Author:Susannah Bates

Beautiful, wild and wanton but do they really lead Charmed Lives? Kate Leonard is a high-flying young lawyer. Smart, sexy and successful, she seems to have it all, except a life outside the office ... until she meets Tom Faulkener.Tom comes from a different world: the privileged, idle world of private incomes, breathtaking bills and the pursuit of pleasure. The last thing he wants is a relationship ... until he meets Kate. But as Kate tries to juggle her hectic existence with the temptations of Tom's exclusive circle - irresponsible society photographer Charlie, shy but kind-hearted Douglas, and Tom's lovely but neurotic ex-wife Arabella - she begins to see through the careless glamour of their charmed lives...
A major attempt to tackle serious themes... extraordinarily rich in incident and detail.
—— Sebastian FaulksAnita Desai's most subtle and mature work to date... She retains an unforced and powerful ease in conveying the colour and sounds and sensations of Indian life.
—— Times Literary SupplementA wry, gently humorous novel, full of wisdom and restraint... The author chronicles India lovingly but it would be a mistake to think of her simply as an Indian writer, for her themes are universal
—— Financial TimesSuperbly powerful... A rich, evocative book
—— Spectator