Notes for the Next Time - Tapa blanda

An outstanding talent. Her writing abounds with truth and tenderness' * Sharon Owens * 'I dog eared all the pages that made me laugh out loud and now the book is a mess.' * Roisin Ingle, Irish Times journalist *

Addled mother-of-three finds her identity buried under layers of clutter in her unkempt home. Dealing with the unrelenting demands of children, the ever-growing pile of laundry, dishes and post, she finds herself having to admit she's no longer able to cope. Enter her very own 'listening angel' - a supposed good Samaritan from the local charity set up to give support to 'Mums' under pressure. So why can't she get a word in edgeways? And why is her husband's mood suddenly so elevated - when a certain angel is hovering nearby? Thus unfolds a dark and hilarious journey into the wilds of suburbia, where unforgettable characters dwell and the unexpected is never far away. Told through diary-style musings, Notes for the Next Time explores the murky depths beneath the smooth surface of life in a hilarious, surprising and genuinely moving read. And what looks to be the final nail in the coffin of our mum-on-the-edge's ebbing sanity may actually provide the much-needed catalyst for change.