Leaving Patrick

The Story

Jane is a high-powered London attorney who doesn't have time for her marriage. Patrick is a struggling restaurateur who wishes his wife would stay home more often and enjoy the pleasures of domesticity with him. They drift apart, and one day, Jane leaves Patrick. She wants more from her relationship than friendship, and so at age 36 she sets off on a journey to find what it takes to complete her life. Jane travels to India where she falls rapturously in lust with her cultured tour guide, Rajiv. Meanwhile Patrick falls for baby-faced American food critic Stella, who could lose him more than his peace of mind. She could lose him his restaurant business. Jane becomes the first female partner in her firm, and has her exotic lover, but discovers that what she thought she wanted doesn't make her happy. Bit by bit, she dismantles the life she had left Patrick for. As both their lives spiral toward disaster, Patrick and Jane come to reassess the decisions they've made. Has Jane thrown away true love with both hands? Prue Leith is one of England's top chefs, and her expertise shines through in her insider's details of the restaurant business and the breathtaking food of India. In Leaving Patrick, Leith has created a well-written, poignant, and moving story with wry humor and intelligence about the real choices that adults have to make once they start taking stock of their lives.