Toni Jordan’s latest novel, Our Tiny, Useless Hearts, is a romp through the contemporary complexities of living well. Very quickly, Jordan introduces us to a cast of wonderfully flawed characters all trying desperately to live honestly and without regret. Narratively driven, reading this crafty, clever and comical novel is not unlike eavesdropping on your crazy neighbours.

There are fraught marriages, mistaken identities, affairs, jealousies and broken hearts. There are laugh-out-loud moments, naked men, double lives and candid kids. Simply put: Jordan is using this novel to tease us. She is showing us a domestic mess and the riotous consequences of remaining a desperate romantic. She is taking our guile, passions and hopes for a never ending love and she is giving us a reality shot in the kindest way possible: through laughter.

Take a little of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, mix well with Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, then set characters in one home, say in Carnegie, and you may begin to understand the wit in this delicious classic farce. However, despite all her taunts, Jordan’s novel is a gleefully optimistic portrayal of modern love. It is not a spoiler to say that there is a happy resolution. Our Tiny, Useless Hearts is the perfect weekend read for when you need to sidestep your own reality.

Chris Gordon