To celebrate the (re)publication of Ursula Parrott’s Ex-Wife we look at some other famous examples of divorce in fiction.
Ex-Wife
Ursula Parrott
In 1920s New York Patricia becomes an ex-wife at only twenty-four and has to forge a new life as a single woman. Despite being published originally in 1929 this novel is ‘startlingly contemporary’ (Monica Heisey) and incredible relatable.
Heartburn
Nora Ephron
A food writer discovers her husband is in love with another woman. In between wishing him dead and wanting him back, she shares some of her favourite recipes with the reader in this sharp, hilarious and heartbreaking only novel by screenwriter Nora Ephron.
Really Good, Actually
Monica Heisey
Divorced after only 608 days of marriage, aged twenty-nine, Maggie is determined to prove she is doing fine (really good, actually) and throw herself into being young, free and single. You’ll laugh, cry, cringe and everything in between.
The Days of Abandonment
Elena Ferrante translated by Ann Goldstein
After fifteen years of marriage Olga’s husband leaves her and their children, prompting the beginning of an existential and emotional freefall as she obsessively examines ‘what went wrong’.
Fleishman Is in Trouble
Taffy Brodessa-Akner
Toby Fleishman is a recently divorced doctor tentatively beginning to explore (and enjoy) his newly single life, until his ex-wife disappears – uncovering dark truths about their marriage and his own identity.
The Divorcées
Rowan Beaird
Set in 1951 on a ‘divorce ranch’ in Nevada (the only state where divorce was legal at the time), The Divorcées follows a group of women waiting the stipulated six weeks for their divorces to be processed. With time to kill, the women bond over their experiences, but how far will they go to secure their own freedom?
The Divorce
Moa Herngren translated by Alice Menzies
Told from alternating perspectives of a couple as their marriage breaks down after a seemingly trivial argument, this novel explores the secrets, microagressions and mistakes that underpin a marriage.
See Now Then
Jamacia Kincaid
See Now Then explores the emotional toll which the passage of time wrecks on people and their relationships, through the unravelling marriage of Mr and Mrs Sweet, before, during, and after he leaves his family for another woman.
‘A forgotten classic: darkly funny and startlingly contemporary, full of witty one-liners and stop-you-in-your-tracks observations about romance, work, and life.’ (Monica Heisey, Really Good, Actually).
To celebrate our publication of Ursula Parrott’s Ex-Wife (Faber Editions), we are proud to present our first ever baseball cap.