Escape

by Heleen van Royen

Translated from the original Dutch by Jantien Black

I have a husband, we have two children and we own our house. I am in good health and so are they, our lives are good; we have everything we need. Sometimes I look at them and wait, in vain, to be moved, as a mother should when watching her own family. Why do I no longer feel anything?

Julia is thirty-six years old. At first sight she has it all, but actually she feels miserable. Trapped in the monotony of daily family life and fed up with her passionless marriage, Julia wants out. Escape. For once not to be a good mother, a good wife, a good daughter. So for the first time in her life she does something completely irresponsible: she leaves her family behind and heads off into the sun.

When Julia finally meets someone who makes her realize what she's been missing all her life, she is forced to reconcile with her past and confront the crucial question: does she dare to go home?

(From Publisher).

Heleen van Royen is one of the most famous and infamous Dutch writers. Trained as a journalist, she worked for several newspapers, magazines and for radio where she met her husband Ton, a popular TV presenter. They have two children and now live in Portugal.

A humorous but sharp tale about midlife-crisis.