Title: Physical: The catastrophe of desire
Author: mari reiza
Price: FREE
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0 stars(28)

‘This is a beautifully written story full of depth that tells the separate stories of two women, from their viewpoints, in an expertly interconnected way. The author did a brilliant job of shifting viewpoints so effortlessly and with perfect timing, it reminded me at once of Maggie O’Farrell and Elena Ferrante. By the end I felt so connected to the characters, I didn’t want it to end. Relatable, sad at times, angering at times, and overall a very satisfying read.’

In a small town in northern Italy, Kiki feels worthless and angry when her longtime partner finds a new cool girl to ride on another decade of easy existence.

Meanwhile in trendy London, Fátima, the wife of Kiki’s best friend, is losing her selfhood after giving birth to twins and being made redundant.

Both heroines are determined to rebuild the passion and impunity of their youth, vitalising desires that will bring them to risk everything…

Themes covered in the novel include rejection, identity, betrayal, freedom and the right to happiness. The tone is humorous on the face of distress, often rejoicing in the terror of lives out of control.