Many of our best-loved books focus on the first flush of love - think everything from Gone With The Wind to The Notebook.
And of course, these romantic books are exciting, poignant, moving but there's something about the complexities of marriage and long-term love that make for a more satisfying read in my opinion. After all, every marriage has its downs as well as its ups and there's so much potential there for drama.
Thankfully there are plenty of fantastic novels that put long-term love, in all its glory, under the microscope...
Same As It Ever Was by Claire Lombardo
Lombardo’s debut, The Most Fun We Ever Had, was a favourite of mine, so I had huge expectations – and this delivered in spades. Fiftysomething Julia’s contented life is turned upside down by the reappearance of an old friend who nearly precipitated her downfall. An insightful, moving look at what it means to juggle motherhood and marriage while maintaining your sense of self.
Ordinary Time by Cathy Rentzenbrink
This compassionate portrait of a reluctant vicar’s wife who’s at a crossroads in her life touched me deeply. Ann has moved to Cornwall for her husband’s work but is struggling with the fact he prioritises his faith and flock over her and their son. The character of Ann is so well written, it felt as if I knew her, and the story has stayed with me as a result.
Sandwich by Catherine Newman
Newman’s debut We All Want Impossible Things was one of my favourite books of last year, and I would recommend this new one just as highly. A holiday in the house on Cape Cod that her family has stayed in for years leaves fiftysomething Rocky grappling with a long-held secret. This explores the compromises of a long marriage and the bittersweetness of children leaving home.
The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson
Ray Hanrahan rules over his wife and three adult children with his mercurial moods and larger-than-life personality. As they gather for his make-or-break art exhibition, each is keeping a secret from him and tension is high. Read it for the well-drawn characters (some you’ll love, some you’ll want to shake!), who I missed when I finished this funny family drama.
Wellness by Nathan Hill
This new novel from the author of 2016 bestseller The Nix certainly packs a lot into its pages – parenting trends, the wellness industry, the meaning of art, conspiracy theories – all explored through scenes from the 20-year marriage between Elizabeth and Jack, as the pair grow together and apart again. Meaty but very readable.
Someone Else's Shoes by Jojo Moyes
Two women’s lives become entangled when put-upon wife and mother Sam picks up wealthy Nisha’s bag at the gym. This is a love letter to the strength of female friendship, full of Moyes’s trademark warmth and humour.
Speak To Me by Paula Cocozza
A love triangle with a difference: Susan is frustrated with the amount of attention her husband pays to ‘Wendy’, his smartphone. When he picks it up during sex, it’s the last straw. As a distraction from her unravelling marriage, she becomes obsessed with tracking down love letters from an old boyfriend that have gone missing. A smart, thought-provoking novel about modern relationships.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Few authors can match Patchett in her skill for creating quietly profound novels that stay with readers long after the final page. Her latest is a moving story of youthful love, marriage and motherhood. In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return home to the family cherry farm, and as they pick the harvest, they quiz their mum about her past.
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
I can’t stop raving about this wonderful book and pressing it into the hands of everyone I know. The four Sorensen sisters have grown up in the shadow of their parents all-consuming love and are struggling to find their own happy-ever-afters. When the baby middle sister, Violet, gave up for adoption 15 years ago as a teenager turns up, it affects the whole family. The sisters’ relationships with each other are messy, complicated, loving and so, so realistically described. A terrific and satisfying read to get lost in.
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author's 20th book is every bit good as its predecessors. It's five decades since the best-selling American writer was first published and her experience shows in every beautifully-written sentence. A Spool Of Blue Thread is a stunning novel about three generations of a family that perfectly captures the fights, petty irritations and deep connections between them. Abby and Red are getting older and a decision must be made about how best to look after them so their grown-up children return home, bringing with them old hurts and rivalries. A believable and wise read.
This Must Be The Place by Maggie O’Farrell
Some books are for rushing through, others are for lingering over. Every sentence Maggie O’Farrell writes is so perfectly formed you want to wallow in it like a warm bath. As a writer she’s perceptive, warm and is particularly good at the nuances of Nuanced family relationships. In This Must Be The Place, her seventh novel, she casts her sharp but humane eye on a marriage in trouble. Daniel and Claudette, his reclusive ex-film star wife, are living a quiet life in rural Ireland until a voice from his past comes crashing into his life and puts everything he holds dear in jeopardy.
Monogamy by Sue Miller
Sue Miller is American author with 12 books to her name but has always been largely overlooked here in the UK. This portrait of a 30-year marriage deserves a huge readership as it's terrific. When larger-than-life Graham dies suddenly, his wife Annie has to navigate a new world as a widow. I loved this insightful, wise and witty novel.
Happenstance by Carol Shields
Happenstance is really two novels in one: the first part tells Jack’s story as he struggles to cope with running a home while his wife is away. In the second half it’s Brenda’s turn to tell her side of the story and how time away from her husband makes her question their long marriage.
The Darling Buds of May by HE Bates
He might not be the best husband in the world, but there’s no denying the love between Pop and Ma Larkin. The Darling Buds Of May by HE Bates is the literary equivalent of a spring day.
