War Between the Tates — Alison Lurie

When a wife reaches her breaking point, and her husband begins an ill-advised affair, civil war breaks out within their family.

Erica Tate wouldn''t mind getting up in the morning if she enjoyed her children more. Until puberty struck, Jeffrey and Matilda were absolute darlings, but in the last year they have become sullen, insufferable little monsters. Erica''s husband, Brian, is so deeply immersed in university life—and the legs of a half-literate flower child named Wendy—that he either doesn''t notice his wife''s misery or simply doesn''t care. Worst of all their pleasant little neighborhood is transforming into a subdivision. And with each new ranch house that springs up around their lot, Erica''s marriage inches closer to disaster.

Admitting she is sick of her family is only the first step. When the Tate household tips into full-scale emotional combat, Erica must do her best to ensure she comes out on top. In this darkly comic tale, there is nothing more important than having a good exit strategy.