by Meg Mason
First published 2022
Abi packs her bags in Croydon the moment she discovers she's pregnant by Stu, an Australian exchange student. She pictures the perfect family they'll create together in Sydney. Three weeks after baby Jude arrives, Abi steps off the plane into blazing Australian heat, only to discover that Stu isn't ready for fatherhood. Alone in an unfamiliar city with a newborn, Abi struggles to make connections until she meets Phyllida, her wealthy and commanding neighbor. Phil becomes the mother figure Abi always craved, welcoming her into a world of comfort and belonging. But Abi told one small lie on the day they first met. As their bond deepens, that initial deception threatens to unravel the relationship Abi desperately needs. She must navigate the gap between the family she imagined and the reality she faces, all while protecting the connection that has become her lifeline in a foreign place.
Genres: literary-fiction, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Australia, Croydon, Sydney
Period: 21st-century
448 pages · Paperback · Weidenfeld & Nicolson