Nicci Gerrard: Solace (UK 2005)

From the Publisher:
Irene has a husband, Adrian, three small children and - though she doesn't know it - a marriage that is going wrong. When she discovers that Adrian is having an affair, the family is blown apart.

Solace is a story of contrasts. While Adrian finds new love and excitement, Irene spirals into exhaustion, self-destruction and a kind of madness.

With their marriage in shreds and Adrian whisking their daughters on a trip of a lifetime ti Australia with his new lover, Irene finally reaches rock bottom. She decides to leave the unbearable silence of her home for a trip by herself to visit her brother Jem in France.

And as Irene soon realises, being along can mean discovering freedom, elation and even in the darkest of times, finding your solace.

Nicci Gerrard: Solace. Penguin, ISBN: 0141017538 (March, 2005), 370 p., £6.99.