The Usual Desire to Kill 9781398535237 Paperback

Witty, moving Ann NapolitanoHilarious and heartbreaking Monica AliMade me hoot with laughterTLSReminds me of Nancy MitfordTelegraphMirandas parents live in a dilapidated house in rural France that they share with two llamas, eight ducks, five chickens, two cats, and a freezer full of food dating back to 1983.Mirandas father is a retired professor of philosophy who never loses an argument. Her mother likes to bring all conversation back to the War, although she was born after it ended. Married for fifty years, they are uncommonly set in their ways. Miranda plays the role of translator when she visits, communicating the desires or complaints of one parent to the other and then venting her frustration to her sister and her daughter.This wry, moving, exquisitely observed novel introduces a singularly eccentric family and the long-buried secrets that have shaped them.The usual desire to killyour exasperating old parents thats the implied full title of Camilla Barness wickedly delightful debut novelNew York TimesBarnes has a wise and radiant sensibility the balance between gaiety and hidden sorrow is deliciously judgedTLSHighly engaging, very funny Will strike a chord with anyone who has elderly parents or difficult relationsTelegraph