The Empty Nesters by Nina Bell

Feeling middle-aged and fluffy brained I thought I'd treat myself to some light chick lit and chose this book by Nina Bell.

Turned out this was neither light nor chick lit (I do wish publishers would be more careful about the covers they choose for books, but that's a rant for another day).

This was a carefully written exploration of identity, what it means for people when they are no longer defined as 'Freddie's Mum' and how couples can struggle to remember what brought them together in the first place once the children are no longer the focus of their lives together. The characters were well-formed, having less desirable facets as well as loveable ones, and developed as people over the course of the story. Readable and thought-provoking; I may well suggest this to my book group.