Weekend: A Sunday Times 'Best Books for Summer 2021'

Charlotte Wood's novel "The Weekend" is a powerful depiction of old age as a time when hope, desire, and love are still felt as vividly as they were in youth. The book follows the lives of four old friends who gather for one last weekend at Sylvie's old beach house, but tensions, an elderly dog, and unwelcome guests threaten to sweep away their friendship.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 24 June 2021
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

The Sunday Times has compiled a list of the best books for summer 2021, featuring a range of genres and styles. The list includes a Times, Guardian, and Daily Mail paperback pick, as well as a book of the year from A Times, Observer, Independent, Daily Express, and Good Housekeeping. The Weekend is described as a rare pleasure, with Marian Keyes praising the unusual experience of spending 275 pages exclusively in the company of older women. Elizabeth Day describes the book as "glorious," while Charlotte Wood joins the ranks of writers such as Nora Ephron, Penelope Lively, and Elizabeth Strout. Nina Stibbe praises Wood's portrayal of older women, noting that they didn't used to be old and that the experience of ageing is universally bewildering. Lionel Shriver (Observer, Books of the Year) praises the book for its honest, inner lives of women. Tessa Hadley describes the novel as a lovely, lively, intelligent, funny book. Paula Hawkins praises the women for their kinship and intimacy with each other. Daily Express praises the book for its sharp, funny, heartbreaking, and gorgeously-written package. Rosamund Lupton praises the book for its lifelong friendship of the best kind, loving, practical, frank, and steadfast. However, when Sylvie dies, the ground shifts dangerously for the remaining three. Jude, a once-famous restaurateur with a spotless life and a long-standing affair with a married man; Wendy, an acclaimed feminist intellectual; and Ad, a successful artist, are all different in their ways. The book explores the complexities of their relationships and the challenges of ageing. Overall, the Sunday Times' best books for summer 2021 offer a diverse range of literary experiences, from thrilling mysteries to poignant memoirs and thought-provoking novels.

Weight: 256g
Dimension: 219 x 397 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474612999