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Astrid Mania Astrid Mania i(A144250 works by)
Gender: Female
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2 3 y separately published work icon Hello from the Gillespies Monica McInerney , Melbourne : Penguin , 2014 7845658 2014 single work novel

'For more than thirty years, Angela Gillespie has sent friends and family around the world an end-of-year letter titled 'Hello from the Gillespies'. It's always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself – she tells the truth . . .

'The Gillespies are far from the perfect family that Angela has made them out to be. Her husband seems to be having a mid-life crisis. Her grown-up twins are having career meltdowns. Her third daughter, badly in debt, can't stop crying. And her ten-year-old son spends more time talking to his imaginary friend than to real ones.

'Without Angela, the family would fall apart. But when Angela is taken from them in a most unexpected manner, the Gillespies pull together – and pull themselves together – in wonderfully surprising ways . . .

'From the bestselling author of The House of Memories comes a funny and heartfelt novel about miscommunication and mayhem in a family like no other.' (Publication summary)
2 5 y separately published work icon The House of Memories Monica McInerney , Melbourne : Michael Joseph , 2012 Z1890750 2012 single work novel 'Sometimes the hardest lessons to learn are those that matter most.

'Following a tragic accident, Ella O'Hanlon flees to the other side of the world in an attempt to escape her grief, leaving behind the two people she blames for her loss: Aidan, the love of her life, and Jess, her spoilt half-sister.

'In London Ella is taken in by her beloved uncle Lucas, whose extraordinary house holds many wonderful memories for her. Along with other members of the very colourful Fox family, Lucas helps Ella to see that she is not the only one still hurting, and that forgiveness can be the greatest healer in a family and in a marriage.

'For anyone who has ever loved and lost, this is an exquisitely moving and life-affirming novel by the internationally bestselling author of Lola's Secret.' (From the publisher's website.)
3 6 y separately published work icon Lola's Secret Monica McInerney , Camberwell : Penguin , 2011 Z1795244 2011 single work novel 'Magic can happen in every family.

'At the Valley View Motel in South Australia's picturesque Clare Valley, eighty-four-year-old Lola Quinlan is up to her usual mischief. She's sent her family away for Christmas and invited a number of mystery guests to come and stay. But who are all these people, and why aren't they spending the festive season with their own loved ones?

'As the big day draws closer and Lola's personal family dramas threaten to unravel her plans, she discovers that at a special time of year, magic can happen in every family - especially your own.

'From the bestselling author of At Home with the Templetons comes a funny, sad and moving novel about memories and moments and the very meaning of life.' (From the publisher's website.)
3 10 y separately published work icon At Home with the Templetons Monica McInerney , Camberwell London : Michael Joseph , 2010 Z1728308 2010 single work novel

'When the Templeton family from England takes up residence in a stately home in country Australia, they set the locals talking - and with good reason. From the outside, the seven Templetons seem so bohemian, unusual... peculiar even.

No one is more intrigued by the family than their neighbours, single mother Nina Donovan and her young son Tom. Before long, the two families' lives become entwined in unexpected ways, to the delight of Gracie, the sweetest of the Templeton children.

In the years that follow, the relationships between the Templetons and the two Donovans twist and turn in unpredictable and life-changing directions, until a tragedy tears them all apart. What will it take to bring them together again?' (From the publisher's website.)
4 8 y separately published work icon Those Faraday Girls Monica McInerney , Camberwell : Viking , 2007 Z1423975 2007 single work novel As a child, Maggie Faraday grew up in a lively, unconventional household in Tasmania, with her young mother, four very different aunts and eccentric grandfather. With her mother often away, all four aunts took turns looking after her - until, just weeks before Maggie's sixth birthday, a shocking event changed everything. Twenty years on, Maggie is living alone in New York City when a surprise visit from her grandfather brings a revelation and a proposition to reunite the family. As the Faradays gather in Ireland, Maggie begins to realise that the women she thought she knew so intimately all have something to hide... Those Faraday Girls is a rich and complex story full of warmth, humour and unforgettable women. Spanning several countries and thirty years, it is a deeply moving novel about family secrets and lies - and how the memories that bind us together can also keep us apart. (Publisher's blurb.)
2 3 y separately published work icon Odd One Out Monica McInerney , Camberwell : Penguin , 2006 Z1285362 2006 single work novel

'Sylvie has always been the odd one out in her family. Her mother is a celebrated artist, known for her bohemian lifestyle. Her father, long estranged from the family, is a respected poet and academic.

'Sylvie's two beautiful sisters and her big brother are also making their mark in the design world. Sylvie hasn't an artistic bone in her body. On the verge of turning thirty, back living in the family home in Sydney and working for her mother and sisters, she feels stuck in a major rut.

'Then her brother Sebastian steps in with a rescue plan. He offers her a room in his Melbourne apartment for as long as she likes, on one condition. In an updated version of a treasure hunting game they played as children, she has to follow his instructions and go exploring the city.

'Within days, she's doing things she's never done before, going to places she's never been and beginning to think of ideas for a new career. She is also getting to know a very lovely man. Life is looking up.

'Then Sebastian reveals one final challenge...'

Source: Books Alive website, http://www.booksalive.com.au/
Sighted: 17/07/2006
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