Lovely reading. Gets you in to want to finish the book

“‘I’m entitled to the future I want, not the one you think I should have.”

All About Ella is the sixth novel by Australian author, Meredith Appleyard. Ella Sinclair has had a terrible year: nursing her husband to an early grave; coerced by her children into selling the family home; relegated to the spare room at her son’s house; regularly chastised by her daughter-in-law, like a disobedient child, for any perceived transgression; the only consolation is her proximity to her grandchildren, especially fourteen-year-old Stefan, intelligent and easy-going with a quirky sense of humour.

A shouting match over the financing of the proposed granny flat is the final straw: Ella sneaks out and drives from Adelaide over to Cutlers Bay on the Yorke Peninsula: she needs some breathing space and time to not think about anything. A day later, feeling a little shaky from a rough night and too little to eat, she is approached on Rocky Point by Sergeant Zach Cooper, who advises her to ring her son: she has been reported missing.

“What was it I’d hoped for from my eldest son? Acknowledgement that he respected his mother’s right to make decisions about her own life? Some kind of sign that he understood why I might need time to get used to life without a husband and a home? Anything that might have indicated I hadn’t become invisible to my family. That I hadn’t passed my use-by date and become nothing more than a hindrance to them.”

After things didn’t work out in Cairns, Angie Daniels is on the road again, all her worldly goods contained in her trusty Subaru, destination Perth, and the mother she has not seen for five years. But no rush. A left turn has her checking out the scenic Yorke Peninsula, Rocky Point Beach and Cutlers Bay. Rather than spend another night in her car, Angie opts for the Cutlers Bay pub, where she finds herself assisting the rather dishy local cop with a distressed older lady.

It’s an unlikely trio, and they don’t get off to the best of starts: Zach would like to see Ella return to her family, and is unsure if Angie’s apparent good intentions towards Ella are genuine; Ella is definitely not ready to face her family, and finds Angie good company; Angie is ready to help Ella out, but won’t be sticking around long enough to make real friends; she never does.

Appleyard gives the reader appealing characters who are all the more believable for their flaws and foibles. As their backstories are revealed, and life throws them challenges, it’s easy to invest in them and hope for their happiness. Appleyard easily captures the country town vibe and the support characters are well-drawn: Stefan is a delight, and likely to be a favourite. And in Kirsten, the daughter-in-law, she gives the reader someone to happily despise.

Ageism in its many and varied incarnations is examined here with sensitivity and humour: there are laugh-out-loud moments, but also some jaw-dropping ones. There are many insightful observations and wise words: “When you get old, younger people treat you as if you’ve always been old. That you haven’t had a life. That you weren’t young once.” “We’re not old. We’re just lucky enough to have had more birthdays than some.”

And Angie explains her nomadic nature: “a place to start would be that an emotionally dysfunctional childhood results in an emotionally dysfunctional adult” While some aspects of the plot may be predictable, there are plenty of twists and wrinkles before a very satisfactory conclusion: Ella finally says “I could sit and brood and say woe is me, but I’ve decided I will live the life I have left to the full” and has everyone cheering her on. A delightful, thought-provoking and heart-warming read that will resonate with many.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin