Just before a trip to Northern Ireland in May I read the only Sally Rooney book I hadn’t read to date (see my blogs on Intermezzo, Beautiful World Where Are You? and Normal People), her debut, Conversations with Friends.

This is the story of Frances and her best friend and former girlfriend Bobbi. They are students and spoken word poetry performers of poetry written by Frances and they move in artistic circles, which is how they become friends with older couple Melissa, a photographer, and her husband Nick, an actor.

Bobbi is soon enthralled with Melissa and her world, whilst Frances finds herself drawn into a friendship with Nick which eventually develops into something more. She keeps her interactions with him aloof and detached whilst at the same time she finds herself falling in love with him, wishing he would leave Melissa and imagining a life with him.

As always with Rooney, life, love, friendships and relationships are beautifully written, with betrayal and loyalty taking centre stage. I really enjoyed the popping up of characters who later appear in Normal People and the experience got me in the mood for my trip to the island of Ireland.