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