French Exit

A tragedy of manners from the Man Booker-shortlisted author of The Sisters Brothers n n `My favourite book of his yet' Maria Semple, author of Where'd You Go, Bernadette n n 'Pure joy' Mail on Sunday n n 'Buoyantly insane' New Yorker n n Frances Price is in dire straits. Scandals swirl around the recently widowed New York socialite, and her adult-aged, toddler-brained son Malcolm is no help. n n Cutting their losses, they grab their cat, Small Frank, and head for the exit. Paris becomes the backdrop for a giddy drive to self-destruction, helped along by a cast of singularly curious characters. n n Brimming with pathos, warmth and wit, French Exit is a riotous send-up of high society and a moving story of mothers and sons. n