Family Baggage

Publisher details

Author: Monica McInerney
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Fiction
Released: 01 October, 2005

Synopsis

Tour guide Harriet Turner knows all about journeys. She's arranged hundreds of them for the travel agency her family runs. But when her work colleague and foster sister Lara disappears on the eve of a big overseas trip, Harriet finds herself in uncharted territory.Left in charge of a coachload of eccentric tourists on a themed tour based on the English TV detective series Willoughby, Harriet soon has her hands full. But as the bus wends its way through the picturesque countryside of Devon and Cornwall, the tour becomes another kind of journey for her. She finds herself facing big questions about her family, her childhood and her feelings for the guest of honour on the tour, the charming star of Willoughby, Patrick Shawcross.And the biggest puzzle of all: what has happened to Lara?

'This is one of those rare books you could recommend to anyone and know that they’ll love it.’ Australian Women’s Weekly

‘A big book about a big-hearted family… an affectionate, funny, teary book about grief, love, lies and revelations.’ Sunday Age

‘A book to treasure that is clever, amusing and heart-warmingly touching.' Woman’s Day

‘With every book, Monica McInerney becomes more skilled at juggling plot complexities and giving depth to her characters… Perfect winter weekend reading.’ Marie Claire

About the author

Monica McInerney

One of the stars of Australian fiction, Monica McInerney is the author of the internationally bestselling novels A Taste for It, Upside Down Inside Out, Spin the Bottle, The Alphabet Sisters, Family Baggage, Those Faraday Girls, At Home with the Templetons, Lola's Secret, The House of Memories and a short story collection, All Together Now.Those Faraday Girls was the winner of the General Fiction Book of the Year prize at the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards. In 2006 Monica was the ambassador for the Australian Government initiative Books Alive, with her novella Odd One Out.Monica grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley of South Australia and has been living between Australia and Ireland for twenty years. She and her Irish husband currently live in Dublin.