Karen has lost someone important and is about to lose another, Michael is an inch from bankruptcy, and Abby's autistic son and distant husband are taking all her energy. When they have all been run down by the pressures of life, there's only one place they all can go: Moreland's Place psychiatric clinic. Karen's depression is mild, Michael's is repressed on principle, and Abby's is exacerbated by a near-addiction to her husband's medication. With Lillie the television host and a host of other patients, these three struggle to overcome their own depression while dealing with the realities outside the clinic.

ANOTHER NIGHT, ANOTHER DAY is an unconventional friendship novel which deals with the stigma of mental illness in a very sensitive manner. The characters are dynamic and clever, which is a great thing in a novel that covers so many points of view. Chapters are short enough to make transitions between the characters easy, but the length of the novel is enough to capture the wide scope the author covers. This is a very good, quiet novel to enjoy with a cup of tea or at lunch. The drama is very real, tense in all the right places. The widely differing family structures are fascinating from the healthy to the unhealthy.

Of particular note is the portrayal of Callum, Abby's son, and on his interactions with others. Often persons with autism are written off or pushed under the rug. Callum gets a lot of focus and a lot of explanation. Sometimes Abby has to repeat herself to people who don't understand autistic children. The author has taken great pains to be both sensitive and accurate. In an age where autism is becoming more visible, thank goodness, it's great to have a book where the accurate portrayal is put as a priority.

There is so much going on in this novel, but none of it will distract from another part of the book. It would be great for casual reading groups. The understated writing and beautiful sentiments in ANOTHER NIGHT, ANOTHER DAY will capture the attention of the reader, and the attention is most certainly deserved.

Book Summary

Three people, each crying out for help.

There’s Karen, about to lose her father; Abby, whose son has autism and needs constant care, and Michael, a family man on the verge of bankruptcy. As each sinks under the strain, they’re brought together at Moreland’s Clinic.

Here, behind closed doors, they reveal their deepest secrets, confront and console one another, and share plenty of laughs. But how will they cope when a new crisis strikes? From the international bestselling author, Sarah Rayner, Another Night, Another Day is the emotional story of a group of strangers who come together to heal, creating lifelong friendships along the way.