Little Disasters

The gripping and controversial novel that is guaranteed to get readers talking in 2020! You think you have the perfect family. But everything can be broken. Liz and Jess have been friends for ten years, ever since they both started a family. But how well do they really know each other? When Jess arrives at hospital with a story that doesn't add up, Liz is the doctor on call. Jess has devoted her life to family and home. But she is holding so many secrets. As the truth begins to emerge, Liz is forced to question everything she thought she knew: about Jess, and about herself. When something feels so personal, how do you stay professional? 'Each character is brilliantly drawn, and the book delivers surprise after surprise' Claire Fuller, author of Bitter Orange 'Absolutely brilliant; an emotionally devastating story, brave and honest' Emma Curtis, author of One Little Mistake 'Vaughan explores the darker impulses of motherhood - the fear, fury and despair; the frantic juggling, loss of control and exhaustion - and of course the overwhelming love. Refreshingly assured and punchy writing that is sure to hit a nerve' Lucy Atkins 'A brilliant storyteller, Vaughan serves up every mother's nightmare with consummate skill and a big heart. Clever. Totally compelling. Impossible to put down' Eve Chase, author of Black Rabbit Hall 'I loved it and didn't want to put it down. So, so good on motherhood and friendship' Laura Marshall, author of Friend Request 'A true psychological thriller shows us, as all the best ones do, that the scariest place is not the dark alleyway but inside the pathways of our own minds' Araminta Hall, author of Our Kind of Cruelty 'An immaculately researched and compelling story about the devastating fall out from one mistake'Jane Shemilt, author of The Playground

"In this novel, a doctor is faced with an ethical dilemma when her friend's child lands in the emergency room"--

A gripping novel about two young married couples--expectant parents and new friends--whose lives collide in a pile-up of deceits and indiscretions It was the exhilaration of new parenthood that first united Michael and Paul, outside the Brooklyn hospital where their wives, Rebecca and Jenny, had exiled them from the delivery room. For Paul, though, tragedy swiftly followed that euphoria. Hoping to speed his and Jenny's recovery, he turns to Michael for a favor, unwittingly kindling the spark of connection between these couples into the affair that will blow them apart. One year later, on the same morning that the catastrophes of their personal lives come to an explosive head, a mysterious crisis in Midtown Manhattan all but shuts down the city, leaving both men stranded--Michael at the northernmost tip of the island and Paul in a dark subway tunnel under the East River. Each must make the arduous trek home through record-breaking heat, nervously eyeing the thin plume of smoke above the skyline, though it's their private turmoils that loom largest. Told in the alternating voices of these charismatic but deeply flawed men, Little Disasters deftly cuts between the suspense of the citywide disaster and the history of secrets, lies, and losses that has brought these four intertwined lives to the brink. Smart, unsparing, and bitingly funny, Randall Klein's debut is an engrossing story of the bonds of love and family--and our unending urges to test them, even when we need them most.

In this collection, authors transgress and uphold their maternal integrity as they dance at the edge of comfort and take up the challenge of exploring the boundaries of maternal practice– their own, their mothers, and those found in literature, media, or popular culture. These mothers assume a hopeful stance; actively choose courage over comfort; push through what is fun, fast, or easy, and show how they come to mother outside the lines in all its simplicity and complexity. As they bust outdated, tired, and ambiguous boundaries, they find and (re)set new boundaries that restore dignity and self-respect for themselves, their children, their families, and for the matricentric feminist collective, particularly those whose voices may continue to be silenced and marginalized by structures and limits beyond their control. Thirteen stories are threaded together to form a compelling tale showing how and why some mothers, when faced with ambiguous and untenable boundaries, resist the urge to accept the assumed, the unpredictable, even the demanded– whether they be internal or external, visible or invisible, real or imaginary.

''Taut, clever, compelling and guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat...'' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train You think you know her... But look a little closer She is a stay-at-home mother of three with boundless reserves of patience, energy and love. After being friends for a decade, this is how Liz sees Jess. Then one moment changes everything. Dark thoughts and carefully guarded secrets surface - and Liz is left questioning everything she thought she knew about her friend, and about herself. From the bestselling author of Anatomy of a Scandal - a new thought-provoking novel exploring the complexity of motherhood and all that connects and disconnects us. ''A deep dive into the dark side of motherhood. Highly recommended'' Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said ''Compelling, beautifully written, so perceptive and emotionally devastating. Like Anatomy of a Scandal, it feels like an important book as well as a brilliant read'' Lucy Foley, author of The Hunting Party ''Sarah Vaughan turns her pin-sharp attentions to the blame game that is early parenthood, raising the stakes to truly fearful levels. This tense, absorbing read will have parents - in fact, all readers - turning the pages deep into the night'' Louise Candlish, author of Those People ''Little Disasters takes on another topical and emotive issue with the same skill and command Vaughan showed in Anatomy of a Scandal'' Cara Hunter, author of All The Rage ''An emotionally terrifying story. Sarah has impressively created characters whose pain and fear is all too real. I could not put this book down'' Heidi Perks, author of Now You See Her ''Vaughan explores the darker impulses of motherhood - the fear, fury and despair; the frantic juggling, loss of control and exhaustion - and of course the overwhelming love. Refreshingly assured and punchy writing that is sure to hit a nerve'' Lucy Atkins, author of Magpie Lane ''A brilliant storyteller, Vaughan serves up every mother''s nightmare with consummate skill and a big heart. Clever. Totally compelling. Impossible to put down'' Eve Chase, author of Black Rabbit Hall ''I loved it and didn''t want to put it down. So, so good on motherhood and friendship'' Laura Marshall, author of Friend Request ''I read this with a fascinated, mounting sense of horror because it could all be too true. Compulsive reading with an ending I didn''t see coming'' Jane Corry, author of I Looked Away ''A true psychological thriller shows us, as all the best ones do, that the scariest place is not the dark alleyway but inside the pathways of our own minds. Compelling... and important'' Araminta Hall, author of Our Kind of Cruelty ''An immaculately researched and compelling story about the devastating fall out from one mistake'' Jane Shemilt, author of The Playground ''Each character is brilliantly drawn, and the book delivers surprise after surprise'' Claire Fuller, author of Bitter Orange ''Absolutely brilliant; an emotionally devastating story, brave and honest'' Emma Curtis, author of One Little Mistake ''Sarah''s writing is so impressive and skilful - the book is gripping, meticulous, and touches the raw nerves of parenthood'' Terry Stiastny, author of Conflicts of Interest ''A fabulous twisty look at early motherhood and friendships. Domestic noir and psyche thriller, it''s brave and brilliant'' Fionnuala Kearney, author of The Book of Love ''Sarah Vaughan manages to hit that rare sweet spot between satisfying, literary writing and a plot that grips you by the throat. Little Disasters is every bit as brilliant as Anatomy of a Scandal. Superb'' Cass Green, author of The Killer Inside ''An emotionally intelligent and beautifully written thriller that oozes with tension. Just when I thought I had things figured out, Sarah throws us a curveball which turns everything on its head. Rich and authentic, this is a truly remarkable book'' Claire Douglas, author of Then She Vanishes ''Sarah Vaughan delivers another masterful page-turner, this time tackling early motherhood at its least joyful. As with Anatomy of a Scandal, she writes with intelligence and compassion; the result is a truly gripping read'' Catherine Isaac, author of Messy, Wonderful Us ''Told from multiple points of view, this raw and painfully real portrayal of insecurities, guilt, shame and postnatal anxiety is complex, nuanced and moving'' Guardian ''Thought provoking and delicately executed, this beautifully written novel features characters you will want to both rally and reprimand'' The i ''Vaughan''s novel is a warning about the terrible effects parenting can have on mental health. It is also a cunningly plotted mystery'' Daily Mirror ''Sarah Vaughan brings to this book the same tension building expertise that made her bestseller Anatomy of a Scandal such a success'' Daily Mail ''You''ll be kept on the edge of your seat by this carefully crafted novel with multiple twists throughout. It makes for an emotional, often terrifying, and completely gripping read'' Daily Express ''Expertly crafted... Fans of Anatomy may miss the courtroom tension, but the psychological portraiture in this absorbing study of motherhood is just as rich'' Sunday Times ''Full of painful truths about the brutal aspect of motherhood, this punchy thriller is sharply plotted'' Sunday Mirror ''Vaughan delivers another highly emotional, nail-biting read that you''ll tear through in no time at all'' heat ''Sarah Vaughan... is back with her fourth novel, the shocking, impossible-to-look-away Little Disasters'' Observer ''Difficult to put down'' Bella ''An absolutely gripping read'' Closer ''Emotional and intense'' Crime Monthly ''Dark, desperate and gripping'' Cosmopolitan ''Another thought-provoking psychological drama'' Woman & Home ''An important book exploring how everything changes once you become a mother - for good and bad'' Woman''s Weekly ''A brilliantly absorbing read... It twists all the way to a satisfying ending'' WI Life ''An in depth exploration and revelation of the complicated psychology of early motherhood'' Crime Fiction Lover ''Painful and realistic, this is a novel that should be read by everyone planning to have a child'' Literary Review ''In a culture that fetishises motherhood, Sarah Vaughan''s novel is an invaluable corrective, a warning about the terrible effects parenting can have on mental health. It is also a very cunningly plotted mystery'' Jake Kerridge, Sunday Express ''Sarah Vaughan''s latest novel markets itself as a psychological thriller, but is more of an exploration of the intensity of motherhood. Thought provoking and delicately executed'' Press Association ''Sarah Vaughan has crafted a psychological drama with great depth'' Woman''s Own ''Thought provoking and delicately executed, the beautifully written character drama paints a cautionary portrait of motherhood with recognizable characters you''ll want to rally and reprimand in equal measure throughout'' Irish Examiner

Practical blueprint for developing, conserving and managing Australia's natural resources, written by a senior scientist with the CSIRO. Includes chapters on the international environment, natural disasters, land ownership and current land use. Also features an extensive bibliography and index.