What a book. I found myself fascinated by these metropolitan SW19 women, who I seem never to have met, or been aware of. Was it simply a book about bullying, or perhaps belonging? I thought not as we went into the point of view of Emma and Annabel and the tensions of their private lives. It was something more – was it also loneliness, of unsatisfactory lives buckling under the weight of parenthood, and perceived lack of support by husbands?

Did it escalate out of fear of it becoming clear to all that all the balls could not be kept in the air, all the time and weakness would be perceived? Was it also that the myth of being able to have it all was rent asunder?

Fascinating and clever.

Either way, as the situation escalated so did the consequences. There seemed no-one at the school gate to say – hang on, this doesn’t have to happen. Or time for either protagonists to think: enough. this is too much on top of everything. I think what I ended up feeling was that it was almost a lost generation and it was a huge relief to find they had both reached a way to the shore after what was a catastrophe for Annabel, and so too for Emma really, in ways that would resonate for both.

A sort of coming of age. Very very clever.

The Mothers of SW19 by Catherine Yardley Available in Paperback and Kindle from Amazon.co.uk