With an introduction by Naoise Dolan

'My favourite book. I can't think of a modern novel that seems more likely to become a classic' Tennessee Williams. 'The book I give as a gift... It feels like giving someone an exotic fruit' Sheila Heti. 'A modern legend... A very funny writer' Truman Capote. 'Profoundly witty, genuinely unusual in its apprehensions, and bracingly, humanely true' Claire Messud.

I am going on a trip. Wait until I tell you about it. It's terrible. Miss Goering, an eccentric, impulsive New York heiress, resides in her house and tries not to be unhappy. Mrs Copperfield, an anxious, dutiful married woman, has a great fear of drowning, of lifts, of intruders in the night.

Two serious ladies, nothing is natural for them and anything is possible. For Mrs Copperfield - a trip to Panama, where she abandons her husband for love of a local prostitute. For Miss Goering - a move to a squalid little house on an island and a series of sordid encounters with strangers.

Both go to pieces -and both realise this is something they've wanted to do for years. With an introduction by Naoise DolanA W&N Essential