Moments of respite – like Sean agreeing to shared parenting – are short-lived as the story circles back again and again to the problems of post-separation abuse and inadequate support systems, the narrative arc mirroring the toxic cycle of an abusive relationship while keeping humour as a thread throughout.

Atkinson’s self-reflective style is appealing – she addresses herself and the reader in the same breath, sometimes cheekily, sometimes poignantly, but always challenging the simplistic explanation.