The Wakes

Lisa Schuurman: When Clares husband tells her one night that hes unhappy, shes not sure what to dobut helping her new friend Louisa start a funeral catering business is the last thing she expects to happen. Likewise, Chris thought he had seen everything as an emergency doctor, but when his wife still isnt pregnant after seven rounds of IVF and he is on the side of the road mumbling Stayin Alive by the Bee Gees to a stranger because he might be having a heart attack, things dont seem like they can get much worse. Life doesnt always go to plan, but Clare and Chris certainly didnt expect to see each other at four funerals in a row. These once-strangers soon become linked by grief and their lives intertwine as Dianne Yarwoods Sydney-set novel progresses. The Wakes is a book that will stay with you long after you finish the final page, as the author accurately captures the beautifully messy nature of life, death and love in all of its forms. For readers who enjoy Liane Moriarty, Meg Mason or simply a story with interweaving storylines, this debut novel poignantly and sometimes humorously explores how the many facets of grief can so strongly bind people together. With strong dialogue, fully formed characters and outrageously delicious food descriptions, The Wakes will leave you with a renewed appreciation for life. Lisa Schuurman is an editor, writer and book reviewer. Books+Publishing is Australias number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Dianne Yarwood worked in accounting and corporate advisory in London and Sydney. She also nurtured a love for cooking and catering. At the age of forty, with three young children, she became very ill and her life was saved by an emergency doctor. This brush with mortality gave her the courage to do what she’s always wanted to do - write. Dianne lives in Sydney with her husband. The Wakes is her first novel.