A perceptive and unforgettable debut novel from the 2022 Richell Prize winner, The Deed explores the messy, sometimes volatile, complications that only the best and worst of family can bring.
Tom Edwards is dying, and cranky. He’s made his peace with the dying part. But he’d bet his property – the whole ten thousand acres of it – that there’d be no wailing at his funeral. His kids wouldn’t be able to chop down a tree, let alone build a coffin to bury him in.
Then Tom has an idea…
Christine is furious, David ashen-faced, and Sophie distracted. Only Jenny listens carefully as Vince Barton, of Barton & Sons, reads their father’s will. Either they build his coffin – in four days – or they lose their inheritance. All of it.
Read some great reviews from our Preview readers here:
Susannah Begbie’s debut novel is a funny, sad, poignant story of a family of four adult children who come together to bury their father. He has stipulated certain conditions in his will, which mean they must cooperate and spend time together in order to not lose their inheritance. The family dynamics are well written and very relatable! Perspective shifts from character and character and we really get to know each person. There’s quite a lot of humour too. I really enjoyed this book and will certainly read anything else she writes in the future. Denise, QLD, 5 Stars
As they say, you can choose your friends but not your family. When the four estranged children of Tom Edwards are reunited following his death they had no idea what he had planned for them. The Deed – as a condition of his will, Christine, David, Jenny and Sophie have four days to build a coffin together to bury him in. There are strict instructions regarding its construction and if successful they will inherit equal shares in his estate but if they fail it all goes to a shady lawyer who has his own plans for the money that he’s determined will be his in just a few days. All four siblings have their own secrets. Being forced to work together on this last project for their father will bring out their strengths and weaknesses, if they don’t kill each other first. Tom Edwards proves there is method in the madness of the task he has set for his children and that he knows them better than they know themselves. A worthy winner of the Richell prize. I loved this debut novel from Susannah Begbie and look forward to seeing what she does next. Sarah, NSW, 5 Stars
The Deed is a fantastic Australian Debut novel. The characters are very likeable and the story is intriguing. I could not put the book down as I wanted to know what happened. The Deed is very Australian, the characters could be anyone you know in your own town. I will definitely be looking out for any future books by Susannah Begbie. Wendy, QLD, 5 Stars
I really enjoyed reading Susannah Begbie’s ‘The Deed’. Although dealing with death and loss it is never morbid and is frequently humorous. It focuses on the drama resulting from an unusual caveat attached to the inheritance of Ellersley, a rambling family property in regional Australia, and all other assets. Tom accepts he is dying, but what of his 4 adult kids? They are estranged, each caught up in their own life, with no time for Tom or each other. How can he get their attention? Then Tom has an idea, either all 4 work together to build his coffin from scratch in four days or they lose their inheritance. Solicitor Vince is happy, he gets the lot if they fail. Insecure Jenny takes it all in and starts planning; devastated the cash-strapped David goes on a bender; Christine is livid and tries to find ways around it; and Sophie drifts along apparently oblivious to what’s at stake. The lovable, flawed characters in The Deed create a wonderful study into family dynamics. Short chapters keep the story fast-paced and easy to read, successfully packing reflections of a family’s whole lifetime into one chaotic week. Well worth reading. Sandra, NSW, 5 Stars
The Deed is a fabulous example, with a twist, of a very common story in rural Australia – the next generation moving to the city leaving the patriarch of the family to run the property that has been a part of the family for generations. Cleverly written, brilliant characters, interwoven family dynamics – what more could you ask for? Kate, VIC, 5 Stars
I was impressed with this debut novel, The Deed. I loved that it was so Australian, loved the setting and the relatable, flawed characters. I felt it is cleverly written, drawing us into the interwoven family dynamics and the issues they face claiming their inheritance. This is a novel with no historical thread except the family history, no murder, no Shades of Grey, yet it’s a darn good yarn, full of drama and humour. Thoroughly enjoyable. Warren, NSW, 5 Stars
This book was such a joy to read. While it deals with some tough topics – abuse, death, estrangement, affairs, alcoholism – Begbie touches on each of the topics gently and lovingly. The characters are detailed and absolutely lovable, warts and all. As to the story of four children forced to build a coffin for their father to receive their inheritance, brilliant! There’s a real Australian-toned black humour to the scenario – reminded me a bit of The Dressmaker with a bit more fun and hope. It’s not predictable but the ending is perfect and even the “villain” of the piece gets a happy ending. It’s a fun read and I highly recommend it. Sara, NSW, 5 Stars
Tom Edwards is dying and he knows it, it isn’t worrying him as he has made his peace. He doesn’t see or hear much from his four children, they have all gone their own ways except one who still lives in the area. He decides to make a new will with a different lawyer than the usual one who has handled all the matters for the property, all ten thousand acres, for years. He makes a bet that if his children can’t build a coffin to his specification in four days they will lose the property and all that goes with it. At the reading of the will David is devastated, Christine is furious, Sophie has other things on her mind but Jenny pays close attention. None know where to start at first. While building the coffin they all learn things about themselves and each other. It is a story of family, coming together and learning what they are capable of achieving if they have to. Liz, VIC, 5 Stars
No romance, no crime, no history. A completely different story to the usual. The characters are The Dad who leaves an unusual provision in his will for his four children to earn their inheritance. The Children – three daughters and a son and their personal stories. The Solicitor who has a small part of the story as well. As in a lot of families the siblings are all individuals all cheese and chalk to each other but suddenly they have to become a team when they all hit rock bottom. They then perceive each other and suddenly realise they can work as a team. There is some humour throughout the book. This was certainly an unusual will and testament to encourage the wayward family to appreciate what they could inherit. I honestly cannot say who this book would appeal to other than if you want to read something out of the usual genres. I enjoyed the read and coming from a family of four siblings myself identified that yes we are all different. Elaine, NSW, 5 Stars
I absolutely loved this character-driven debut novel that explores family dynamics and the fallout of wills and inheritance. Set in the small town of Coorong, I loved getting to know the area and all the small-town politics and agriculture. The property of Ellersley sounded amazing. Whilst the subject matter seemed morbid it had me laughing out loud at times. Full of interesting and quirky characters. I loved getting to know father Tom, his four children David, Christine , Jenny and Sophie. All four children had very distinct personalities, some likable, others not so much. I loved seeing their family story play out over the dual timelines. It really captured family roles and dynamics well. Lawyer Vince made for a good antagonist, although I did feel for getting entangled into this family drama. I was hooked immediately and found that the short chapters kept the story moving. I loved the underdog element and the race against the clock. It would make a great movie- I could see it being the next The Castle. For fans of Joanna Nell. I can’t wait to see what Begbie comes up with next. Kirsten, ACT, 5 Stars
I loved this book! I had no expectations going in, but found myself captive from the off. Firstly, by the brilliant premise, and then by the believable, flawed, understandable characters who populate it. Characters you can relate to, even if you don’t always like them. I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of the chapters by the different narrators that reveals their misconceptions about each other; their thoughts and motivations, that we all must have in real life, but remain largely unaware of. The Deed is different, clever, beautifully crafted, uplifting and will stay with me for a while. I’m sure I’ll read it again and will definitely be sharing it around. Em, NSW, 5 Stars
@susannahbegbiewrites has delivered a fantastic Australian story, one that I didn’t expect to be so gripping and impressive. No doubt that this story will have a place in the literary world. Upon Tom’s death, he rewrote his will using a different law firm to that his family had relied on for years. The catch Tom captured in his will was that his four children, in four days, had to construct his coffin in order for the four-way split. No coffin (made to Tom’s specifications), no family inheritance to the children – it would all be left to Vince the lawyer. Each of the characters we meet are so strongly created and defined, and we are able to glean so much from the historical narrative of Tom’s memories about each of his deceased wife, Helena and his children: Christine, Jenny, Dave and Sophie. And props to Vince, the slimy smarmy lawyer whose eyes seem larger than his mind. Marlene, NSW, 4 Stars
Thank you firstly to Better Reading and Hachette for gifting me The Deed as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. An interesting novel set in a rural town about a father who leaves his inheritance to his four children under one condition – they are to build his coffin or receive nothing at all! They must all somehow put aside their differences and work together to achieve their end goal. I enjoyed seeing how the story progressed and thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who was after a bit of a different story with a hint of quirkiness to it. Thanks again! Amanda, VIC, 4 Stars
This book took me a while to get into, but once I did I really enjoyed the family dynamics and the way the each dealt with the death of their father and their own journeys within that. Really enjoyable Australian story! Kate, VIC, 4 Stars
I loved this book! Great family drama but with a bit of a quirky twist. Lee, VIC, 4 Stars
A wonderful book about family and self-reflection. After the death of their father Tom Edwards, his four adult children come together at the family property to organise his funeral and hear the reading of his will. Much to their surprise, a caveat has been put on their inheritance; they must make his coffin! Family history and sibling rivalry must be overcome for these four very different individuals to be able to work together respectfully. Susannah Begbie addresses the complexity of family who no longer really know each other and does it with humour and rawness. How they used to feel about each other and their father changes from having to pull together and work as a team. The characters felt very real and vulnerable and reminded me that we all change when we leave home and begin navigating our own adult lives. Kim, ACT, 4 Stars
This was a very good book the storyline was excellent and kept you guessing to the very end. Sharon, NSW, 4 Stars
The story of 4 estranged siblings dealing with grief and the process of grieving. Each sibling has their own perspective of their childhood which is in sharp contrast to the father’s recollections of growing up on a country property. I was left wanting more…. What happened to Dave, Christine, Jenny, Sophie and Ellersley? Did they go on to grow and prosper? Sue, VIC, 3 Stars
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