The story begins on the morning of Ursula’s ex-husband William’s new marriage with his three children excited that their father is marrying a Cabinet Minister and the Prime Minister will be among the guests. She, however, is bombarded by the press wanting a take on her feelings. Then life moves on, dramatic trauma ensues and our characters suffer, I’m not telling you how. For all the plot and incident, this is really a novel about the break-up of Ursula’s marriage, sensitive, emotional and beautifully handled. Certainly Mrs Michael Howard is a born author.
How do you deal with the end of a marriage when you are the partner who is left in the lurch? This is what happens to Ursula, but, beyond the heartbreak, she must deal with the break up of the relationship being played out endlessly in the tabloids. Ursula's story opens on the day of her ex-husband William's wedding. The press are on the phone to her at six in the morning, asking her to share her innermost feelings. 'No comment', is all she can manage.
Her three children, particularly the two youngest, cannot restrain their excitement. After all, it isn't every day that their father marries a government minister and the Prime Minister and half the Cabinet are invited. But Ursula, herself embarked on a shaky new affair with a local man, sees how hard their daughter Jessie has taken the shake-up. Her father's secret favourite, she has put up walls, closed doors. But are those defences strong enough to protect a ten-year-old child?
Sandra Howard was one of the leading fashion models of the 1960s. She is married to the former British Conservative Party leader Michael Howard. Her first novel, Glass Houses, was published in 2006 to widespread acclaim.
