The Nearly Happy Family

'My point is this: who needs enemies when you have a family?'

Claire Delaney, a fiery fifteen-year-old, and her mother, Jackie, are both out of control.  They've had a lot to deal with after the tragic death of Claire's father – and they're driving each other crazy.

When Jackie, a forty-something comedian, announces she's going to marry a younger man she's only just met, Claire is outraged.  In retaliation she apprentices herself to a volatile Italian chef, who teaches her the secrets of his kitchen.  In time, both Jackie and Claire discover that life – like the best recipes – is at once mysterious and mysteriously simple.

'A convincing and engaging portrait of a family, with a cast of well-drawn minor characters, Some highly evocative South Australian settings and a wonderful account of like in a restaurant kitchen.'
SYDNEY MORNING HEARLD

' . . . delivers the untidiness of family life with humour and pathos.'
THE AGE