Queen Mum

Ally lives with her husband, Tom, and her son, Ben, in Cestrian Park, Chester; it's a world of verdigris planters, antique French wall clock s, Belfast sinks and Farrow and Ball colour charts. Ally loves it, but at the same time isn't sure she quite belongs there - it's such a lon g way from where she started out. Next door, live Juno and the half-Fr ench Manny, with their two gorgeous teenage daughters, Pascale and Sop hie. Juno is beautiful, confident, curious: her household runs with a contented hum, its mechanism lubricated with organic olive oil. But Ju no has suddenly made a surprising decision: she has signed up for a re ality TV show, "Queen Mum". For two weeks, she will be going to live w ith another family in another town, while her opposite number will be moving in next door to Ally. Juno is excited; she thinks it will be a 'fascinating cultural exchange'. Ally isn't so sure; how will she mana ge without her best friend? But that isn't the only reason why she is worried. She doesn't like change. She has seen too much of it to find it interesting, and she knows from bitter experience how something pre cious can be lost in a moment."Queen Mum" is a perceptive and timely n ovel about friendship and love, recklessness and caution, and about ho w the camera, while it sometimes lies, can also reveal uncomfortable t ruths. 'Publishing's Victoria Wood.' - "Time Out".