An Ordinary Life explores a life lived, love lost, and sacrifices of life. Molly, at 94, is sharing with us the memories and happy times of her life.

When Marie NDiaye won the prestigious French Goncourt Prize for Literature in 2009, the novel Three Strong Women (Trois Femmes Puissantes) was incredibly popular with readers in France, but even more significant to the entire French public was the fact that Marie NDiaye became the first black woman winner of this award..

Where do I start? It is hard for me to put into words what this book made me feel. Previous to picking up the book I had heard about it from family and friends as well as on social media; I needed to know what all this fuss was about. For the first few chapters I have to admit it I wasn’t immediately compelled, however I was mistaken. Once you dip your feet into the book all you want to do is keeping swimming.

In her most recent novel, Miss Benson’s Beetle, Rachel Joyce returns to her rare breed of protagonist. Trampled by life’s unfairnesses, unseen and unknown, until an unexpected and perhaps unwelcome moment of self-realisation sets them forth into the world, searching, under the guise of an unconventional adventure, for their lost selves.