Dolly Alderton's debut novel Ghosts weaves together a tale of both love and loss, finding meaning in early-30's woes that include fading friendships and ageing parents. Main character Nina Dean is a successful food writer who is constantly reminded of the passing of time: her friends are marrying and decamping to the suburbs, her ex-boyfriends are moving on, her mother is caught in a mid-life crisis, and her father is becoming unrecognisable, rattled with dementia. Although the novel doesn't necessarily touch on death or mystery per se, it speaks to the ghosts left after time's passing, and the renewal that comes with it. This novel is funny, fragile, and poignant all at once, even bringing in an unlikely romance with a charming love interest named Max.
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