There is something wonderfully reassuring about identifying with the central character of a book, particularly when the protagonist is a good egg with a wry sense of humour and a complex mother.

That might not be you exactly, but forty-something females coping with divorce, empty-nest syndrome or the loss of a much-loved parent will find a fictional soul-sister in Ros, the finely-crafted leading lady of Olivia Lichtenstein’s addictive new novel, Things Your Mother Never Told You (Orion, £12.99).

Following the death of her combative but devoted mother, Ros’s life starts to unravel. Her husband has grown angry, her twin boys have grown up and Ros has a severe case of arrested development which she attributes to a lifetime spent alone with her South-African born mother, Lilian.

Mother and daughter take turns in the spotlight, though it is the former who dominates as she is always inside Ros’s head reminding her that, for all their closeness, the relationship was less than perfect — and regretfully can now never be put right.

It is an all-too-common feeling for those coming to terms with the death of a parent, but Ros’s situation becomes more acute when she is told that a soon-to-be published book will feature a personal account by her mother about her life in South Africa.

As the title of Lichtenstein’s novel suggests, it is the extraordinary and tragic things her mother never told her that make an indelible impact on Ros’s life.

Refreshingly, Lichtenstein’s female characters are natural and likeable. They are also Jewish — on the paternal side — the ever-defiant Lilian having chosen to follow in the faith, if only to further annoy her assimilated Afrikaans parents.

For the most part, Things Your Mother Never Told You moves seamlessly between Ros’s funny and perceptive internal monologue about life, love and internet dating and Lilian’s heartfelt retelling of life under apartheid. It is a compelling tale with a final chapter that will prompt your tears.