The Essence of the Thing

by Madeleine St John

First published 2013

Nicola steps out for a simple errand to buy cigarettes. When she returns home, she finds Jonathan waiting in her living room. But this isn't the devoted man she's been living with. This Jonathan coldly informs her that she needs to move out, making the decision without any discussion. The abrupt breakup shocks Nicola completely. She packs her belongings and begins navigating the difficult path from the wreckage of her relationship toward understanding what love actually means. St John, who wrote The Women in Black, creates a comic yet tender story about how relationships unravel and what people discover about themselves afterward. The novel earned a Booker Prize shortlist nomination for its portrayal of one woman's journey through heartbreak toward clarity.

Genres: romance, literary-fiction, contemporary

Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family

Period: 20th-century, 21st-century

249 pages · Paperback · Text Publishing Australia

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