<p>It''s 1977, and bohemian Libby - stay-at-home mother, genius entertainer and gifted cook - is lonely. When she meets Carol, recently emigrated from London with her controlling husband, and Anna, who loves her career but not her marriage, the three women form an unexpected bond.<br><br>Their husbands aren''t happy about it, and neither are their daughters.<br><br>Set against a backdrop of inner-city grunge and 70s glamour, far-out parties and ABBA songs, <i>The Women and the Girls</i> is a funny, questioning and moving novel about love, friendship, work, family, and freedom.</p>