Currently Reading

STRANGERS by Belle Burden

This week I’ve been reading Strangers by Belle Burden, a memoir that explores the sudden collapse of what Burden believed was a happy marriage. One day she was raising three children within the comfortable world of New York high society; the next, her husband was asking for a divorce and revealing an affair. The title asks a haunting question: can you spend years building a life with someone only to realise you never really knew them at all? While Burdenwrites from a position of considerable privilege, her story feels surprisingly universal. It’s a compelling reminder for modern women, particularly mothers, of the importance of maintaining a sense of self, protecting financial independence and staying engaged with the practical realities of family life, even when the day-to-day demands of raising children can make it tempting to hand over the reins. Thought-provoking, sobering and, I think, essential reading for mothers everywhere.