the occasion he made a sequin-studded Mobius strip, a loop twisted so there is only one side and one edge. He was so taken with the charm of the location and the event that he impulsively turned it into an exhibition to which he invited clients and art critics. He explained that the Mobius strip was a metaphor for life, a loop that changes and moves and yet goes nowhere. But Laura sets about proving him wrong. When Inigo is offered a top job in New York he assumes Laura and the children will meekly accompany him. Outraged at his cavalier assumption that, like the Mobius strip, there is only one side to her, Laura decides it's time she explored some of her own greener pastures. Guy, a lover from her past, a ramshackle country cottage in Norfolk, a menage of animals plus the twins and their friends form the backdrop to Laura's rebellion as she stands up to Inigo and takes charge of her own destiny. Just how she follows her dreams and where they will lead her makes for an engaging story that keeps the reader guessing until the very end. The novel is a delight; ingeniously constructed with some laugh-out-loud moments and thought-provoking insights. (Kirkus UK)