Description

A frank, funny and inspiring new memoir from the bestselling author of The Language of Kindness about the search for meaning in midlife

‘Brilliant… Like having an honest conversation with a smart and funny friend’ Cathy Rentzenbrink

Am I a terrible mother? Is the world ending? Did I turn the oven off? Did I pay the parking fine? Is my TV licence up to date? Will I go to prison? Who will take care of the children?

This is the story of Christie Watson’s journey through midlife. The joy of letting go and the pain of the morning after, the unstoppable power of female friendship and the struggle to raise teenagers as a single parent. It lays bare the exhilaration, agony, wonder and fears of being a middle-aged woman with a wild heart, a changing body and a new set of challenges. And as her world takes on a different shape, there’s something else she starts to feel: the hot flush of possibility…

‘I adore Christie Watson. Quilt on Fire is full of her trademark candour, compassion and humour’ Elizabeth Day

‘You don’t have to be in midlife to appreciate this funny, real, empathetic memoir about the multitudes contained in every woman’ Red

Publisher Review

Literary, gritty, joyful and very, very funny, reading Quilt on Fire is like hanging out with a best friend, one who knows you so well that she can see inside your soul... Virgina Woolf-sharp -- Stacey Duguid * Sunday Telegraph * A superb chronicle of midlife and the chaos of the perimenopause. Candid, humorous, insightful, deeply empathetic, inspiring and utterly necessary * i Paper * You don't have to be in midlife to appreciate this funny, real, empathetic memoir about the multitudes contained in every woman... You'll feel as if you've found a kindred spirit * Red * [Quilt on Fire] stood out for its honesty and humour... A must-read for any woman in midlife * Good Housekeeping, 'This month's 10 books to read right now' * A funny, frank and informative blend of personal writing, research and conversations with friends... [Watson's] descriptions of her failing body are vivid and unflinching... Passages are moving, humbling and written with beautiful detail -- Marianne Power * The Times *