Hilarious and Heartfelt: Read Our Review of Happy Hour by Jacquie Byron

Growing older doesn’t necessarily mean growing wiser.

Gin in one hand, paintbrush in the other, Franny Calderwood has turned her back on the world, or at least the world she used to love. Having lost her husband, Frank, in tragic circumstances three years earlier, 65-year-old Franny copes the only way she knows how: by removing herself completely from the life she had before. Franny lives a life of decadent seclusion, with only her two dogs, Whisky and Soda, a stuffed cat, cocktails and the memory of Frank for company.

Then the Salernos move in next door. The troubled but charming trio – beleaguered mother Sallyanne, angry teenager Dee and eccentric eight-year-old Josh – cannot help but pull Franny into the drama of their lives. But despite her fixation with independence, Franny’s wisecracks and culinary experiments hide considerable trauma and pain, and when her eccentric behaviour has life-threatening consequences, she faces a reckoning of sorts. Yes, Frank is dead, but did the woman he loved have to perish with him?

Elizabeth Strout meets Marian Keyes in Happy Hour, a wonderful, joyful, funny debut novel from Australian author Jacquie Byron. The novel follows Franny Calderwood, a brass, gin-drinking artist who retreats into self-isolation after the death of her beloved husband, Frank. When reading this, it was impossible not to fall in love with Franny. She’s a quirky, bold and flawed protagonist who is clearly struggling with Frank’s loss and coping the only way she knows how – G&T’s and Netflix! Through her depiction of this wonderfully nuanced older female character, Byron offers readers a touching look at love, loss and grief.

While Franny certainly steals the show, the supporting characters are also a pleasure to follow. There’s single mum Sallyanne, who is attempting to rebuild her family after the breakdown of her marriage. Then there’s Dee and Josh, whose adventures with Franny make for some entertaining storytelling. And of course, Franny’s fabulous dogs, Whiskey and Soda.

Told with humour and warmth, Happy Hour is a heartfelt story of grief, loss, true love and friendship. It’s a fantastic debut from Byron that will leave you laughing and crying and wishing for more.