Lily Harford's Last Request

Joanna Buckley

$29.99 $10

Paperback

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English

HQ
02 February 2022

Fiction & Literature; Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945); Bargains; Australian Fiction

Lily Harford is nearing the end of her once joyful life - and for her, it can't come soon enough. Who will have the courage, kindness and love to grant her last request? A compassionate and heartfelt story for readers of Jodi Picoult, Tricia Stringer and Fiona Lowe.

Knowing she is sliding into dementia, Lily Harford is ready to give up her life ... but can she persuade someone to commit the illegal act of taking it from her?

Lily has lived a joyful, independent life in a seaside town in Queensland, running her own business and raising a daughter as a single mother at a time when few women did so. Now health and circumstance have pushed her into a nursing home, and her memory is failing, although events of the past remain fresh. Like pulling back the layers of a Russian doll, Lily recalls the former selves - mother, professional woman, lover, daughter - who still exist inside her.

Lily's daughter, Pauline, has been pushed to her limits by her demanding job, as well as the needs of her mother, husband, daughter and grandchildren. And now her mother is begging to die. Nurse aide Donna, still recovering from a dysfunctional childhood and the demise of her marriage, finds comfort in Lily's kindness and down to earth wisdom. As Lily fades, she asks Donna, too, to help her end her life.

A thought-provoking, vivid and moving exploration of how we value a life well lived, and the decisions we make when that life is coming to an end.

PRAISE

'Joanna Buckley has done an excellent job weaving a highly sensitive issue into a tale with great humanity.' - The Weekend Australian

'This exquisitely written story reels you in ... I highly recommend this wonderful book.' - Better Reading

By: Joanna Buckley
Imprint: HQ
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 26mm
Weight: 436g
ISBN: 9781867232469
ISBN 10: 1867232464
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 02 February 2022
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Joanna Buckley is an author based in Melbourne. She has a background in creating short stories, poetry, social media content and educational materials, and has also worked as a copywriter and editor. Joanna is a mother of three and a part-time careers counsellor, and Lily Harford's Last Request is her first novel.