When patriarch Gerald Hawkins passes away in his Tasmanian home after ten years of serious illness, his family experiences a wave of grief and, admittedly, a surge of relief. Gerald's dominating personality has loomed large over his wife Connie and their children, Andrew and Kerry, for most of their lives. Connie, whose own dreams were dispensed with upon marriage, is now determined to renew her long friendship with Gerald's estranged sister. 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? Or is Gerald's legacy too heavy a burden to overcome? 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

Author Biography

Liz Byrski is the author of seven other novels and a number of non-fiction books, the latest of which is Getting On: Some Thoughts on Women and Ageing. She has worked as a freelance journalist, a broadcaster with ABC Radio and an advisor to a minister in the West Australian Government. Liz has a PhD in writing from Curtin University where she teaches professional and creative writing. www.lizbyrski.com