In a Nutshell: Started off wonderfully but then became farfetched. Some parts of it were really good but I wish the author wouldn’t have tried to throw in so many themes into a single plot. A decent debut work but not as good as it promised to be. Grace Adams, the protagonist, is a woman of a certain age - menopausal. A very topical subject and one I can relate to being of the same age. Buuuuuuut that didn’t happen and as a woman of a certain age who always feels like she might be on the cusp of a quality Menty B I found a new best friend in Grace. If you’re feeling hot out there today,” the woman on the radio is saying, “according to the latest report from climate think tank Autonomy, it’s only going to get hotter…” Early 2000s. Grace is a polyglot who has just proven how amazing she is by winning the title of ’Polyglot of the Year.’

Readers will relish the letting loose of one woman's long-suppressed righteous rage . . . Spectacular Mail on Sunday Thank you to the author Fran Littlewood, publishers Henry Holt and Macmillan Publishing, and as always NetGalley, for an advance digital copy of AMAZING GRACE ADAMS.

Pre-order:

But behind the scenes, Grace's life is in freefall. Her husband is divorcing her. Her daughter has banned her from her birthday party. And Grace has just abandoned her car in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Littlewood, a mother of three teenage daughters, drew on her relationship to inform Grace’s sometimes contentious, always rewarding relationship with Lotte.

Grace can taste the metal heat coming off the vehicles wedged either side of her as she smiles at him. With her mouth, not her eyes. An absolute gut punch of a book that throbs with all the rage of a middle-aged woman who refuses to go quietly' RED All in all, I had expected to love this book for it promised a strong middle-aged woman protagonist who had finally had enough of everyone taking her for granted. But the potential isn’t truly realised and the book ends up as an average read for me. The writer does have a lot of promise – it is no mean task to keep three timelines blending seamlessly. But perhaps a bit of editing and finetuning would have helped, especially in the over-the-top second half.

Member Reviews

Once, Grace Adams was poised for great things. Now, she barely attracts a second glance as she strides down the street carrying her daughter's sixteenth birthday cake. What was your writing process like for Amazing Grace Adams? Did you have a writing routine or any regular rituals? A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism. I studied English Lit at University and worked as a journalist, and then, after I’d had my children, I decided to do an MA in creative writing in the hope of getting published.

It can be a real Renaissance time. This midlife time has so many challenges in some ways, set against a culture that prizes beauty and youth. But there are real positives. There can be a return to the authentic self. The pre-adolescent self,” she says. “I know women who are starting new ventures, doing new things.” But not from her life - towards it. To the daughter who won't live with her anymore and has banned her from the party. To the husband divorcing her. Towards the terrible thing that has blown their family apart . . . A woman walks across London to deliver a birthday cake for her 16-year-old daughter, reliving the joys and tragedies of the previous decades.Tricia Ford: You’re a successful journalist, so writing has clearly been a big part of your life, but what inspired you to become a fiction writer and novelist now?

An absolute gut punch of a book that throbs with all the rage of a middle-aged woman who refuses to go quietly Red In terms of rituals, I usually made chamomile tea before starting work, to calm the creative dread… In 2002, Grace Adams was an AMAZING woman-a polyglot who spoke 5 languages and was also beautiful, competitive and impulsive. She had her whole life mapped out and was confident about what she wanted. She doesn't scream or break something or cry or curl into a ball. She simply abandons her car in traffic and walks away.

Find a Book

The sides of the car are closing in on her and she can smell burned plastic. How are they not moving yet? Sitting here like this it’s reminding her of something—a book, a TV show, a screenplay … she can’t remember. She can barely remember her own name these days. Slumping in the seat, she tries to bring to mind the things she hasn’t been able to recall recently. But, of course, she can’t. It would almost be funny if it wasn’t so terrifying. Like a part of her brain dropped out when she was looking the other way. Then there was a long lead time from Grace being acquired in April 2021 to publication in January 2023 - although I’m not entirely sure where that time went because it feels more like a handful of months. I loved it. Vivid, visceral and incredibly emotional. I laughed and sobbed' TIM MINCHIN, multi-award-winning composer/lyricist of Matilda The Musical, comedian, actor, producer and director