Separate Beds
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Product Description
Product Description
Annie and Tom's marriage is in mid-life crisis. They seem to have everything - a lovely home, rewarding jobs and three healthy grown-up children - but, beneath the surface, all is not well. Beneath the surface lies a secret guilt which ensures that whilst they live under the same roof, they sleep in separate beds. Then, as recession strikes, Tom comes home one evening and drops a bombshell that threatens to destroy everything they have left. Will he and Annie be able to leave the past behind and weather this storm together? Or will it push them further apart? Annie is about to discover that out of disaster springs the faint rays of hope. As her family rallies together, for the first time in years, her home is filled with people, conversation, tears - and laughter. And, little by little, Annie and Tom start to open up to one another about the terrible, painful truth they have lived with all these years. Soon a new, unexpected future starts to take shape as Annie and Tom are offered a second chance at happiness. But will they take it?
About the Author
Elizabeth Buchan is the author of ten previous novels, including the bestselling and prize-winning Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman, That Certain Age and The Second Wife, all of which received rave reviews. She lives in London with her husband and children.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The book cover suggests, in my opinion, a funny chick-lit book. It is not. Rather, it is a well-crafted analysis of a seemingly functional well-to-do family in London, the Nicholsons. Touches of humour guarantee a smile but this is not what the book is about.
Tom and Annie have been sleeping in separate beds for years. For some people this could be a choice of comfortable practicality. Not for them. Things started to go wrong long ago for a precise reason which neither of them is willing to speak out loud. Underlying issues and resentment mar their present life, although they both throw a coat of civility and politeness over it all. Something unspoken but always brimming threatens to get out, and never does. Their house is pregnant with a disquieting, loud silence. Why are they still together? Force of habit? Fear of the unknown that would come after so many years of marriage? Or is there something else? To the outsiders, they seem to have a good life. Tom is a well-respected businessman working for the BBC, Annie is a manager at a local hospital.
Life goes on. They have three grown children, Mia, Jake and Emily, who lead their own life. One day, Tom delivers dreadful news, as a result everybody's world is turned upside down. The impact haunts an already fragile marriage and it involves the children too. Will they all be able to adjust, to function properly ever again?
As trouble always knocks twice -or several times- other unexpected, serious events shake the ground undoing the remaining sort of tranquility that had been taken for granted for so long. This involves Jake especially. The Nicholsons realise that they must try to do their best to face the facts. The house that was once so silent becomes the epicentre of life, albeit in a negative light. Unexpectedly, this leads to another consequence: some reluctant, tentative giggle generated by an impossible situation curls up some lips ... something that has not happened in the longest time. But the question lingers: how can they survive massive changes unscathed? Or at all? The book ends with some answers...
This is as much as can be said about the plot and the characters without spoiling the reading. The narrative flows gracefully. Annie is the main character, a woman who firmly believed in her marriage but is now disillusioned -and a bit too... obliging at times in my opinion-. Her actions, thoughts and emotions are described fittingly depending on circumstances. The same goes for the other characters, well etched and intense.
The book is a reminder that we all walk on precarious ground. It also explores the importance of family values, the intricacies of marriage and parenthood and the significance of survival, dignity, self-respect. And love.
Well written. My true vote: 4.5 stars.
Tom and Annie have been sleeping in separate beds for years. For some people this could be a choice of comfortable practicality. Not for them. Things started to go wrong long ago for a precise reason which neither of them is willing to speak out loud. Underlying issues and resentment mar their present life, although they both throw a coat of civility and politeness over it all. Something unspoken but always brimming threatens to get out, and never does. Their house is pregnant with a disquieting, loud silence. Why are they still together? Force of habit? Fear of the unknown that would come after so many years of marriage? Or is there something else? To the outsiders, they seem to have a good life. Tom is a well-respected businessman working for the BBC, Annie is a manager at a local hospital.
Life goes on. They have three grown children, Mia, Jake and Emily, who lead their own life. One day, Tom delivers dreadful news, as a result everybody's world is turned upside down. The impact haunts an already fragile marriage and it involves the children too. Will they all be able to adjust, to function properly ever again?
As trouble always knocks twice -or several times- other unexpected, serious events shake the ground undoing the remaining sort of tranquility that had been taken for granted for so long. This involves Jake especially. The Nicholsons realise that they must try to do their best to face the facts. The house that was once so silent becomes the epicentre of life, albeit in a negative light. Unexpectedly, this leads to another consequence: some reluctant, tentative giggle generated by an impossible situation curls up some lips ... something that has not happened in the longest time. But the question lingers: how can they survive massive changes unscathed? Or at all? The book ends with some answers...
This is as much as can be said about the plot and the characters without spoiling the reading. The narrative flows gracefully. Annie is the main character, a woman who firmly believed in her marriage but is now disillusioned -and a bit too... obliging at times in my opinion-. Her actions, thoughts and emotions are described fittingly depending on circumstances. The same goes for the other characters, well etched and intense.
The book is a reminder that we all walk on precarious ground. It also explores the importance of family values, the intricacies of marriage and parenthood and the significance of survival, dignity, self-respect. And love.
Well written. My true vote: 4.5 stars.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is vintage Buchan: a wonderfully knowing insight into the fragile machinations of family life under siege. The author's great skill is entwining individual dilemmas to produce a catastrophe which she resolves by tackling the issues separately and then together to orchestrate a rewardingly happy ending. The dilemmas are all recognisable: lost job, financial disaster, disaffected children, wayward in-laws, broken marriages, irritating but loveable dog and all are tackled head on in Buchan's deceptively gentle but compelling voice. A treat of a read. Thoroughly recommend it. BT
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've read several of Elizabeth Buchan's novels and enjoyed them and this one is no exception. Her style is understated and her dialogue never less than realistic. If her characters walked into a room you would recognise them instantly - you probably know people who are just like them. The cover of this book suggests a light a frothy chick lit confection but the contents are nothing like. This is family life red in tooth and claw.
Annie and Tom have been married for many years and have produced three children now grown up. It is clear from the first page that Mia, the eldest daughter, has left the family in dramatic circumstances though these are only alluded to for much of the book. Her twin - Jake - is married to high flyer Jocasta and they have a small child, Maisie. Emily is still living at home and struggling to write her first novel. Tom and Annie both have well-paid jobs - Annie is an administrator in a hospital and Tom works for the BBC. Outwardly their lives are perfect but inside their home it is clear things are not as they seem and Tom and Annie occupy separate rooms - not just separate beds.
Unexpected events cause everyone to rethink their priorities and make hard decisions which will have far reaching effects and no one will remain unchanged by the end of the book. No one is perfect and all must come to terms with how their behaviour affects others in the family. This is a novel of the Nicholson family and while there are other characters in the story they are lightly sketched and the family dynamic occupies centre stage throughout. This is a quiet and thoughtful book and while there are touches of humour the subject is primarily serious though it is not a depressing book to read as the message is ultimately hopeful. Ultimately family life is about compromises but what you get back in return is always more than you give up.
Annie and Tom have been married for many years and have produced three children now grown up. It is clear from the first page that Mia, the eldest daughter, has left the family in dramatic circumstances though these are only alluded to for much of the book. Her twin - Jake - is married to high flyer Jocasta and they have a small child, Maisie. Emily is still living at home and struggling to write her first novel. Tom and Annie both have well-paid jobs - Annie is an administrator in a hospital and Tom works for the BBC. Outwardly their lives are perfect but inside their home it is clear things are not as they seem and Tom and Annie occupy separate rooms - not just separate beds.
Unexpected events cause everyone to rethink their priorities and make hard decisions which will have far reaching effects and no one will remain unchanged by the end of the book. No one is perfect and all must come to terms with how their behaviour affects others in the family. This is a novel of the Nicholson family and while there are other characters in the story they are lightly sketched and the family dynamic occupies centre stage throughout. This is a quiet and thoughtful book and while there are touches of humour the subject is primarily serious though it is not a depressing book to read as the message is ultimately hopeful. Ultimately family life is about compromises but what you get back in return is always more than you give up.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Thoughtful and engrossing
A well-written story about the travails of a modern, middle-class family, with psychological insight that hits the spot. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Cathy T
Sensitive prose, keen insights - another great Buchan book
I loved Separate Beds. The characters were cleverly drawn and sensitively portrayed. Tom and Annie's lives, so very normal and conventionalon the outside, in such turmoil within,... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Bizgen
Subtle and poignant
Eliazbeth Buchan's ability to convey the complexity of family relationships under pressure is enviable. Read more
Published 15 months ago by V. Grand
So Predictable!
If you like a depressing, boring story full of miserable, unlikeable characters leading wretched lives, but where you can work out each ones happy ending way before the last page,... Read more
Published 16 months ago by book girl
Perceptive modern family story
This is an enjoyable and perceptive read, although I found myself wondering at times if it wasn't all a bit trivial. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Suzie
Separate Beds
Elziabeth Buchan is THE chronicler of the baby-boomers, tracing their joys and disasters through several novels. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Daphne Wright
An excellent read!
Another well written book from Elizabeth Buchan that I was reluctant to put down, and felt sad when I came to the end. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Miss Higgins
Thought-provoking
Can you ever go back to that crucial crossroads moment in a marriage when you begin to drift apart and rebuild the relationship? Read more
Published 18 months ago by P. Ashley
Awful plot, horrendous characters, bad writing
I'd previously read and enjoyed 'revenge of the middle-aged woman'. This book was horrendous.
The plot was frankly unbelievable, with all the main characters completely... Read more
The plot was frankly unbelievable, with all the main characters completely... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Domestic Kali
Separate Beds
I did enjoy this book as it was really reminiscent of family life in so many ways. It could be quite sad and emotional and then some small detail would make you see the funny side... Read more
Published 18 months ago by David
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