A singular take on how to be happy alone

Mixing memoir and psychology with a dash of self-help, Catherine Gray's new book positions itself as a manifesto for recalibrating how we think about singlehood

Non-Fiction: The Unexpected Joy of Being Single, By Catherine Gray, Aster, €13

Catherine Gray was chronically addicted to love. Through fairy tales and song lyrics, novels and films, parents and society, she became convinced that romantic relationships were paramount.

With her entire sense of self-worth predicated on how attractive she was to men, and believing that finding a husband would salve her loneliness, Gray was invariably part of a couple.

But after a ...