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Solace
Solace
Feb 24, 2026 6:09 PM

Author:Nicci Gerrard

Solace

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.

Reviews

An amazing debut, by turns truly funny, sad and sexy. At once literary and unputdownable, The Flaw of Love demands attention and deserves to be read

—— Ink

A confident and competent debut ... a tale of fears, commitment, immaturity, troubled pasts and doubtful futures, elegantly written and enigmatic to the end

—— Cities to Cities

Agile prose and clever observations.

—— The New York Times Review of Books

Grodstein captures the uncertain nuances of the mating game in her impressive debut collection ... Grodstein's quirky voice and sassy, ironic humor make these stories come alive.

—— Publishers Weekly

Margaret Forster has a remarkable gift for taking huge social issues and welding them into minutely observed human dramas that are perfect portraits of the way we live now...The story grips and the heart bleeds for these good mothers who are, like all mothers, never good enough

—— Polly Toynbee , Sunday Express

'McAdam's narrative weaves in virtuoso dialogue as well as genuine warmth-Exhilarating'

—— Observer

'Impressive and ambitious'

—— Independent

'A highly intelligent and moving book'

—— Time Out
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