I'm a little surprised this book didn't get more buzz, given how strongly it is constructed. There are moments where the writing can be a little too close to cliched phrasing, but Patel draws us steadily into the world of the characters and their navigation around sense of self and family, and how those tug with each other. I suspect it is because this is a book dealing firmly with interpersonal relationships, which, while dealing with weighty issues, does not carry the particular flavour of angst that marks so much current Australian literary fiction.
Of course, that is a very Melbourne angst and this is a book with a distinctly Canberra flair. I used to love reading books set where I live, and thought I'd be really keen on the trend for more Canberran books, but it just feels uncomfortably far from escapist.
But other than that problem, this is a thoughtful novel about a group of women navigating their relationships, which gives space for each perspective and room to breathe.