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At one point in this book the author includes a quote from Marguerite Duras, the gist of which is that she considered most books to be too organised, too prim and as a result lacked the true voice of the author. Well, I think Levy has taken this to heart in her production of this, the third volume of her memoirs. Whilst not a loose stream of consciousness rant � it feels more structured than that - it’s certainly a monologue that attempts to capture her true thoughts, feelings and wishes as she approaches and passes her sixtieth birthday.

Her youngest daughter is about to leave the flat they’d shared in North London to attend university in the North East of England. Levy will be thereafter be living alone for the first time in many years. Does she want to continue to live in this flat, with it crumbling, decrepit corridors? No, she wants a house close to water so she can swim every day and has one or two specific ideas regarding what she’d have in the house. But then she has a rather broader view of real estate than most: it comprises everything that she values, including a plant considered by her two daughters to be their mother’s third child. And so for much of this book the background narrative is that of her considered thoughts on exactly what is (and what it isn’t) she wants in her life from this point on.

In the few years covered in this book, Levy ruminates on the challenges of writing, spends time in New York, Berlin, Paris and Greece and reveals just how much she misses her late mum. But there’s more than that, she has many wry and interesting observations on life � many from what I’d consider left field � and uses quotes from a wide range literary sources to help illustrate her points. On the matter of acquiring a future life partner she muses that there is nobody that can make you happy, you must take care of yourself.

It’s a thought provoking and in many ways illuminating book, a short read which carries a significant punch. I’ve enjoyed working through these three volumes and it does make me feel like revisiting some of her novels that I’ve previously read � this time with fresh and probably more informed eyes.

My thanks to Penguin UK for supplying a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.