Not all marriages end in happily ever after . . .
‘Now what?’ asked Elizabeth.
‘I dunno,’ said Zach. ‘You’re always telling me you’re in charge. Let’s see what you got.’
In their youth, lovebirds Elizabeth and Ray had to fight to be together. Their future was full of promise and, blessed with children and careers, their happiness complete. But a twist of fate changed their lives forever.
Now in her sixties, Elizabeth is desperately lonely. She rarely sees her two adult sons and her closest friend is a talkative budgie. But when her grandson, Zach, gets into trouble with the police, she decides to take him on a road trip to find his grandfather, her lost love Ray, in the hope of mending their broken family.
Two less compatible travelling companions would be hard to find, as they set off on an unlikely adventure into the wilds of the northern NSW hinterland. What they discover along the way, about Ray and each other, has the power to transform them all. In trying to save Zach, Elizabeth might just save herself.
Warm, witty and wise, Lovebirds is an astute and uplifting novel about the power of love and family.
Praise for Lovebirds
‘Skilfully written, with moments of laugh-out-loud humour, Lovebirds both warmed and broke my heart in perfect measure.’
Joanna Nell
‘Amanda Hampson has carved a niche delivering realistic stories about older women. Lovebirds explores loneliness, female friendships, and the life events that can shape a woman.’
The Australian
By the end of Lovebirds, I was cheering Elizabeth on, in her relationships with her family – particularly grandson Zach and ex-husband Ray – and in her relationship with herself. In the final pages of the book, there is one event that had me sobbing, and one line in particular that is so heart-wrenching, I read it over and over. Warm, witty and wise, Lovebirds is an astute and uplifting novel about the power of love and family. I love that older women are so beautifully portrayed in novels now, and Amanda Hampson leads the way.
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