Growing Up for Beginners

An uplifting, heartfelt book club pick from bestselling author Claire Calman

It’s not easy being a grown-up, but Eleanor hoped she’d be better at it by now...

When Eleanor waves her daughter off for a gap-year trip, she finds herself stuck as a satellite wife, spinning in faithful orbit around her domineering husband, with only her clever but judgmental father Conrad for comfort.

Andrew isn’t mastering the art of growing up either. But when he finds his belongings dumped in bin bags on the drive, even he can see that his girlfriend is hinting he should move out. With no other options, he moves back in with his parents.

Backing onto their garden lives artist Cecilia, living in chaotic clutter and dreaming of her ex-lovers, still acting like a stroppy teenager at the age of 66.

Four lives are drawn together by long-buried secrets of the past, and it is time for them all to grow up... before it’s too late.

A passionate novel depicting various chapters of life and the ways we can navigate them. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Katie Fforde.

Readers are loving Growing Up for Beginners:

'The characterisation is brilliant, and the astute storytelling, punctuated by stiletto-sharp wit, produces an effervescent and spirit-lifting story' Sunday Mirror

'A poignant and beautifully articulated tale of love and loss, memory and forgetting, grief and guilt, new love and letting go. I was engrossed, often tearful, and finally, uplifted’ Isobel Wolff

‘Simply wonderful. I was totally enchanted, devoured it in a day, and have been raving about it ever since’ Fiona Walker

'A beautiful book, so compassionate... and ultimately very hopeful. I enjoyed it hugely’ Marian Keyes

‘A clever, bittersweet, uplifting novel’ Sophie Kinsella

'Writing with proper heart' Rachel Joyce

'So wonderful to read a Claire Calman novel again, and this lived up to all her previous ones. She can write with wit but also with empathy and depth' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review

'I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end. The story is very cleverly intertwined with pleasing and surprising connections' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review

'This is a wonderful, thoughtful story with memorable characters and a number of threads that are all drawn together into a very satisfying conclusion' ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Reader Review