Conversations from a Long Marriage: Series 2

Oct 5, 2024 9:13 AM

Author:Jan Etherington,Roger Allam,Joanna Lumley

The complete second series of the BBC radio comedy drama about a couple who have been married 'for ever', but are keeping the passion alive

'Sublimely funny, touching series... a work of supreme craftsmanship' Radio Times

Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam return as the married couple who met in the Summer of Love and are still passionate about music, life - and each other.

Once again, we listen in on their warm, witty 'conversations', which dance around topics big and small: from health scares and jealousy to disagreements about TV viewing and sourdough bread. There's laughter, bickering, banter - and some loving one-upmanship from both parties, as Roger gives Joanna a masterclass in dishwasher stacking, while Joanna instructs him on how to wave goodbye to departing guests.

Approaching the end of a particularly turbulent year, Joanna makes a list of New Year's Resolutions - for Roger - and suggests their marriage needs a re-boot. 'Out the door?' is his response: but there's plenty of life left in this long, loving relationship, and many more discussions, questions and confessions yet to come...

Created by award-winning writer and journalist Jan Etherington, and based on her own long marriage to Gavin Petrie (with whom she wrote the hit radio and TV series Second Thoughts and Faith in the Future), this sparkling comedy two-hander will resonate with anyone who's ever been in a couple.

Starring Joanna Lumley and Roger Allam

Produced and directed by Claire Jones

A BBC Studios production

Reviews

Sublimely funny, touching series... a work of supreme craftsmanship

—— Radio Times

An uplifting tale of family, friendship and facing your fears. Katie Fforde fans will love this!'

—— My Weekly

The perfect summer novel, we defy you not to be captivated and will be urging them on to live the lives they deserve

—— BELFAST TELEGRAPH

'A story about family, friendship and facing your fears head on'

—— COSMOPOLITAN, BEST BOOKS TO READ THIS SUMMER

An utterly lovely book

—— DEBBIE JOHNSON, author of THE MOMENT I MET YOU

A unique, compelling summer read, full of heart

—— SAMANTHA TONGE, author of SUMMER SECRETS AT STREAMSIDE COTTAGE

It's a feel-good book, but what really stands out is Prue's voice. She's known a lot of pain, and it all comes out in a tone which is precise, impatient and cold, but which evokes immediate sympathy for her and perhaps reveals more vulnerability than Prue realises

—— HERALD

I loved the brothers' relationship. Very moving. Fascinating

—— Don Warrington

This is a little bit Sliding Doors, a little bit One Day, a little bit will-they-won't-they - and you're desperate for a happy ending. Jodie Chapman does a brilliant job of describing what happens when life gets in the way of love. A really special book

—— Sara Cox

This beautiful tale of love, loss and sacrifice will break your heart . . . With echoes of David Nicholls' One Day and Sally Rooney's novels, it perfectly captures the agony of falling in love and the razor-sharp reality of pain and loss

—— Daily Mail

Prepare for all the feels in this heart-breaking must-read

—— Sun

Very readable, very enjoyable. We loved it!

—— Sara Cox

This love (in every sense of the word) story will speak to anyone who has felt an enduring, painful, yet wonderfully beautiful love. From first loves that never really leave you to difficult family dynamics we can spend our whole lives trying to cope with, Another Life is astounding

—— Inside Kent

It broke my heart to close the book on this romance . . . Chapman is a master at bringing her story to life on the page

—— Daily Record

Stunning. Written with such poignancy, full of nostalgia, unspoken longing and the agony of wrong turns

—— Beth Morrey

Fans of David Nicholls will adore this complex love story

—— Prima

A complex, beautiful, multilayered debut exploring love in all its forms

—— Woman's Weekly

If you love sweet, sorrowful coming-of-age tales, you'll love this beautifully written debut

—— Heat

Beautiful. Finished with a lump in my throat. A never-ending daisy chain smoking summer of first love

—— Ericka Waller, 'Dog Days'

A beautifully written story of love in all its forms . . . The writing is stunning and intuitive, and the story is one I don't think I will forget

—— NB Magazine

Teeming with acute observations and wired with suspense, this novel explores how we are the architects of our own lives

—— Irish Times

A perfect combination of deeply-felt tragedy with great hopefulness

—— Anne Youngson, author of Meet Me at the Museum

A remarkable book

—— Joy Rhoades, author of The Woolgrower’s Companion

A superb second novel that goes to places you mightn't expect but which ultimately end up making a great deal of sense. It touches on a lot thematically and doesn't ever suggest that any one life path can be a cure for severe mental illness and it does some things that... are very pleasing indeed. I had a LOT OF FEELINGS

—— Claire Hennessy, author and editor of Banshee Journal

Loved it. Beautiful and original

—— Sunday Independent

A beautifully observed saga of abandoned dreams, loss and self-discovery

—— Alan McGonagle, author of Ithaca

Absolute poetry and a love letter to family and to the arts. The depiction of depression is as accurate as any I've read and the empathy in this book is beautiful

—— Maggie Smith, award-winning author of Good Bones and Keep Moving

Powerful, intimate, moving - a beautiful exploration of love and family

—— Maria Dickenson, M.D. Dubray Books

This will touch your soul

—— Sainsbury's Magazine

Cullen's atmospheric novel captures beautifully the continuity of life even at times of deepest grief. If we avoid tragedy in literature, we're closing ourselves off to some of the most powerful and moving writing, as exemplified by Helen Cullen's second novel which deals delicately and humanely with the subjects of mental health and the ravaging effects of grief

—— Business Post

An Irish novel moves from a family's joy to tragedy and back in this poignant yet hopeful novel spanning the late 1970s to 2015

—— Shelf Awareness

Cullen's lyrical prose drives the immersive and heart-wrenching narrative. This complex study of depression and its impact on family dynamics will lure readers

—— Publishers Weekly

Love is here in spades... clear a weekend for this gorgeous read

—— Library Journal (starred review)

Praise for Helen Cullen

—— -

If you liked Harold Fry and Me Before You, you will love Cullen's nostalgic debut. This life-affirming book will draw you in and keep you there

—— Independent

Delightful

—— Sunday Times

Deeply moving

—— Irish Times

I found myself totally transported into William's poignant and beguiling world of lost opportunities and love

—— A. J. Pearce, author of Sunday Times bestseller Dear Mrs Bird

This will touch your soul

—— Sainsbury's Magazine

Cullen's writing is precise, haunting and, above all, beautiful . . . has the twin ability to inspire you to take delight in the world, yet also cry with the pain that unfolds in its pages

—— i

Deals delicately and humanely with the subjects of mental health and the ravaging effects of grief . . . ultimately a hopeful read that lives long in the memory

—— Business Post

Cullen's quietly devastating novel is both a family saga and a careful exploration of the realities of living with mental health issues

—— i

A thoroughly moving and frequently funny story of love and compassion

—— The New European

A tender and unflinching exploration of mental illness and how it can eat into the heart of a family. Full of empathy and genuinely moving, a novel that will stay with me for a long time

—— Christine Dwyer Hickey, prizewinning author of The Narrow Land

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