When Vanessa got into her car that winter’s afternoon, she had no idea she was setting off on a journey with no return. An inner journey that would call into question a whole life spent living up to other people’s expectations. With tragic and comic episodes that bring together a domineering mother, a hippie aunt, a boring marriage, an insufferable boss and a friend who never knows when to shut up, “The Strange year of Vanessa M.” shares Vanessa’s voyage of self-discovery with us. And it makes us marvel at the power we have to question things, because there’s no end to the pursuit of happiness. A novel about relationships, marriage and the inevitable mid-life crisis.