When it All Went to Custard

Odds of saving marriage - slim. Farming expertise - patchy. Chances that it'll all be okay in the end - actually pretty good ...

I wasn't enjoying the afternoon of 23 February even before I learnt that my husband was having an affair.

The news of Jenny's husband's infidelity comes as a nasty shock to the part-time building control officer and full-time mother - even though, to her surprise and embarrassment, her first reaction is relief rather than anguish. What really hurts is her children's unhappiness at the break-up, and the growing realisation that, alone, she may lose the family farm.

This is the story of the year after Jenny's old life falls apart; of family and farming, pet lambs and geriatric dogs, choko-bearing tenants and Springsteen-esque neighbours. And of getting a second chance at happiness.