The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village

Author: Joanna Nell
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 0733640362
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 237

Book Description
Joanna Nell's life-affirming debut is a moving, funny, heartwarming tale of love and community in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Grace and Frankie The life of 79-year-old pensioner PEGGY SMART is as beige as the décor in her retirement village. Her week revolves around aqua aerobics and appointments with her doctor. Following a very minor traffic accident, things have turned frosty with her grown-up children and she is afraid they are trying to take away her independence. The highlight of Peggy's day is watching her neighbour Brian head out for his morning swim. She dreams of inviting the handsome widower - treasurer of the Residents' Committee and one of the few eligible men in the village - to an intimate dinner. But why would an educated man like Brian, a chartered accountant no less, look twice at Peggy? As a woman of a certain age, she fears she has become invisible, even to men in their eighties. But a chance encounter with an old school friend she hasn't seen in five decades - the glamorous fashionista ANGIE VALENTINE - sets Peggy on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. 'Lively and whimsical ... with some serious points to make about ageing, love, community and friendship' Sydney Morning Herald 'This heartwarming story about growing old gracefully - and disgracefully ... is a funny, witty and thoroughly enjoyable read for all ages' Daily Telegraph 'I haven't been this entranced by a character since Eleanor (Oliphant, of course). This book is a joy - it's a celebration of age instead of an apology for it, and a reminder that life is always an adventure if you let it be. I loved this uniquely endearing book' KELLY RIMMER 'I loved it! I want to be Peggy when I'm older. With many laugh-out-loud moments, this book is sure to make you see "getting old" in a different light. A refreshing, funny, realistic and warm read' FIONA PALMER 'The perfect blend of funny and moving: had me laughing and crying in this ultimately uplifting story' NATASHA LESTER **Contains bonus extract from new novel THE GREAT ESCAPE FROM WOODLANDS NURSING HOME**

The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village

Author: Joanna Nell
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 1473685850
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 288

Book Description
It's never too late to grow old disgracefully... The life of 79-year-old pensioner Peggy Smart is as beige as the décor in her retirement village. Her week revolves around aqua aerobics and appointments with her doctor. The highlight of Peggy's day is watching her neighbour Brian head out for his morning swim. Peggy dreams of inviting the handsome widower - treasurer of the Residents' Committee and one of the few eligible men in the village - to an intimate dinner. But why would an educated man like Brian, a chartered accountant no less, look twice at Peggy? As a woman of a certain age, she fears she has become invisible, even to men in their eighties. But a chance encounter with an old school friend she hasn't seen in five decades - the glamorous fashionista Angie Valentine - sets Peggy on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. Can she channel her 'inner Helen Mirren' and find love and friendship in her twilight years? A brilliantly witty and heartfelt story that proves it is never to late to write a brand-new chapter. Fans of Judy Leigh, Jill Mansell and Sally Page will fall in love with this beautifully uplifting tale. Readers love The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village: 'Such a great read... Had me laughing out loud with tears running down my face... with all of the emotional feels that will keep you turning the pages... This is a must read' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'LOVE LOVE LOVE this little gem of a book and it's 353 pages of pure joy!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'What an utterly delightful read! I loved this book from the beginning... I can't imagine any woman over a certain age not enjoying this book! I also challenge anyone to write a better, funnier description of a seniors Aqua aerobics class than the one the author Joanna Nell wrote!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I laughed out loud and loved this story, where growing older doesn't mean getting old. I think we would all benefit from having a Peggy and Angie in our lives no matter our age' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'I could have kept on reading about 79-year-old Peggy Smart and her refusal to grow old gracefully forever and if I ever find myself in a retirement home, it's these characters from the story that I'd love to be living alongside. I loved every adorable minute, such rip-roaring fun' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'A great story, it is funny, moving, emotional and so very heartwarming, make yourself comfortable for this one while you enjoy meeting the lovey seventy nine year old Peggy Smart and the highs and lows of living in a retirement village and aging with decorum and aplomb as best she can' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Praise for Joanna Nell: 'Hugely entertaining . . . funny and heart-warming' Woman & Home 'Warm-hearted book that had me rooting for all the characters and laughing out loud' Libby Page, author of The Lido 'Poignant and warm-hearted . . . a tonic for our times' Holly Miller, author of The Sight of You 'A warm and touching story with a cast of characters who became my friends' Katie Marsh, author of How Not to Murder Your Ex 'A funny and poignant exploration of growing old disgracefully' Culturefly

The Tea Ladies of St Jude's Hospital

Author: Joanna Nell
Publisher: Hachette Australia
ISBN: 0733642918
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 353

Book Description
The heartwarming and hilarious bestseller by the author of treasured novels, The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village and The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home The Marjorie Marshall Memorial Cafeteria has been serving refreshments and raising money at the hospital for over fifty years, long after anybody can remember who Marjorie Marshall actually was. Staffed by successive generations of dedicated volunteers, the beloved cafeteria is known as much for offering a kind word and sympathetic ear (and often unsolicited life advice) as for its tea and buns. Stalwart Hilary has worked her way up through the ranks to Manageress; Joy has been late every day since she started as the cafeteria's newest recruit. She doesn't take her role as 'the intern' quite as seriously as Hilary would like but there's no doubt she brings a welcome pop of personality. Seventeen-year-old Chloe, the daughter of two successful surgeons, is volunteering during the school holidays because her mother thinks it will look good on her CV. Chloe is at first bewildered by the two older women but soon realises they have a lot in common, not least that each bears a secret pain. When they discover the cafeteria is under threat of closure, this unlikely trio must band together to save it. 'Takes readers on a sweet journey. A warm-hearted read from Nell, who tells engaging stories with older protagonists' The Australian 'The Tea Ladies is a delight. Warm characters and observations and great pace' AMANDA HAMPSON 'Another funny, warm-hearted read' Herald Sun **Contains BONUS EXTRACT from Joanna Nell's novel Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year** Praise for the novels of Joanna Nell: 'Tender and funny' Woman's Weekly 'Whip-smart dialogue, humour and sarcasm ... highly addictive' Sun Herald 'Lively and whimsical' Sydney Morning Herald

The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker

Author: Joanna Nell
Publisher: Hachette Australia
ISBN: 0733640389
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 238

Book Description
As the wife of retired ship's doctor Dr Henry Parker, Evelyn is living out her twilight years aboard the Golden Sunset. Every night she dresses for dinner - gown, tiara, runners - and regales her fellow passengers with stories of a glamorous life travelling the world in luxury. But now Henry is missing, and it is up to Evelyn to find him. The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker is a love letter to the memories we make over the course of a lifetime, and how the heart remembers what matters, even when the mind has long forgotten. 'Whip-smart dialogue, humour and sarcasm add a whole new dimension to Mrs Henry Parker and her last voyage. A heart-warming story, extremely well written and highly addictive' Sun Herald **Contains BONUS chapters from Joanna's latest heartwarming and hilarious novel, The Tea Ladies of St Jude's Hospital**

The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home

Author: Joanna Nell
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 0733642888
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 383

Book Description
The joyous, charming and utterly irresistible new novel from the author of mega-bestseller The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village At nearly ninety, retired nature writer Hattie Bloom prefers the company of birds to people, but when a fall lands her in a nursing home she struggles to cope with the loss of independence and privacy. From the confines of her 'room with a view' of the carpark, she dreams of escape. Fellow 'inmate', the gregarious, would-be comedian Walter Clements also plans on returning home as soon as he is fit and able to take charge of his mobility scooter. When Hattie and Walter officially meet at The Night Owls, a clandestine club run by Sister Bronwyn and her dog, Queenie, they seem at odds. But when Sister Bronwyn is dismissed over her unconventional approach to aged care, they must join forces -- and very slowly an unlikely, unexpected friendship begins to grow. Full of wisdom and warmth, The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home is a gorgeously poignant, hilarious story showing that it is never too late to laugh -- or to love. 'Tender and funny' Woman's Weekly 'Whip-smart dialogue, humour and sarcasm. A heart-warming story, extremely well written and highly addictive' Sun Herald 'Lively and whimsical ... with some serious points to make about ageing, love, community and friendship' Sydney Morning Herald 'This heartwarming story about growing old gracefully - and disgracefully ... is a funny, witty and thoroughly enjoyable read for all ages' Daily Telegraph

The Orchardist's Daughter

Author: Karen Viggers
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
ISBN: 176087051X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 413

Book Description
A story of freedom, forgiveness and finding the strength to break free. International bestselling writer Karen Viggers returns to remote Tasmania, the setting of her most popular novel The Lightkeeper's Wife. Sixteen-year-old Mikaela has grown up isolated and homeschooled on an apple orchard in southeastern Tasmania, until an unexpected event shatters her family. Eighteen months later, she and her older brother Kurt are running a small business in a timber town. Miki longs to make connections and spend more time in her beloved forest, but she is kept a virtual prisoner by Kurt, who leads a secret life of his own. When Miki meets Leon, another outsider, things slowly begin to change. But the power to stand up for yourself must come from within. And Miki has to fight to uncover the truth of her past and discover her strength and spirit. Set in the old-growth eucalypt forests and vast rugged mountains of southern Tasmania, The Orchardist's Daughter is an uplifting story about friendship, resilience and finding the courage to break free.

The Shelly Bay Ladies Swimming Circle

Author: Sophie Green
Publisher: Hachette Australia
ISBN: 0733641172
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 432

Book Description
It's 1982 in Australia. THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER is a box office hit and Paul Hogan is on the TV. In a seaside suburb, housewife Theresa takes up swimming. She wants to get fit; she also wants a few precious minutes to herself. So at sunrise each day she strikes out past the waves. From the same beach, the widowed Marie swims. With her husband gone, bathing is the one constant in her new life. After finding herself in a desperate situation, 25-year-old Leanne only has herself to rely on. She became a nurse to help others, even as she resists help herself. Elaine has recently moved from England. Far from home and without her adult sons, her closest friend is a gin bottle. In the waters of Shelly Bay, these four women find each other. They will survive bluebottle stings and heartbreak; they will laugh so hard they swallow water, and they will plunge their tears into the ocean's salt. They will find solace and companionship, and learn that love takes many forms. Most of all, they will cherish their friendship, each and every day. 'A tender, heartwarming read' New Idea 'An upbeat story about suburban life and female solidarity' Spectrum 'A delightful novel about the power of female friendship' Sunday Age 'Reading this book was like snuggling beneath a warm beach towel after a bracing dip in the ocean.' - JOANNA NELL Praise for Sophie Green's THE INAUGURAL MEETING OF THE FAIRVALE LADIES BOOK CLUB 'Tender, intimate, heartwarming, fulfilling and Australian as a lamb roast and full-bodied shiraz' The Australian Women's Weekly **Includes BONUS extract from Sophie Green's new novel, Thursdays at Orange Blossom House**

Finding Henry Applebee

Author: Celia Reynolds
Publisher: HarperCollins UK
ISBN: 0008336318
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 368

Book Description
‘An absolute delight. It’s beautiful and elegiac and written with such a good heart’ BAFTA award-winning screenwriter and producer Russell T. Davies OBE ‘A simply heart-string tugging book that offers a ready escape route from these testing time’ Jon Gower, Nation Cymru

An Unusual Boy

Author: Fiona Higgins
Publisher: Boldwood Books Ltd
ISBN: 1800482957
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 313

Book Description
The USA Today and #2 Amazon Bestseller'The gripping tale of an exceptional, misunderstood child... This book will get people talking for sure' Sally Hepworth Meet Jackson - a very unusual boy in a world that prefers 'normal'... Julia Curtis is a busy mother of three, with a husband often away for work, an ever-present mother-in-law, a career, and a house that needs doing up. Her fourteen-year-old daughter, Milla, has fallen in love for the first time, and her youngest, Ruby, is a nine-year-old fashionista who can out-negotiate anyone. But Julia’s eleven-year-old son, Jackson, is different. Different to his sisters. Different to his classmates. In fact, Jackson is different from everyone. And bringing up a child who is different isn’t always easy. Then, one Monday morning, Jackson follows his new friend Digby into the school toilets. What happens inside changes everything; not only for Jackson, but for every member of his family. Julia faces the fight of her life to save her unusual boy from a world set up for ‘normal’. An extraordinary boy. The mother who loves him. The fight of their lives. Bestselling novelist Fiona Higgins returns with a heart-stopping, devastating, but ultimately uplifting story about loyalty, love and forgiveness. Praise for Fiona Higgins: 'An Unusual Boy is the gripping tale of an exceptional, misunderstood child. I found myself glued to this book from start to finish. While reading it, you can’t help but become Jackson’s mother, and the mother of every child who is misunderstood in our society. This book will get people talking for sure.' Sally Hepworth bestselling author of The Mother-in-Law and The Family Next Door 'An Unusual Boy is a beautifully-written book and a page-turner, but it’s the powerful descriptions of family relationships and friendship, both toxic and supportive, that will stay with me. Ultimately uplifting and hugely emotional, this is a wonderful and unusual book.’ Louise Douglas, bestselling author of The House by the Sea 'A tender-hearted story of loving patience triumphing in the face of impossible odds. Original, engaging and beautifully written.' Amanda Brookfield 'An Unusual Boy' is the unforgettable story of an exceptional child and his flawed but loving family, told with Fiona Higgin's characteristic intelligence, deep empathy and insight.' Virginia Lloyd, author of Girls at the Piano ‘Absorbing, intelligent, moving and real, An Unusual Boy is a novel with both heart and brains... a story tailor-made for our times.’ Kylie Ladd, author of The Way Back 'Oh, how I fell in love with this charming book! Fiona Higgins manages to strike the perfect balance of humour and poignancy to create a heart-warming and insightful novel that oozes humanity. I defy any reader not to fall in love with young Jackson and his idiosyncratic 'super powers'.' Joanna Nell, author of The Single Ladies of the Jacaranda Retirement Village 'An Unusual Boy is not only a compelling read, it’s an important one. This tale of an ordinary family dealing with the complexities of raising an extraordinary child had me gripped from the very first page. Intelligently written, this moving story will have book clubs talking long into the night. Fiona Higgins at her finest!' Lisa Ireland, author of The Shape of Us

How to Be an American Housewife

Author: Margaret Dilloway
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 110118924X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 242

Book Description
A mother-daughter story about the strong pull of tradition, and the lure and cost of breaking free of it. When Shoko decided to marry an American GI and leave Japan, she had her parents' blessing, her brother's scorn, and a gift from her husband-a book on how to be a proper American housewife. As she crossed the ocean to America, Shoko also brought with her a secret she would need to keep her entire life... Half a century later, Shoko's plans to finally return to Japan and reconcile with her brother are derailed by illness. In her place, she sends her grown American daughter, Sue, a divorced single mother whose own life isn't what she hoped for. As Sue takes in Japan, with all its beauty and contradictions, she discovers another side to her mother and returns to America unexpectedly changed and irrevocably touched.