Love and the Art of War

"From the Orange Prize-nominated author of A Visit From Voltaire comes a delightful mix of Desperate Housewife-meets-Karate Kid, with hints for the underdog reader in each of us. Read this and get ready to take on the bullies and poseurs out in the cold, cruel everyday world."

When fighting for love, it's nice to have a warlord on your side. . .

A London librarian is losing her job, her man and, possibly even her mind. Enrolling in an evening class, "Mending Marriage or Decent Divorce," Jane ends up by mistake with a handful of oddball businessmen studying military genius Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" and China's legendary Thirty-six Battle Stratagems.

Professor Baldwin suggests Jane give his class a try before joining the course for abandoned ladies next door. Applying the wiles and wisdom of ancient military sages, he'll train her how to "fight without fighting"—and win back Joe, her career and best of all, her self-esteem.

Can Sun Tzu and his feudal warlords solve the problems of a middle-aged woman in NW1 London, not to mention the dilemmas of her hapless classmates? Overwhelmed by an ageing celebrity mother and an anorexic teen daughter, the distraught Jane has nothing to lose and in fact, gains more from Baldwin's coaching than she bargained for—with hilarious and poignant results.