Jenny Colgan

It would be lovely, wouldn’t it, whenever you’re going through something difficult, if someone could just tap you on the shoulder and say, “Don’t worry, it’s completely worth it.

When you change perspective, everything changes.’

He was a good man, Federico, but like many others he was guilty of letting his wife handle the domestics, despite the fact that she’d been to law school and graduated higher than he had.

Everyone’s just faking it. Look at the prime minister. Faking it. Look at people who are in charge of things. Faking it faking it faking it. Of course you’re faking it. I’m faking it. I don’t know how to run a bookshop. Not the faintest clue. Mr McCredie doesn’t either. Faking it is just another word for being a grown-up. So.

My sister isn’t faking it,’ said Carmen suddenly. The thought had only just occurred to her. ‘She’s genuinely really good at stuff. Christ. No wonder she’s exhausted all the time.

Smile at the dawn? What does that even mean? Find your own happiness? Well, what if your happiness is … I don’t know … kicking dogs? Do what you love. Unless you’re a paedophile. I mean, it’s … I think people get unhappy trying to do what makes them happy.

People buy things in the hope that it will make them feel better,’ said Blair. ‘It gives you a momentary boost, just buying it, but not for long. It’s just a stupid dopamine hit whereby I tell you things are going to be great and you fantasise that they are and you feel better. Then you go back to your shit normality and it’s all shit again and guess what, you’re not living the life you imagine, you’re living the life that got dumped in your lap when your parent got sick or your partner became a drunk or your children are disappointing. So you think you’ll make yourself better and you buy another book. That’s my entire business plan.

They had the same tussle every year.

‘I could meet someone between now and Christmas! And they could whisk me off to Barbados!

who still turned into a stroppy teenager when confronted by her mother.