Us : A Novel

Longlisted for the Man Booker PrizeDavid Nicholls brings the wit and intelligence that graced his enormously popular New York Times bestseller, One Day, to a compellingly human, deftly funny new novel about what holds marriages and families togetherand what happens, and what we learn about ourselves, when everything threatens to fall apart.Douglas Petersen may be mild-mannered, but behind his reserve lies a sense of humor that, against all odds, seduces beautiful Connie into a second date . . . and eventually into marriage. Now, almost three decades after their relationship first blossomed in London, they live more or less happily in the suburbs with their moody seventeen year-old son, Albie. Then Connie tells him she thinks she wants a divorce.The timing couldnt be worse. Hoping to encourage her sons artistic interests, Connie has planned a month-long tour of European capitals, a chance to experience the worlds greatest works of art as a family, and she cant bring herself to cancel. And maybe going ahead with the original plan is for the best anyway? Douglas is privately convinced that this landmark trip will rekindle the romance in the marriage, and might even help him to bond with Albie.Narrated from Douglass endearingly honest, slyly witty, and at times achingly optimistic point of view, Us is the story of a man trying to rescue his relationship with the woman he loves, and learning how to get closer to a son whos always felt like a stranger. Us is a moving meditation on the demands of marriage and parenthood, the regrets of abandoning youth for middle age, and the intricate relationship between the heart and the head. And in David Nichollss gifted hands, Douglass odyssey brings Europefrom the streets of Amsterdam to the famed museums of Paris, from the cafs of Venice to the beaches of Barcelonato vivid life just as he experiences a powerful awakening of his own. Will this summer be his last as a husband, or the moment when he turns his marriage, and maybe even his whole life, around?