First published in French as L'Échappée belle, Anna Gavalda's Breaking Away is indeed a beautiful escape. Short, yet prefectly formed, it's more of a novella at 142 pages of charmimg prose translated into English by Alison Anderson.

"I hadn't even sat down yet, one buttock still hovering, my hand on the car door, and already my sister-in-law was on the attack."

Whilst the plot is simple, a car journey to a wedding, the relationships between siblings are at the core of the story. Two sisters, two brothers and a sister-in-law who is undoubtedly the outsider, most readers will relate to the characters in some way and it's a lovely slice of family life. It's witty and hits the nail firmly on the head. A top notch summer read, especially if you've not got much time to spare!