In this beautifully reasoned, highly personal, and very generous book of advice and analysis, Daphne de Marneffe proposes that the rough patch that occurs in most midlife relationships should be cherished. For those who can endure it, it can generate a new reciprocity, deepening the very intimacies it threatened to break. De Marneffe writes with poetry, wit, and compassion about the necessity of struggle in the quest for true love. Anyone in any relationship at any stage of life could stand to learn from the wisdom in these pages.

Bravo for this personable, wise, radical and optimistic approach to the often seismic stresses of marriage and midlife, by a leading clinical psychologist who uses fascinating case studies to illuminate her advice about how to deal with the significant challenges which often arise in relationships once we’re in our forties and fifties.

Evident in all [Backman] novels is an apparent ability to state a truth about humanity with breathtaking elegance

Praise for Things My Son Needs To Know About The World

A letter in book format, executed with humor and a nostalgic insight . . The perfect gift for all new parents, not only fathers - because even if Backman loves to do his "Dad was right, Mom wasn't"- dance in front of strangers, it's the mothers who will be amused by his efforts most of all.

Excellent and touching, but most of all full of funny and silly comments and observations . . . Fredrik Backman has once again written something absolutely wonderful and remarkable.

I have said it before, and I'll say it again: I don't know anyone who writes as beautifully and lucidly about love as Fredrik Backman. He writes so that I can understand what he means - what he feels. That's an accomplishment.

He writes about football, God, the baggage claim at the airport, and other things that need a real walk-through. At times insightful, an unexpectedly humble and breathlessly funny book with spot-on reflections of family situations at IKEA, the changing table and other places. I laugh out loud at this laddish declaration of love that encourages play, the pursuit of one's passion, finding love, being kind when you can, and tough when you must . . . Wonderful!

The prose is driven, catchy and flows easily. One can tell that Fredrik Backman is an experienced writer and I laugh out loud multiple times during the reading

It's in the depictions of upbringing, social heritage and spending time together with loved ones that Fredrik Backman's prose turns clear and soulful

What a book! Once again I'm totally in love with Fredrik Backman's writing. He employs words in such a wonderful way that makes me never want to stop reading.

A truly fantastic book! Several times I laughed out loud while reading it. And many times I found myself with tears in my eyes and warmth in my heart

The book contains everything I love about Fredrik Backman's authorship. [The book] has humor, warmth and is full of hilarious and silly nonsense. It's a complete bullseye

A must-read

A thoughtful street map to self-care that will also look beautiful on your shelf

The main message is that is that it's best to acknowledge, rather than dismiss, children's feelings (...) and that parenting is not about perfection

I've had the most wonderful feedback from this episode. People stopping me on the street to say how much they've love the book's advice. Philippa's wisdom and delivery has resonated with many parents out there. I can't thank her enough for her time and energy

It is like a letter from a wise friend who happens to have done years of research (...) I am grateful for it

A wise book on parents and children

The main message is that is that it's best to acknowledge, rather than dismiss, children's feelings (...) and that parenting is not about perfection

[Segal] is a natural, fluent writer and, in this book, the reader will feel confident in her hands even as she explores a shattering episode in family life… Segal is brilliant at conveying the tedium and the trials of life in the ICU and beyond. In short, Mother Ship is simply compelling

Hopeful, harrowing…and darkly funny, Mother Ship has you laughing, crying and frantically turning the pages to discover how it all turns out

[Segal’s] words are a powerful, poetic and deeply affecting reminder of how precious are life, health and the everyday

Segal's moving memoir reveals not only what it takes to keep premature babies alive, but also what it means to be human and a mother

Mother Ship is a huge achievement for Segal, who has produced a memoir that promises to linger with you like a literary earworm… an extraordinary testament to the power of human survival

Vivid, fearless and inspiring… This is an intimate and electrifying memoir. It is a hymn to the sustaining power of women's friendships, and a loving celebration of the two small girls – and their mother – who defy the odds

A deeply moving, yet also witty and heart-warming account

[Segal] captures beautifully the complexities and contradictions of the human body

An ode to the companionship of the women on the neonatal ward in the darkest, most volatile days, it is moving but never mawkish

A song of praise to the beleaguered, indomitable NHS, with writing at such a pitch that it lingered with me all year

A heart-tugging account… this is one of the year’s most exquisitely written books