Jenny Eclair

Edwina Spinner has lived in the same house for over fifty years. It used to be a busy, crowded family home but now Edwina lives alone and it has grown too big for her. She has decided to sell it. The young estate agent who comes to value the house sees potential. Knock down a few walls, add a wet room. 'People like a project.' But as Edwina takes him from room to room, she is transported back to her old life as a young mother. Back to her first husband Ollie and their twins, James and Rowena. Back to lies and dark secrets and to a stepson whose name Edwina cannot even bear to speak aloud. As Edwina's story unravels she is revealed as a complex and intriguing person. Not just the 'frail old lady' trapped in her dated house, but a woman who has lived an extraordinary life, full of love and tragedy. Why is she now so alone? What happened to Edwina's family all those years ago? Moving - Jenny Eclair's fourth novel - reveals a writer at the height of her powers. Gripping, heart-breaking and laced with black humour, it is a novel of family secrets, shocking betrayals and most of all, of home.

Moving

From acclaimed writer and comedian, Jenny Éclair, comes a hilarious and heart-breaking story about a friendship against all odds. Summer 1975: Helena is bored out of her mind - there's absolutely nothing to do and her supposed "best friends" Gwen and Elaine are holidaying in the South of France without her. The only saving grace is that she's allowed to re-decorate her room - bring on the purple floral wallpaper. Summer 2021: New to the north, Hermione's mum has moved her away from London and all her friends to start a new life with new boyfriend Paul, who resembles a slab of meat from the butchers. Just as well she can paint over that hideous wallpaper in her new room. By some miracle, the girls meet. When Hermione discovers Helena's writing under the wallpaper - she's transported back to Summer 1975 and the two instantly hit it off. But after dancing to the juke box at the infamous Blue Monkey café, and meeting Helena's multiple crushes, Hermione discovers a truth about Helena's future that suggests she is in great danger... Hermione found the writing on the wall. But can she save Helena? Jenny Éclair is one of the UK's most popular writers and performers - she is the author of a number of critically acclaimed and Sunday Times Bestselling adult novels, including the Richard and Judy bestseller, Moving. Jenny was the first woman to win the prestigious Perrier Comedy Award.

The Writing on the Wall

Summer 1975: 
Helena is bored out if her mind - her 'best friends' have jetted off on holiday without her. The only saving grace is that she's allowed to redecorate her room. Bring on the floral wallpaper. 

Summer 2021: 
New to the north, Hermione is missing her old life and friends in London. Just as well she can paint over that hideous floral wallpaper in her new room. But when she peel sit back Hermione discovers Helena's writing underneath - and is transported back to summer 1975, where the girls become instant friends. But then Hermione uncovers a shocking truth which suggests Helena's life is in great danger. 

Hermione found the writing on the wall but can she save Helena?

The Writing on the Wall 

Vaseem Khan

Veronica Henry

Katie Fforde

Rachel Hore

Mark Watson

Dorothy Koomson

Richard Madeley

Eva Verde

Helen Lederer

A seriously entertaining collection of feelgood stories guaranteed to put the smile back on your face written especially by ten bestselling novelists: Jenny Éclair Mark Watson Veronica Henry Eva Verde Richard Madeley Katie Fforde Dorothy Koomson Vaseem Khan Helen Lederer Rachel Hore From a hilarious race against time to a moment of unexpected eavesdropping, from righting wrongs in rural India to finding joy in unlikely places, these stories are all rich in wit and humour, guaranteed to lift your spirits and warm your heart. Stories to Make you Smile is a co-commission between The Reading Agency and Specsavers as part of World Book Night 2021.

The Reading Agency

Stories To Make You Smile

A seriously entertaining collection of feelgood stories guaranteed to put the smile back on your face written especially by ten bestselling novelists: Jenny Éclair Katie Fforde Veronica Henry Rachel Hore Vaseem Khan Dorothy Koomson Helen Lederer Richard Madeley Eva Verde Mark Watson From a hilarious race against time, to a case of mistaken identity, from righting wrongs in rural India to finding joy in unlikely places, these stories are all told with wonderful wit and warmth, and are guaranteed to lift your heart and make your spirits soar.

Stories to Make You Smile

Jean Collins had two daughters. But she only loved one of them. She knew it was wrong, but she just couldn't help herself. Jess was a little sweetheart, everyone said so. Anne was awkward and serious and not much fun, to be frank. But now the years have passed. Jess is missing - run off long ago, no one knows where or why. So when Jean is left in a coma after a road accident, it's Anne who travels back up north to sit at her mother's bedside. And she wonders - why did Jean dash out into the road without looking? What distracted her? And why was she carrying a box of vanilla slices, the cream cakes she only ever bought for extra special occasions? Meanwhile there are secrets waiting for Anne and Jean, back at the old family home. Secrets that were buried a long time ago . . .

Life, Death and Vanilla Slices

Jenny Wren

Offering a woman’s take on life’s preoccupations, Jenny Wren presents her amusing thoughts on matters ranging from love and politics to tea and bills: "Why were such things invented?" Her witty musings also consider children and dogs, alongside such subjects as the town, the country, dancing, and concerts. Published in 1891, these delightful essays offer a humorous insight into the thoughts and fixations of a woman in Victorian England, while many points remain as relevant today as when the book first appeared.

Lazy Thoughts of a Lazy Girl

Welcome to South London, to one of the nicest streets in one of London's vilest boroughs, a determined middle-class oasis of skips and bay trees, where Volvos sniff each others' bumpers and men called Giles live with women called Samantha. This is a satellite-dish-free zone of tall houses, standing shoulder to shoulder with big front doors, five floors apiece. Come inside, shut the door and smell the coffee: you could almost be in Kensington. This is where the actors, writers and media types live, where small children wearing smart uniforms and shoes in the shape of lightbulbs get ferried every day to schools that are not local. Some people are luckier than others; fortune smiles on some and gobs on the rest. Jo Metcalf (no. 95) smokes and spies on the smug Cunninghams down the street as they play their bile-inducing game of happy families. Why is the grass greener on the other side of the fence? But happiness is a fragile thing and hairline cracks in a perfect world can become craters of misery. Each story is full of comic insight and realistic observation of contemporary British life and focuses on the very different lives of a set of characters living in the same street.

Camberwell Beauty

Die Liebe, die uns bleibt

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER! 'If you're after an in-depth medical or psychological insight into the menopause, I'm afraid you've opened the wrong book - I'm not a doctor . . . However, I am a woman and I do know how it feels to be menopausal, so this book is written from experience and the heart and I hope it makes you laugh and feel better.' JE Older and Wider is Jenny Eclair's hilarious, irreverent and refreshingly honest compendium of the menopause. From C for Carb-loading and G for Getting Your Shit Together to I for Invisibility and V for Vaginas, Jenny's whistle-stop tour of the menopause in all its glory will make you realise that it really isn't just you. Jenny will share the surprising lessons she has learnt along the way as well as her hard-won tips on the joy of cardigans, dealing with the empty nest (get a lodger) and keeping the lid on the pressure cooker of your temper (count to twenty, ten is never enough). As Jenny says, 'I can't say that I've emerged like a beautiful butterfly from some hideous old menopausal chrysalis and it would be a lie to say that I've found the 'old me' again. But what I have found is the 'new me' - and you know what? I'm completely cool with that.'

A Survivor’s Guide to the Menopause

Older and Wider

'SO immersive, atmospheric and compelling' Marian Keyes 'Kept me glued to the page' Alex Marwood 'Achingly poignant . . . An absolutely brilliant read' Sunday Mirror _____________ Beginnings, middles and ends; Peggy, Serena, Natasha and Bel. This is the room that binds them, this is how consequences work . . . In deepest Cornwall, the mansion Kittiwake has seen many pass through its doors since it was bought by American heiress Peggy Carmichael seventy years ago. Over the decades, the keys have been handed down through the family, and now it belongs to Bel's adoptive brother, Lance. It's where he'll be celebrating his fiftieth birthday, and Bel is invited. But Bel barely feels like she's holding it together as it is, and in going back to Kittiwake, she will be returning to the place where it all began - where, following the death of a child, a sequence of events was set in motion, the consequences of which are still rippling down through the generations . . . From Sunday Times bestselling author Jenny Eclair comes an utterly compelling new novel of family secrets that will stay with you long after you've turned the last page. ______________ PRAISE FOR JENNY ECLAIR: 'Wonderfully written, insightful and riveting' Daily Mail 'Compelling, compassionate and keenly observed' Independent 'Both heart-rending and compelling' Clare Mackintosh 'I loved it SO MUCH' Marian Keyes 'Witty, moving, dark and absorbing' Jo Brand 'An elegant, gripping and mesmeric read' Helen Lederer 'An absolute page-turner of a story' Judy Finnigan

The new novel from the author of Richard & Judy bestseller Moving

Inheritance

Don't miss the unforgettable new novel from Jenny Eclair - INHERITANCE is out now ___________ 'Both heart-rending and compelling' Clare Mackintosh 'I loved it SO MUCH' Marian Keyes 'It occupied my mind constantly' Jo Brand It only took one night to tear a family apart. Artist and illustrator Edwina Spinner used to have a busy family life. Now she lives alone, in a house that has grown too big for her. She has decided to sell it. As Edwina takes the estate agent from room to room, she finds herself transported back to her life as a young mother. Back to her twins, Rowena and Charlie, and a stepson she cannot bring herself to mention by name. As the house reveals its secrets, Edwina is forced to confront her family's past, and a devastating betrayal that changed everything. But Edwina doesn't know the whole story. And to discover the truth, she will have to face the one person she vowed never to see again. Praise for Jenny Eclair: 'Wonderfully written, insightful and riveting' Daily Mail 'Compelling, compassionate and keenly observed' Independent 'Edwina's story is both heart-rending and compelling' Clare Mackintosh 'I loved it SO MUCH' Marian Keyes 'Witty, moving, dark and absorbing' Jo Brand 'An elegant, gripping and mesmeric read' Helen Lederer 'An absolute page-turner of a story' Judy Finnigan

The Richard & Judy bestseller

Als Edwina beschließt, das Haus zu verkaufen, in dem sie mehr als fünfzig Jahre gelebt hat, werden Erinnerungen wach: an jene glücklichen Tage ihrer ersten großen Liebe und ihre Zeit als junge Mutter. Wehmütig erinnert sie sich auch an ihren Stiefsohn, dessen Namen sie noch immer nicht auszusprechen wagt. Zu schmerzlich sind die Erinnerungen an jene Nacht, die das Schicksal ihrer Familie bis heute überschattet. Doch Edwina kennt nicht die ganze Wahrheit - und die wird sie nur erfahren, wenn sie bereit ist, dem Menschen gegenüberzutreten, den sie niemals wiedersehen wollte ...

Roman

In this addictive short story collection, twenty-four very different women reach a pivotal moment in their lives. A widow is liberated by a new job, but keeps it secret from her family. A date in suburbia has dramatic results. A seamstress takes revenge on an unsuspecting customer, while in France, a mother is promised 'fantastic news' - and lets her imagination run away with her. With each story, Jenny Eclair introduces a fascinating new character. And behind each woman lies a gripping tale - of betrayal, of love, of hope and defiance. Funny, heart-breaking, inspiring - and packed with wicked one liners - this wonderful collection shows Jenny Eclair's exceptional talent for observation at its very best.

Listening In

Judith Holder

From that first date - and how it's all downhill from there We all know about the jungle of 'dating'. But once you've found your 'special' friend you'll have to pretend you like their taste in music, be nice to their mother and pick up their socks, and that's only year one. By the time you get into grumpy old middle-aged land, you're firmly on farting terms and over-familiarity has bedded in. The only thing to do with the whole business is to laugh over it, which is the idea of this book.

Men are from Mars. Women have just got back from Tesco¿s

Grumpy Old Couples

Menopausal Musings from the Midlife

In this addictive short story collection, twenty-four very different women reach a pivotal moment in their lives. A widow is liberated by a new job, but keeps it secret from her family. A date in suburbia has dramatic results. A seamstress takes revenge on an unsuspecting customer, while in France, a mother is promised 'fantastic news' - and lets her imagination run away with her. With each story, Jenny Eclair introduces a fascinating new character. And behind each woman lies a gripping tale - of betrayal, of love, of hope and defiance. Funny, heart-breaking, inspiring - and packed with wicked one liners - this wonderful collection shows Jenny Eclair's exceptional talent for observation at its very best. Based on Jenny Eclair's Radio 4 series, Little Lifetimes. ___________________ PRAISE FOR JENNY ECLAIR: 'Wonderfully written, insightful and riveting' Daily Mail 'Both heart-rending and compelling' Clare Mackintosh 'SO immersive, atmospheric and compelling' Marian Keyes 'Witty, moving, dark and absorbing' Jo Brand 'An elegant, gripping and mesmeric read' Helen Lederer 'An absolute page-turner of a story' Judy Finnigan 'Compelling, compassionate and keenly observed' Independent ___________ Don't miss the unforgettable new novel from Jenny Eclair - INHERITANCE is out now

Gripping short stories about women based on Jenny Eclair's Radio 4 series, Little Lifetimes

From the creators of Grumpy Old Women comes a hilarious, irreverent and beautifully designed ode to the joys, angers, desires and embarrassments of middle-aged women.

The Bumper Book of Fun for Women of a Certain Age

Wendy

Chin up, Britain! Now is the time to return to basic commonsense and embrace a new austerity. Can't afford a holiday? Slather on some sun tan lotion that smells of coconuts, at least you'll smell like you're on holiday. Don't know what to do with a left-over half a banana? Discard it surreptitiously on the floor of a government-owned building, 'accidentally' slip on it and claim thousands of pounds of compensation. Can't afford new shoes? Polish your old ones. And if all else fails, why not sell your children on ebay? In her inimitable style, Jenny Éclair brings you helpful and hilarious tips for changing the way you live, including beauty on a budget, identifying your swappable skills (burying dead animals, tuning a freeview box), improving manners on public transport, the fine art of 'out-presenting' and a guide to gate-crashing.

Chin Up Britain

Nick Sharratt

Kes Gray

When Daisy gets left with a babysitter for the first time, she eats up her mum's note and tells Angela that she usually has ice-cream and chips for tea, never gets has a bath, and always stays up watching videos till midnight."Really?" asks Angela."Really, really," fibs Daisy. But what will happen when Mum comes home? If you liked Eat Your Peas, you will really, really like this book! Now readers can join in with this read along CD, read by Jenny Eclair.

Jenny Eclair

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