First published over 25 years ago and recently reissued with the addition of positive comments by lots of celebrities (why?), this is a book for those who liked the tv series ‘Sex in the City’ and aren’t offended by a stories which make fun of people with addictions (drugs, alcohol, gambling, overeating). Apparently the author uses “humour to mask pain”.

Set in New York and in a rehabilitation centre in Ireland, there was some surprisingly good analysis and advice scattered throughout the passages describing the main character’s irritating self absorption. I’m not sure whether readers were supposed to sympathise with her problems (her height, weight, obsession with finding a boyfriend who wears the right clothes and has the right haircut), but I quickly lost patience and interest although I did read to the end. Brava me!