City of Friends

The twentieth stunning book from the lauded bestselling author, Joanna Trollope.The day Stacey Grant loses her job feels like the last day of her life. Or at least, the only life she'd ever known. For who was she if not a City high-flyer, Senior Partner at one of the top private equity firms in London?As Stacey starts to reconcile her old life with the new - one without professional achievements or meetings, but instead, long days at home with her dog and ailing mother, waiting for her successful husband to come home - she at least has The Girls to fall back on. Beth, Melissa and Gaby. The girls, now women, had been best friends from the early days of university right through their working lives, and for all the happiness and heartbreaks in between.But these career women all have personal problems of their own, and when Stacey's redundancy forces a betrayal to emerge that was supposed to remain secret, their long cherished friendships will be pushed to their limits . . .

Short-listed for British Book Awards: Fiction Book of the Year 2018 (UK)

“"The Roman poet Horace once said that the exceptional writer was one who could wield ordinary words so skillfully that, in his hands, the ordinary was made new. But for the fact that Horace said it more than two thousand years ago, he might have been speaking of Joanna Trollope. Here is a writer who marshals simple prose and constructs stories around everyday people, but in her hands the humdrum is made strikingly fresh." -- Washington Post Book World”

Joanna Trollope's novels address the issues and emotional journeys that face women today. In this, her 20th novel, she turns a sharp and reflective eye upon four friends in their workplaces . . . As the novel progresses, each woman is forced to question herself and to ask what really matters. How important is work? How much more do women have to put up with in the workplace than men? What price transparency, especially among friends? The author addresses all these questions with her customary insight and wisdom, depicting the characters with warmth and psychological veracity, drawing the reader deep into their lives. S Magazine, Sunday Express
Ventures into tough new territories of female experience. Sunday Times
It's fiendishly well plotted and, with its glittering London settings, full of urban glamour Daily Mail
Explores the multiple frustrations, pressures and hidden agonies of the lives of modern women Metro
This is a delightfully grown-up tale, deftly balancing escapist details with relatable office and home challenges, including ageing parents, rebellious teens and boardroom ethics. Poised and insightful, it's a paean to the joys of leaning in - especially when the going gets tough. Mail on Sunday

Joanna Trollope is the author of twenty highly acclaimed and bestselling novels. She was appointed OBE in 1996, and a trustee of the National Literacy Trust in 2012. She has chaired the Whitbread and Orange Awards, as well as being a judge of many other literature prizes; she has been part of two DCMS panels on public libraries and is patron of numerous charities, including Meningitis Now, and Chawton House Library. In 2014, she updated Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility as the opening novel in the Austen Project. City of Friends is her twentieth novel.

Stacey leaned forward, gripping the edge of the bench, and stared at the ground. God, she thought, am I losing my mind? Is this what happens when you lose your job? The day Stacey Grant is made redundant feels like the last day of her life. Or at least the only life she'd ever known. For who was she if not a high-flying City worker? As Stacey's life closes in on her, caring for her increasingly vulnerable mother and waiting for her successful husband to return home, she at least has The Girls to fall back on. Beth, Melissa and Gaby. The girls, now women, had been there for each other since university, and this would be no different.But these career women have problems of their own, and when Stacey's redundancy forces a betrayal to emerge that was supposed to remain secret, their long cherished friendships will be pushed to their limits . . . 'Fiendishly well-plotted . . . I love it' Daily Mail 'Trollope's observations are as astute as ever . . . Cleverly tackles contemporary issues and the question: can women have it all?' Scotsman

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