Summary (Allen &Unwin)

Can mother-of-two, Stella forge a new life for herself after the end of her marriage? A funny and insightful novel about love, friendship and the quest for happiness.

Stella Sparks is on good terms with her ex-husband, Terry, despite the fact he left her for another woman. Stella’s philosophical – the marriage had run its course, they remain friends and the wellbeing of their kids is central to both of them.

Stella’s two closest friends, Carly and Jesse, envy her togetherness and wish they could emulate it. Jesse’s husband, Steve, is a control freak who’s driving her crazy, but she has two small children and can’t see a way out. Carly, meanwhile, suspects her husband is having an affair and isn’t sure what to do about it.

Stella’s life takes a distinctly upward turn when she meets a handsome, apparently single – no ring, anyway – father at her son’s school speech night. For Carly and Jesse, however, the search for happiness and fulfilment proves more elusive…

With a healthy dose of humour and romance Stella Makes Good is about the games we play, the secrets we keep, the unpredictable nature of life and the importance of female friendship.

Comments
I have been looking forward to reading Lisa Heidke’s latest book and it didn’t disappoint. Her characters  are always women that I can relate to – women trying to balance home and personal commitments, trying to rediscover a sense of purpose in their lives and/or someone simply trying to find a way to fulfil some of their own dreams while also supporting their children, partner, parents and friends.

I enjoyed the multiple perspectives in the novel. Stella is written in first person and is the official central character, although her life is probably the least troubled. She shares the limelight with Jesse, Carly and Louisa, however, and I like the depth this adds to the story, especially given the focus on keeping secrets and making decisions. The different perspectives give much better insight into the way each woman is thinking as she makes the choices that she does.

Stella Makes Good was a fun way to get my 2012 reading underway.  There were plenty of scenes that made me smile (Stella’s mother-in-law is particularly entertaining) and others that made me think about friendship and secrets and the truths that we hide from others and, sometimes, from ourselves.

Book details
Title: Stella Makes Good
Author: Lisa Heidke
Publisher: Arena, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-74237-867-1, 312 pages
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction

Related Links

• My review of Stella Makes Good at Suite101.com