A perceptive, wildly funny and deeply moving novel

Ellen Quinn kept her sanity in the suffocating Edinburgh suburb where she grew up by imagining it was a hotbed of intrigue. A neglected child, she's still looking for love as an adult; and so she finds herself married to Daniel. How could she know that he would misbehave?

Cora O'Brien is the total opposite; outrageous and outspoken, she inspires the children she teaches with her enthusiasm. The city can't soften her Highland lilt but her lifestyle would raise a few eyebrows back home. But her vividness is a façade: most of her secrets she's still keeping to herself.

Fast friends from the start, Ellen and Cora may have plenty to learn about life, but they always have vodka and each other to talk to when the unexpected happens...

"Appealingly spirited... Sparkiness, freshness and verve" - Mail on Sunday