Liz Byrski

For over ten years, Ros, Adele, Judy and Simone have been in an online book club, but they have never met face to face. Until now... Determined to enjoy her imminent retirement, Adele invites her fellow bibliophiles to help her house-sit in the Blue Mountains. It's a tantalising opportunity to spend a month walking in the fresh air, napping by the fire and, of course, reading and talking about books. But these aren't just any books: each member has been asked to choose a book which will teach the others more about her. And with each woman facing a crossroads in her life, it turns out there's a lot for them to learn, not just about their fellow book-clubbers, but also about themselves. Liz Byrski has written a beautiful novel about the joy and comfort reading a good book can bring to us all. PRAISE FOR LIZ BYRSKI "Byrski...is by turns turbulent and tender. Her characters are portrayed as...warm, funny flawed heroes grappling with the cards destiny has dealt them." WEST AUSTRALIAN "...reflective, warm and wise..." WEEKLY TIMES "Liz Byrski has a guaranteed cheer squad for her novels which champion...women taking charge of their life and growing old creatively." DAILY TELEGRAPH

A Month of Sundays

This book is the result of what happened when Liz Byrski asked 20 women from widely different backgrounds, races, beliefs and identities to take up the challenge of writing about rage. The honesty, passion, courage and humour of their very personal stories is engergising and inspiring. If you have ever felt the full force of anger and wondered at its power, then this book is for you.

Women of a Certain Rage

Why are we so obsessed with staying young? In a culture that advocates the pursuit of endless youth and physical beauty how can we embrace the reality, the pleasures and the rewards of getting on? And what does the 'fight against ageing' mean when all women must eventually face the double-standard of ageism and sexism? Once past fifty, older women begin to sense that they have become invisible. From the visual displays in the mall to the pages of magazines and the television screens at the heart of our homes, young women with perfect skin, bouncy, enhanced breasts, pouting lips, long straight hair and perfect teeth gaze down on us. The ageing population is traditionally viewed as a problem; a drain on financial resources, health, housing and community services and a burden on younger generations. But living longer and living well are the triumphs of a civilised society. It is also the future that all generations want for themselves. Can we change the conversation on ageing? Getting old is tough, but it's also an opportunity to celebrate how far we have come and to shape a different future. In this essay, Liz Byrski (author of Last Chance Café and Bad Behaviour) examines the adventure of growing old in the twenty-first century: the new possibilities, the joy and the sorrow of solitude, the reality of grief and loss and the satisfaction of having travelled so far. "Writers like Byrski are needed not only for the clarity of their emotional intelligence but for the courage of their political convictions." West Australian

Getting On: Some Thoughts on Women and Ageing

When Mim Squires and Mathias Vander are stranded together on a disrupted flight home to Perth, they are surprised to find that they have much in common. Mim owns a bookshop, Mathias is a writer, and both are at turning points in their lives. Mim's childhood polio is taking a toll on her life. Mathias is contemplating a cross-continent move to be nearer his daughter. But life back in Perth is not smooth sailing, with their respective family members going through their own upheavals. As Mim and Mathias both struggle to adjust to the challenges of being in their late seventies, secrets from the past that neither wishes to face rise to the surface, challenging their long-held beliefs in their independence and singularity. At the end of the day can they muster the wisdom and the courage they need to change?

At the End of the Day (dys).

When Heather Delaney is injured in a shocking act of violence, her life is thrown off course. Struggling to return to work, she is haunted by the incident. Was it random or personal? Will they try again? Heather is not the only one who is rocked by the attack. Her brother, Adam, and his second wife, Jill, already juggling the demands of work and pre-teen children, find their marriage is straining at the seams. Adam disappears into his music while Jill attempts to keep all the balls in the air. Shaun, Heather's offsider, young, loyal and ambitious, questions his relationship; Diane, an office volunteer, can't stop the bitterness pouring out after a mid-life divorce; and Heather's aunt, Barbara, is about to have her peaceful rural retirement disrupted by conflicting loyalties. Then along comes Heather's old flame, Ellis. Romantic, flamboyant, determined to recapture the past and take control of the future, he seems to have all the answers. But can it really be that easy?

Trip of a Lifetime

"The doyenne of women's fiction" West Australian"A reflective, warm and wise observation of the ingredients that create lasting friendships" Weekly TimesOver the years, the residents of Emerald Street have become more than just neighbours, they have built lasting friendships over a drink and chat on their back verandahs. Now a new chapter begins with the children having left home. Helen and Dennis have moved from their high maintenance family property to an apartment by the river with all the mod cons. For Joyce and Mac, the empty nest has Joyce craving a new challenge, while Mac fancies retirement on the south coast.Meanwhile, Polly embarks on a surprising long-distance relationship. But she worries about her friend next door. Stella's erratic behaviour is starting to resemble something much more serious than endearing eccentricity...With her trademark warmth and wisdom, Liz Byrski involves us in the lives and loves of Emerald Street, and reminds us what it is to be truly neighbourly.MORE PRAISE FOR THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR"Liz Byrski has a guaranteed cheer squad for her novels which champion ... women taking charge of their life and growing old creatively." Daily Telegraph"Compelling reading, combining great drama with strong and complex characters." West Australian"Byrski ... is by turns turbulent and tender. Her characters are protrayed as ... warm, funny, flawed heroes and heroines grappling with the cards destiny has dealt them ... Byrski here unflinchingly looks age and illness in the face. And what does she see there? Acceptance, yes; but also possibility, continuity and renewal. We all get old. Get over it. And grow with the flow." West Australian"This is her ninth novel, and like the others is carefully crafted and well-written. Byrski also tackles with great success ... the realities of illness and death." Sydney Morning Herald" With The Woman Next Door, Liz Byrski creates some wonderfully recognisable and sympathetic characters, drawn with depth and intelligence. Each of the many strands of their lives contain deeply moving stories that are seemingly about ordinary lives but touch on existential crises that we can all relate to." Better Reading

The Woman Next Door

Rachel Robertson

Fifteen Australian women writers were asked to respond to the colour purple. In their hands, purple takes on many meanings. There are stories about Tyrian purple, a snippet of King George's coronation gown, pigeon fanciers, the Dockers' Purple Haze ­ and their layers are explored through themes of feminism, multiculturalism, artists and aging, mothers and daughters and aunts. This is a book for women readers everywhere.

Purple Prose

From the bestselling author of A Month of Sundays, with new novel At the End of the Day out now. "Thought provoking characters ... an intelligent, engaging read" Sydney Morning Herald Margot detests shopping malls. Any distraction is welcome, and the woman who has chained herself to the escalator, shouting about the perils of consumerism, is certainly that. She recognises Dot immediately - from their campaigning days, and further back still, to when Margot married Laurence. Dot is in despair at the abandonment of the sisterhood, at the idea of pole dancing as empowerment and the sight of five-year-olds with false eyelashes and padded bras. She's still a fierce campaigner, but she isn't sure where to direct her rage. Meanwhile Margot holds a haunting resentment that her youthful ambitions have always been shelved to attend to the needs of others. And as the two women turn to the past for solutions for the future, Margot's family is in crisis. Laurence travels in a bid to repress his grief, daughter Lexie loses her job after twenty years, and younger sister Emma hides her pain with shopping binges. With aching empathy, Liz Byrski assembles a fallible cast of characters who are asking the questions we ask ourselves. What does it mean to grow older? Are we brave enough to free ourselves from the pressure to stay young? And is there ever a stage in life when we can just be ourselves? PRAISE FOR LIZ BYRSKI "Her plots and characters get stronger with each book" The Sydney Morning Herald "Liz Byrski has a guaranteed cheer squad for her novels which champion...women taking charge of their life and growing old creatively" Daily Telegraph Fans of Monica McInerney, Liane Moriarty and Joanna Trollope will love Liz Byrski.

Last Chance Café

"The doyenne of women's fiction" West Australian From the bestselling author of A Month of Sundays, with new novel At the End of the Day out now. When patriarch Gerald Hawkins passes away in his Tasmanian home, after ten years of serious illness, his family experience a wave of grief and, admittedly, a surge of relief. Gerald's dominating personality has loomed large over his wife, Connie, their children, Andrew and Kerry, and his sister Flora, for decades. Connie, whose own dreams were dispensed with upon marriage, is now determined to renew her long friendship with Gerald's estranged sister, Flora. She travels to France where she finds Flora struggling to make peace with the past and searching for a place to call home. Meanwhile Andrew's marriage is crumbling, and Kerry is trapped in stasis by unfinished business with her father. As the family adjusts to life after Gerald, they could not be more splintered. But there are surprises in store and secrets to unravel. And once the loss has been absorbed, is it possible that they could all find a way to start afresh with forgiveness, understanding and possibility? PRAISE FOR LIZ BYRSKI "Her plots and characters get stronger with each book" The Sydney Morning Herald "Liz Byrski has a guaranteed cheer squad for her novels which champion...women taking charge of their life and growing old creatively" Daily Telegraph Fans of Monica McInerney, Liane Moriarty and Joanna Trollope will love Liz Byrski.

Family Secrets

Last Chance Cafe

When Mim Squires and Mathias Vander are stranded together on a disrupted flight home to Perth, they are surprised to find that they have much in common. Mim owns a bookshop, Mathias is a writer, and both are at turning points in their lives. Mim's childhood polio is taking a toll on her life. Mathias is contemplating a cross-continent move to be nearer his daughter. But life back in Perth is not smooth sailing, with their respective family members going through their own upheavals. As Mim and Mathias both struggle to adjust to the challenges of being in their late seventies, secrets from the past that neither wishes to face rise to the surface, challenging their long-held beliefs in their independence and singularity. At the end of the day can they muster the wisdom and the courage they need to change? Praise for At The End of the Day 'The strength of Liz Byrski's novels lies in their inherent relatability, from her well-developed characters, the lives they lead and the gentle but thought-provoking stories of everyday life she tells . . . an engaging exploration of love, friendship, independence, family and identity' - Courier Mail 'A truly heartwarming tale' - Australian Women's Weekly 'Much loved WA author Liz Byrski returns . . . bringing her characteristic warmth to a story centred on bookshop owner Mim and writer Mathias . . . the two quickly form a bond that will help to see them through the travails of family, friendships, ageing and coming to terms with the past.' - West Australian Praise for Liz Byrski '[Byrski] writes with warmth, insight and gentle humour' - Courier-mail 'Byrski's forte is getting inside women's heads and hearts' - Australian Women's Weekly 'Thought provoking characters . . . an intelligent, engaging read' - Sydney Morning Herald

At the End of the Day

Ruby and Cat's friendship was forged on an English dockside over sixty years ago when, both fearful, they boarded a ship bound for Australia. It was a friendship that was supposed to last a lifetime but when news of Cat's death reaches Ruby back in London, it comes after a painful estrangement.Declan has also drifted away from Cat, but he is forced back to his aunt's lavender farm, Benson's Reach, when he learns that he and Ruby are co-beneficiaries.As these two very different people come together in Margaret River they must learn to trust each other and to deal with the staff and guests. Can the legacy of Benson's Reach triumph over the hurt of the past? Or is Cat's duty-laden legacy simply too much for Ruby and Declan to keep alive?

In the Company of Strangers

In the aftermath of the Battle of Britain, airmen filled a small town where pioneering plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe established revolutionary surgical and therapeutic treatments. For the child Liz Byrski, growing up in East Grinstead, the burnt faces of these airmen filled her nightmares. In her late 60s, Liz returned to make peace with her memories and to speak not only with the survivors—known as the Guinea Pig Club—but with the nurses who played a vital and unorthodox role in their treatment, sometimes at a significant personal cost.

Nursing Heroes

In Love and War

For over ten years, Ros, Adele, Judy and Simone have been in an online book club, but they have never met face to face. Until now... Determined to enjoy her imminent retirement, Adele invites her fellow bibliophiles to help her house-sit in the Blue Mountains. Each member has been asked to bring a book which will teach the others more about her. With the women all facing crossroads in their lives, it turns out there's a lot for them to learn, not just about their fellow book-clubbers, but about themselves.PRAISE FOR A MONTH OF SUNDAYS'She writes with warmth, insight and gently humour about ordinary, flawed characters grappling with relevant, real-life issues.' Courier Mail'Byrski...is by turns turbulent and tender. Her characters are portrayed as...warm, funny, flawed heroes and heroines grappling with the cards destiny has dealt them.' West Australian'[A Month of Sundays] demonstrated the capacity of a book to act as a mirror to the soul and an eloquent guide to a more contented future. Executed with wit and affection, the novel delivers exactly what it promises.' Weekend Australian'This is a great example of the joy a good book can bring.' Courier Mail

Separated from her true love at the age of 18, Liz dreamt of the day he would return to marry her, but fate had other plans. Thirty-seven years later, Liz answers the telephone to hear a voice from the past that still has the power to stop her in her tracks. A true story of love lost and found, this personal memoir journeys across continents and decades to relate the details of the couple’s original love affair and their reunion years later. Poignant and romantic, this story is a testament to the extraordinary powers of the heart.

Remember Me

She had a husband, children and grandchildren who loved her; a beautiful home, enough money. What sort of person was able to feel so overwhelmed with gloom and resentment on Christmas morning? They have been close friends for almost two decades, supporting each other through personal and professional crises - parents dying, children leaving home, house moves, job changes, political activism and really bad haircuts. Now the 'gang of four', Isabel, Sally, Robin and Grace, are all fifty-something, successful ... and restless.

Gang of Four

From the bestselling author of A Month of Sundays, with new novel At the End of the Day out now. Gang of Four is a story of four very different journeys and a celebration of women in the prime of life. "Every woman needs her gang of four" Mary Moody "A delightful story of the joy of stepping outside your comfort zone" Australian Women's Weekly She had a husband, children and grandchildren who loved her, a beautiful home, enough money. What sort of person was she to feel so overwhelmed with gloom and resentment on Christmas morning? They have been close friends for almost two decades, supporting each other through personal and professional crises-parents dying, children leaving home, house moves, job changes, political activism, diets and really bad haircuts. Now the 'gang of four', Isabel, Sally, Robin and Grace, are all fifty-something, successful ...and restless. It is Isabel who makes the first move, taking a year away from her family to follow in her mother's footsteps across Europe. Soon Sally is on her way to San Francisco, to come face to face with a guilty secret. Robin, in the wake of a clandestine relationship, heads for isolation in the country. And Grace? Well, Grace would never go away for an entire year, but, lonely in the others' absence, she thinks she might take a short holiday in England. Once there, she bumps into someone she hardly knows - herself. PRAISE FOR LIZ BYRSKI "Her plots and characters get stronger with each book" The Sydney Morning Herald "Liz Byrski has a guaranteed cheer squad for her novels which champion...women taking charge of their life and growing old creatively" Daily Telegraph Fans of Monica McInerney, Liane Moriarty and Joanna Trollope will love Liz Byrski.

From the bestselling author of A Month of Sundays, with new novel At the End of the Day out now. "Central to Byrski's book is the value of friendship among women" Sun-Herald One mistake can change a life forever. Zoe is living a conventional suburban life in Fremantle. She works, she gardens and she loves her supportive husband Archie and their three children. But the arrival of a new woman into her son Daniel's life unsettles Zoe. Suddenly she is feeling angry and hurt, and is lashing out at those closest to her. In Sussex, England, Julia is feeling nostalgic as she nurses her best friend through the last painful stages of cancer. Her enthusiastic but dithering husband Tom is trying to convince Julia to slow down. Although she knows Tom means well, Julia cannot help but feel frustrated that he is pushing her into old age before she is ready. But she knows she is lucky to have him. She so nearly didn't... These two women's lives have been shaped by the decisions they made back in 1968 - when they were young, idealistic and naive. In a world that was a whirl of politics and protest, consciousness raising and sexual liberation, Zoe and Julia were looking for love, truth and their own happy endings. They soon discover that life is rarely that simple, as their bad behaviour leads them down paths that they can never turn back from. PRAISE FOR LIZ BYRSKI "Her plots and characters get stronger with each book" The Sydney Morning Herald "Liz Byrski has a guaranteed cheer squad for her novels which champion...women taking charge of their life and growing old creatively" Daily Telegraph Fans of Monica McInerney, Liane Moriarty and Joanna Trollope will love Liz Byrski.

Bad Behaviour

When Mim Squires and Mathias Vander are stranded together on a disrupted flight home to Perth, they are surprised to find that they have much in common. Mim owns a bookshop, Mathias is a writer, and both are at turning points in their lives. Mim's childhood polio is taking a toll on her life. Mathias is contemplating a cross-continent move to be nearer his daughter. But life back in Perth is not smooth sailing, with their respective family members going through their own upheavals. As Mim and Mathias both struggle to adjust to the challenges of being in their late seventies, secrets from the past that neither wishes to face rise to the surface, challenging their long-held beliefs in their independence and singularity. At the end of the day, can they muster the wisdom and the courage they need to change?

Liz Byrski

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