The Helpline
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4.4 • 16 Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Germaine Johnson may not be all that good with people but she's great with numbers. Unfortunately, as she discovers after the incident at Wallace Insurance, there are very few openings these days for senior mathematicians.
Then her cousin gets her a job at the council. On the Senior Citizens Helpline.
It's not the resume entry Germaine wanted—but it turns out Mayor Verity Bainbridge has something more interesting in mind for her. A secret project involving the troublemakers at the senior citizens centre and their feud with the golf club next door. Which is run by the strangely attractive Don Thomas.
Don and the mayor want the seniors closed down.
Germaine wants what Don and the mayor want. But when she's forced to get to know the 'troublemakers'—things get more complicated.
A sharp, witty, big-hearted comedy from a hilarious new Australian writer, Katherine Collette's The Helpline is about people power and brain power—and the difficulty of getting them to work together.
Katherine Collette is a writer and environmental engineer. She lives in Melbourne with her husband and two children. The Helpline is her first novel.
‘Many readers today are searching for light but clever comic writing with a bit of a punch; they will happily find it in Katherine Collette’s debut.’ Books + Publishing
‘An endearing story about power, ambition, greed and friendship.’ Readings
‘Delightful feelgood fun.’ Toni Jordan
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Australian author Collette debuts with the tale of the rather awkward Germaine Johnson as she does her part to assist a rundown senior center and its champions wage an existential struggle against the mayor and her schemes. Germaine isn't a people person, so her new job at the Australian town of Deepdene's Senior Citizen Helpline answering calls isn't a natural fit. She sees an opportunity for advancement when mayor Verity Bainbridge recruits her to oust the troublesome president of the local senior citizens center committee and then to write a building inspection report after Germaine lets slip to the mayor's friend Don Thomas, owner of the golf club adjoining the senior center, that the center is in poor repair. Germaine is also motivated by her crush on Don. To the end, Germaine has difficulty with feelings, which are, for her, "not only unpredictable" but "could be very unpleasant," but she does become fond of the people at the senior center, and so, naively, believes that the report will be used to make improvements rather than as justification to close the building and then sell the property to Don. When she discovers this, Germaine works with her new friends at the center and in the town's government to thwart the mayor. Readers who appreciate offbeat characters or a good David vs. Goliath tale should enjoy this.
