By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. By the time Pring was also turning out to be a total rat I was getting a little weary with the women tangling themselves in knots trying to cope with this behavior and Ms Siddons was using the word alabaster too frequently.

An utterly accomplished novel that navigates the inner yearnings of the heart in stylish, sparky and engrossing prose. Naming income inequality as a principal cause of the crash has instant appeal for left-leaning critics of capitalism. Mizuki is a Japanese housewife married to Tatsuya and living in a luxury apartment with their two beautiful children in the buzz, excitement and sparkle of Tokyo. When she meets Kiyoshi, a successful restaurateur, something quickly develops between them and she is once again able to think about life beyond the domestic sphere.I felt for Pom and his denial of his Mom's dementia, but, again, c'mon - he is a DOCTOR and should be more aware and in tune with someone exhibiting these dangerous behaviors (almost set the house on fire). Then picture Mizuki, the female main character in Fault Lines, pulling up beside him, revving her engine, and running him off the road when the light turns green. Ultimately, Mitzuki realises that she will have to make some incredibly difficult choices and sacrifices, and which ever ones she makes, it means that she has to compromise again for the sake of her family. What follows is a narrative that shifts between a hedonistic affair that plays out among the backdrop of Tokyo’s most alluring and evocative corners, and the familiarity of a life that offers safety, comfort and dissatisfaction.

Fault Lines is another of Siddons' fine examples of a seamlessly crafted story, wherein palpably developed characters find themselves in a plausible predicament. As an American, I also appreciated the insight into modern day Japanese life and culture, as if I was one of the expat clients of the main character - which was an ingenious ploy by the author. Grove Press An imprint of Grove Atlantic, an American independent publisher, who publish in the UK through Atlantic Books.There have been days that I resent my husband, that my kid drives me out of my mind, and it takes every bit of my patience just to hold it together and not scream at the top of my lungs. Beautifully balanced with the present, we learn about her childhood in a series of interwoven narratives. When a family argument sends her lovely, fragile daughter, Glynn, running from her Atlanta home to her Aunt Laura in Hollywood, Merritt is compelled to follow. Everyone else lived happily ever after (except Forrest - nobody seemed concerned about the poor rat) and the only character I really wanted to make it out alive was Curtis the dog.

Set in Atlanta and Hollywood in 2005, the plot moved along, some parts more interesting than others. Fault Lines is a romantic story full of wit and charm, lovingly exposing the cracks in each of its characters' facades. Described as a Japanese setting and a story like Sally Rooney’s, we dive into a housewife’s world in Tokyo. Their sixteen year old daughter has growing pains, and Merritt's bohemian younger sister, Laura, who is an actress on the wane in California is a constant worry. To see her rediscover her spark after so long, unfurl into the fully-faceted person she used to be, and realize she's so much more than just a wife and a mother, is immensely satisfying.For some it may seem that Mizuki’s behavior is somehow being justified or romanticized, but I really appreciated that her portrayal and that of her marriage, felt honest. The thing is, right from the start, we are absolutely aware that Mitzuki is unhappy with her life, but rationally she knows she shouldn’t be. This one was also interesting to me as it takes place in California where my daughter is now living. In a reimagined contemporary Edinburgh, where a tectonic fault has opened up to produce a new volcano in the Firth of Forth, and where tremors are an everyday occurrence, volcanologist Surtsey makes a shocking discovery. This is an achingly realistic representation of the feelings associated with being a woman who is married and has young children.

There are authors whose vivid prose paints the setting and characters so beautifully that you’re immediately immersed in the story, taken away to another place, and this was one of those books for me. Told from her POV, Mizuki has been married to salaryman, Tatsuya, for sixteen years and they and their two children, 10-year-old daughter Eri, and 4-year-old son Aki live in a very nice Tokyo apartment. Pillemer combines dramatic stories, science-based guidance, and practical repair tools to help people find the path to reconciliation. Now more than ever, today’s mothers are met with a constant onslaught of online perfection and ideals even before most of us have managed to get dressed and eat breakfast. Once a vivacious young woman who sang in cabaret bars, she now struggles to meet the standard of motherly perfection and subtle elegance expected of Tokyo's housewives.Perfection from the cherry blossoms on the beautiful cover, to the Tokyo setting, and everything in between, I loved it beyond just the plot. If I tell you that at the beginning of the story that she botches an attempt to throw herself off her balcony, it is easy to understand that something is very wrong in her world. In a country with a myriad of customs and social conventions, she is constantly trying to be what everyone else wants her to be, and has learned to put her own needs and desires reluctantly to one side. Knowing what they are and being prepared when they surface is part of understanding the other individual's perspective. She feels trapped by the world that everyone else tells her she should embrace, and simply being someone’s wife and someone’s mother is not enough.