IN BRIEF
The Answers Catherine Lacey Granta, £12.99
Chronic pain sufferer Mary Parsons begins an unorthodox treatment that offers long-overdue relief from the symptoms which have stopped her from leading a normal life. In order to cover the costs, she applies for a mysterious job, and finds herself employed as the “Emotional Girlfriend” to movie star Kurt Sky. As one of several women employed to meet the needs of the A-lister – alongside a Maternal Girlfriend, Anger Girlfriend and obtusely named “Intimacy Team” – Mary must offer nurturing and support at scheduled intervals. However, as her feelings develop into something real, their relationship shifts, and leaves Mary questioning the fundamentals of love.
Intriguing, if slightly over-cooked.
Conversations with Friends
Sally Rooney Faber & Faber, £14.99
Sally Rooney’s gripping debut novel tells the story of 21-year-old Frances, an aspiring writer, living, but defiantly not working, in Dublin, with her friend (and sometimes girlfriend) Bobbi. It establishes the importance of female friendship, the allconsuming nature of first love, and the difficulty of navigating your way through your 20s, both politically and emotionally. Frances embarks on an affair with an older married man, but refreshingly Rooney’s writing remains non-judgmental. The novel is so littered with references to modern popular culture that at times it reads like a hipster Mills and Boon,
by Kate Whiting
but it’s an addictive read all the same.
Book of Untruths
Miranda Doyle Faber & Faber, £14.99
Miranda Doyle faces up to some of the ghosts in her family’s past in this witty and engaging memoir. The Scottish writer tells the story of her life through a series of lies, while exploring the wider human nature to fib. One of four children, she grew up in Edinburgh and endured a harsh, and at times harrowing, upbringing, left scarred by boarding school and a volatile family life. Each short chapter looks at the lies told either to, or by Doyle, and those around her. While often veering towards self-therapy, it is not a self-pitying account and Doyle’s humour and honesty make for a refreshingly original debut.■