Chris's perfunctory weekend visit to see his parents becomes extended when he returns home to find his mum's had some sort of breakdown and his dad's setting up home round the corner with Cat, a woman half his age. At first he's convinced he'll be leaving the village as soon as his mum's better and his dad's come to his senses. But nothing is ever that simple, and when Chris meets up with local girl Beth, he's suddenly not quite so keen to run back to his life in London. Village life is not necessarily the simple life though: there's stiff competition for Beth's affections from her ex, Dan, serious animosity from Cat's terrifying older brother, Dean, and Chris's old mates seem to view him as an outsider at first. However, as he looks after his mother, extends his stay and spends more time with Beth, Chris begins to question the path his life has taken so far, and even consider the possibility that the things he is looking for might be a little closer to home
- ISBN10 0374299102
- ISBN13 9780374299101
- Publish Date 2 September 2008 (first published 24 June 2005)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 1 July 2021
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Farrar Straus Giroux
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 325
- Language English