Book excerpt: ‘The novel walks a line between comedy and wrenching sadness. It is fluently written and its depiction of domestic chaos ... is all too recognisable’ Sunday Times A Family Man tells the story of thirty one year old Matt Webster, who arrives home from work one day to find that his wife, Kath, has walked out, leaving him to care for their four year old son. Shock and hurt are compounded by the challenge of suddenly having to juggle work with being a single parent. While the needs of his confused, unhappy little son come first, Matt embarks on the difficult quest to find out what could have driven his wife to abandon their child. It is only as the truth emerges that he learns the full heartbreak and joy of unconditional love. Praise for Amanda Brookfield’s novels: ‘There should have been a trumpet fanfare when this book was launched, for Amanda Brookfield is, surely, the queen of the relationship novel. I have read (and enjoyed) all her previous books but this one is - in my opinion - the best. It is the story of how apparently even secure relationships can fall apart. Is there a happy ending? I'm not going to spoil your enjoyment by saying another thing. Just buy and read and enjoy this splendid book.’ ‘I savoured every second of this deeply satisfying book. Amanda Brookfield goes from strength to strength’ Patricia Scanlon ‘Few contemporary British novelists writing today explore the messy tangles of close human relationships with quite such warm perceptiveness as Brookfield’ Daily Mirror ‘What is refreshing here is the author’s conspicuous sanity and her sharp line in defence of reason... It could be sentimental, but it isn’t.’ Guardian ‘Penetrating insights into the ordinary female condition’ Woman's Own