The book Ive been waiting for my entire life DOLLY ALDERTONIs it possible that life without romantic love isnt so badWhen poet Amy Key was growing up she looked forward to a life shaped by romance fuelled by desire longing and the conventional markers of success that come when you share a life with another person. But that didnt happen for her. Now in her forties she sets out to explore the realities of a life lived in the absence of romantic love.Using Joni Mitchells seminal album Blue which shaped Keys expectations of love as an anchor Arrangements in Blue elegantly honours a life lived completely by and for oneself.Building a home travelling alone choosing whether to be a mother recognising her own milestones learning the limits of selfcare and the expansive potential of selffriendship Key uncovers the many forms of connection and care that often go unnoticed.With profound candour and intimacy Arrangements in Blue explores the painful feelings we are usually too ashamed to discuss loneliness envy grief and failure. The result is a book which inspires us to live and love more honestly.A SUNDAY TIMES AND INDEPENDENT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023Marks an important shift in ideas about intimacy OBSERVER