Story of a separation is crafted with genuine skill

The Playground

**By** Julia Kelly

**Quercus,** €14.99

**Reviewed by** Sarah Gilmartin

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The phrase “quality women’s fiction” crops up every so often, usually when an award for female writing such as the Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction, formerly the Orange, is making headlines. As with all gender-based generalisations, there is a patronising ring to it. Where is the shelf for quality men’s fiction in the bookshop?

Female authors who use a familiar and ...