An unforgettable memoir and manifesto for living, from the woman who redefined magazines for the 21st century

‘Truly compelling.’ Cathy Rentzenbrink

‘Breathtaking … I loved it.’ Fern Britton

‘Courageous. Inspiring. Hopeful.’ Alastair Campbell

Having suffered the unimaginable loss of her first husband and child, Lindsay Nicholson rewrites her story to become Britain’s most successful lifestyle magazine editor. But when a would-be suicide runs in front of her car, the pages of her picture-perfect life fall apart once more.

In just one year, Lindsay loses her marriage, job and home, and is even arrested. Suicidal and suffering from profound PTSD, she tries medication, therapy and New Age courses – until she finds the answer in the pages of her former magazines. Life isn’t about being perfect; it’s friendship and laughter, stitched together with the little things that truly matter.

Deeply moving, inspiring and sharply funny, Perfect Bound is an unforgettable story about resilience, recovery and what really makes life worth living.

Reviews

'This breathtaking book is an open love letter to all women who know what it is to suffer. How Lindsay survives is testament to her strength of character, emerging triumphant after the tumult of devastating loss to find calm. I loved it and I love her.' Fern Britton

'Lindsay Nicholson has had way more than her fair share of tragedy and heartbreak and yet somehow comes through it all with courage, resilience, a smile on her face – and, above all, hope.' Alastair Campbell

'Lindsay Nicholson is a beautiful writer with a talent for capturing the triumphs and disasters of life. Her story is truly compelling.' Cathy Rentzenbrink

'A story about raw loss, heartbreak, extraordinary courage and, above all, love. The author’s voice as she narrates her journey out of the void is without self-pity or even anger. She writes with candour, insight and great tenderness. Riveting, heartbreaking, heartlifting and fine.' Nicci French

'I powered through this utterly compulsive and unforgettable memoir in three days straight. Perfect Bound is extraordinary, devastating, brutally honest, heartbreaking and full of love. Five stars from me.' Jill Mansell

'Clear your diary before you start reading this. A haunting, beautifully crafted story of a woman's courage, faced with impossible odds, which will cause you to look at life through new eyes. Unputdownable.' Orlando Murrin

'Perfect Bound is a searing testimony to both the frailty of life and the fortitude of the heart. Deeply moving, it’s a story of humanity and hope from a writer with an exquisite talent for bearing her soul.' Shari Low

About the author

Lindsay Nicholson was a successful magazine editor for more than two decades and best known as the longest-serving editor of Good Housekeeping. She won multiple awards, including Editor of the Year twice, and became the National Magazine Company’s first-ever Editorial Director, which included stints editing Cosmopolitan, Esquire and She. Awarded an MBE for services to journalism and equal opportunities, she now pursues a portfolio career that combines grief counselling, equestrian coaching and writing. Her memoir Living On The Seabed (2005) is often recommended by bereavement counsellors.