Liz Byrski

When Liz Byrski turned fifty she keenly felt the lack of literature that reflected the lives of women in mid life, and drawing on her experience as a journalist and freelance writer, set out to change that by writing the sort of books that she wanted to read.

Family Secrets is Liz Byrski's eighth fiction novel, a story about love, regrets, forgiveness and redemption.

After a long, debilitating illness, Gerald Hawkins passing is both a cause for sadness and relief for his wife Connie, and his show more adult children Kerry and Andrew. For decades they have lived their lives as Gerald, a dominant man, had wished them too and now that he is gone they are all forced to find their own way forward.

Connie chooses to revisit her past, announcing her plans to go to England for an extended holiday, hoping to reconnect with the woman she was before she married Gerald and gave up her dreams to become a dutiful wife and mother in Tasmania, and to rekindle her relationship with her childhood best friend, and Gerald's sister, Flora, who has been estranged from the family for many years. Connie's journey is not what she imagined it would be however, especially when she is confronted with some home truths about the choices she made and the person she has become.

Meanwhile her children are grappling with their changing futures. Andrew, disillusioned with his career and his marriage, is unsurprised to discover his wife's affair but determined to protect his teenage daughter, Brooke, from the fall-out. Kerry, harbouring long held resentment and guilt about her father is at a loss when he dies, and is left struggling with the symptoms of clinical depression.

Byrski explores the way in which it is often difficult to be honest with ourselves, and others, and the corrosive nature of failing to accept the truth. Each main character in Family Secrets is challenged to reconcile their past and escape the shadow of Gerald's legacy by taking responsibility for the people whom they have become, and making changes that allow them to reconnect with the people they love.

I thought Family Secrets was an engaging read, not especially gripping but a thoughtful and well told story of realistic domestic drama. show less

Liz Byrski is an older woman’s friend. Belly Dancing for Beginners is a very funny book yet one with a serious point - women in their 50s and beyond can still have challenging, rewarding and hugely enjoyable lives.

Byrski patently enjoys the process of characterisation. Her 50-somethings are about as far away from the dried-up old maiden aunt as you could get - they are just like people you know and love.

The women have something of the wisdom of age but still battle with the complexities show more of relationships with husbands, children, parents and friends. They are also still intrigued by romantic possibilities and the search for love. Belly Dancing for Beginners is easy to read and sometimes very moving. The plot is interesting - with a tricky little sting in the tail to to keep you thinking. And the theme of older women embracing their coming of age is uplifting.

I devoured this in one sitting - and headed straight out to find something else by this exciting new Australian author. show less

Two years after she woke from an urgent dream, Rose Walters is finally returning to England to confront her biggest loss. It’s been thirty years since Tom Stutchbury broke her heart but is it closure she craves, or a second chance?

Lost and Found is a thoughtful examination of lost love, female friendship, and second chances from bestselling Australian author Liz Byrski.

In her fifties, Rose is a mature character who has built a comfortable and satisfying life for herself in Western show more Australia, yet the sudden end of her relationship with Tom haunts her. Despite being a smart and accomplished woman, Rose’s search for her elusive lost love is undertaken with an emotionally naive mindset, and her journey is often distressing and frustrating in pursuit of answers, but ultimately cathartic.

Dora is surprised when Rose arrives on her doorstep looking for her son, she’s inclined to simply close the door but instead takes pity on her. Dora is a such a lovely character, she has weathered several tragedies in her eighty plus years with admirable strength and resilience. The bond she and Rose develop is sweet and provides them both with something precious.

The friendship between Rose and Dora is key to the novel but Rose’s relationship with her best friend and ministerial assistant, Chris, is also important, as is Dora’s with her childhood friend Molly.

Told with Byrski’s signature tenderness and wisdom, Lost and Found is an engaging read that encourages connection and reflection. show less

A Month of Sunday’s, Liz Byrski’s tenth novel, is told with warmth, humour and wisdom.

When Adele is offered an opportunity to housesit a cottage in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales for a month, she nervously decides to invite the other three members of her online book club, whom have known each other for a decade, but whom have never met in person, to join her. Simone, from Tasmania, is excited by the prospect, while Judy, from Western Australia, is uncertain, but in desperate need show more of a break from her business. Usually Ros, who lives in Sydney, would never agree to spending weeks with women who are essentially strangers, but bad news has left her with a need to escape. At a crossroads in their lives, the retreat becomes an opportunity for the women to not only get to know one another better, but also themselves.

Thoughtfully exploring the themes of ageing, memory, personal growth, and friendship, A Month of Sunday’s by Liz Byrski is an engaging character driven novel. I love that this book features women in their late 60’s to 70’s, I was moved by the author’s examination of the issues facing these particular mature women, such as retirement, illness and grief, and the support and strength they find within each other.

“We’re all single and we’re all getting older; each of us has had to face something serious since we’ve been here. That’s a bond. This is no longer just a book club. It can be much more; it can have a life long after we leave here.”

This is also a novel that celebrates the ways in which literature can enrich our lives. So that the women get to know one another during the retreat, Adele suggests that each chooses a book of personal significance to share each week. The resulting lively discussions allow the women to communicate and explore who they were, who they are, and what they want moving forward.

“This is us, this is what we do. We talk about books, we make them work in our own lives: walk through the doors they open for us, cross the bridges they lay out for us, and pick and choose what we need to take away from them.”

While I think A Month of Sunday’s is particularly suited to a mature aged readership, who are more likely to identify with the characters and their issues, I also think it would be an excellent bookclub choice, and any bibliophile can relate to the author’s observations about the value of books.

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