Leaving Patrick - Hardcover

Leith, Prue

3.63

152 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312282583 ISBN 13: 9780312282585

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books, 2001

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A bestseller in English, this first novel by the great British cook follows the adventures of Jane, an accomplished attorney, as she separates from her husband Patrick.

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Review:

Leaving Patrick marks a new departure into fiction for ace restaurateur and businesswoman Prue Leith. The novel centres round Jane: 36, a successful shipping lawyer, well-paid, ambitious, a gifted and dedicated shopper. She is married to the affable Patrick, a fairly successful restaurateur, who is devoted to her. Yet she seethes with discontent. Somehow it all isn't enough, the money, the comfort, the designer clothes and expensive haircuts. There seems to be no space for passion in their lives. And does she want to have the baby that Patrick longs for? Leaving Patrick plunges straight into this blossoming mid-life crisis. Indeed by the end of the 12-page Prologue, Jane has abruptly left Patrick, and the remaining 400 pages are devoted to a patient and compassionate exploration of the aftershocks of this cataclysm, as Jane begins the long process of transforming her life with a trip to India. Patrick, too, begins a journey, though of a different kind, which brings him at one point close to personal and professional disaster. Prue Leith has produced a highly intelligent if not especially ambitious first novel: she writes fluently and well, and is endlessly interested in the details of her characters' lives. She certainly knows her milieu, that of the well-heeled urban professional classes. Perhaps unsurprisingly, we don't learn much about the world of shipping law; but we do pick up a lot of fascinating information about the restaurant business. --Robin Davidson

From the Back Cover:

“Leith cooks up a plot rich in food and sex.”
---People

Praise for Leaving Patrick

“Charming.... This lighthearted romantic confection is sure to win a new legion of readers here.” ---Publishers Weekly

“[An] enjoyable read, which makes the transition well from England to the United States.... Poignant.” ---Library Journal

“Leith writes with depth, making us root for both country boy Patrick and urbane Jane.”---People

“Leaving Patrick is the kind of fictional souffl� that actually satisfies.” ---The Irish Times [U.K.]

Jane is a high-powered London attorney who doesn’t have time for her marriage. Patrick is a struggling restaurateur who wishes he could spend more time with his wife. As they drift apart, Jane decides she wants more from her relationship than friendship, and so at age thirty-six she sets off on a journey to find what it takes to complete her life. She travels to India where she falls rapturously in lust with her tour guide, Rajiv. Meanwhile Patrick falls for baby-faced American food critic Stella, who could lose him more than his peace of mind; she could lose him his restaurant. Both affairs are disastrous and as their lives spiral toward disaster, Patrick and Jane reassess the decisions they’ve made. Has Jane thrown away true love with both hands?

Prue Leith, one of England’s top chefs, displays her expertise in her insider’s details of the restaurant business and the breathtaking food of India. In Leaving Patrick, Leith has created a well-written and moving story with wry humor and intelligence about the real choices adults have to make once they start taking stock of their lives.

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