Book review: The Parrots

THREE years after Vogue’s editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman made her debut with the publication of Can We Still Be Friends? her second serving of fiction has arrived. 

Alexandra Shulman

Fig Tree, €22.50;

ebook €11.99

Her tale focuses on the elite London circle of Katherine, a calligrapher, her gallery owner husband and their son.

When Antonia and Matteo Fullardi, the emotionally damaged children of an Italian fashion dynasty come to stay, their well-managed lives start to veer off course into dangerous territory.

The title refers to the exotic parrots Katherine notices in her back garden, who cause native birds to complain, mirroring the upset caused by Shulman’s metaphorical parrots, which decimate her regimented nest.

After 23 years at the helm of British Vogue, Shulman is clearly well-placed to observe this privileged world.

While the plot is arguably far-fetched at times, her wry observations surrounding her cast of oligarchs, trophy wives and the upper classes and the complicated lives they lead, make this a very enjoyable read.