The Break

Marian Keyes was one of the first Brit Chick Lit authors and she is still one of the best. The Break isn't always an easy read, especially if you are in a long-term marriage, but it is funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful. The fun part, as with all of Keyes' novels, are the secondary characters and the family relationships. Amy's mother gets an “old person acting wacky” plot that never patronizes her, and Amy's co-worker Alastair is always on hand for a snarky quip. Somehow each of the members of Amy's large family have their own distinct personality, and I wouldn't mind a spin-off about her siblings, like Keyes did with the Walsh family ([b:Watermelon 9300 Watermelon (Walsh Family, #1) Marian Keyes https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1345767584s/9300.jpg 912230], [b:The Mystery of Mercy Close 12724978 The Mystery of Mercy Close (Walsh Family, #5) Marian Keyes https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1340719307s/12724978.jpg 17861299], etc). It's not all fun and games, however. The bottom line is that the book is about what happens when a marriage falls apart, and whether the wounds can ever heal. It gave me a few uncomfortable moments as I saw myself in Amy; while it's easy to blame her husband Hugh for taking a six month hiatus, it takes two to make or break a marriage, and Keyes very carefully shows Amy's part in the process without casting blame. It helps that we get to see Amy being very good at her public relations job - competence porn is so much more enjoyable than ditsy clueless heroines. There's also a subplot about the challenge of obtaining an abortion in Ireland that comes across as possibly a little too political, but it does have ramifications for the larger plot so it doesn't feel completely shoehorned in to make a point.It's been too long since Keyes' last novel, [b:The Woman Who Stole My Life 22009741 The Woman Who Stole My Life Marian Keyes https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428674566s/22009741.jpg 41322201]. I had to order my copy of The Break from England because it hasn't been published in the US. I hope that is only a temporary condition, because American readers deserve the opportunity to see why Keyes is still one of the most engaging authors in the business.