Her

Harriet Lane

If you are a woman, you are bound to recognise much here. Female friendship, recreating your identity as a new mother, the anger left by teenage wounds are the main subjects of this not-quite-thriller. It is resolutely down-to-earth for all its beautiful writing and full of surprises and shocks. Will you guess the end? And ... will you believe it?

Extract

The white cuffs of her shirt flash as she pours oil and vinegar into a jar, adds salt and sugar, screws on the lid and gives it a shake. Now she's pouring the vinaigrette over the salad, reaching in, turning the lettuce leaves over and over with her bare hands, coating them. There's something so careless and easy and straightforward about this; and -very distantly- familiar too, though I can't remember who else does it. Perhaps a character in a book.

Parallels