One Day I Shall Astonish the World

Shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize 2022

Vegetable-wise Roy has only ever been able to tolerate baked beans and iceberg lettuce, and I honestly thought that would be the worst thing about being married to him. Now he wants to live to a hundred and puts his fingers in his ears when I speak.

Susan and Roy have been married for twenty years and she's beginning to wonder whether she's really happy. As her husband drives her crazy, Susan realises that that her job at the university might just be the best part of her life.

When 2020 dawns and Susan's grown up daughter returns to the nest, along with her very strong opinions, Susan begins to question all of her life decisions. Is the marriage really worth it? What does she really want? Has she actually been really wrong about...everything?

Nina Stibbe's new novel is about living and loving, hopes and disappointments and finding contentment: the realisation that things being 'good enough' might be pretty good after all.