{"product_id":"9780008267872","title":"The Unexpected: The funny, charming novel about friendship, family and parenting for 2025","description":"\u003ch2\u003e‘A novel that comes with a whole different way of thinking – it takes in a rich wide queer world of angelfish and allomothers, and it's a story of real love between friends' Daisy Hildyard, author of \u003cem\u003eEmergency\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A heartwarming depiction of female friendship as a bond stronger than any other' \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Loved this clever and funny novel’ Anna Mazzola\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Wonderful… all sorts of common assumptions about motherhood and family are turned on their head. It’s brilliant on friendship, identity, longing and resilience' \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'An excellent book club choice! If anyone is looking for a very unique novel that explores motherhood, female friendships and raising a child from a different perspective, this is your book!' \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTea Leaves \u0026amp; Reads Book Club\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘A thought-provoking and unputdownable story about the interconnectedness of female friendship, love, romance and family’ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMy Weekly\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\n          \u003cstrong\u003e*********************************************************************************\u003c\/strong\u003e\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKessie and Robin have been best friends since they were small. Now they’ve reached their mid-thirties, and biological clocks are ticking loudly. But Kessie is single, Robin’s partner is ambivalent about trying for a baby, and single parenting sounds almost impossible.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen one of them gets pregnant, the other finds herself helping out to an extent that neither had expected. How far is a supportive friend supposed to go? What do you do when you feel like a mother to a child who isn’t yours? Are there alternative ways to conceive of a family?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e*********************************************************************************\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\n          \u003cstrong\u003eA funny, addictive and poignant novel about what happens when the lines between friendship, romance, and family begin to blur. For fans of Meg Mason and Dolly Alderton.\u003c\/strong\u003e\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Funny and heartwarming' \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eCloser\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e‘Wiles writes with \u003cstrong\u003ehumour\u003c\/strong\u003e, tenderness and wisdom' \u003cstrong\u003eMarianne Levy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'\u003c\/strong\u003eAn\u003cstrong\u003e intelligent, \u003c\/strong\u003ethought-provoking, tender and very real exploration of friendship, pregnancy and the changing face of modern parenting' \u003cstrong\u003eSusannah Wise\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'I didn't want this novel to end…offers a brutally honest portrait of motherhood in its joys and despairs. \u003cstrong\u003eRadiant\u003c\/strong\u003e' \u003cstrong\u003eDonna Freitas\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'This novel reminds us that chosen families are as complicated, messy and \u003cstrong\u003ethick with love\u003c\/strong\u003e as biological ones' \u003cstrong\u003eRowan Hisayo Buchanan\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'\u003cstrong\u003eOriginal\u003c\/strong\u003e, thoughtful, stimulating and highly readable' \u003cstrong\u003eVesna Goldsworthy\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\n          \u003cstrong\u003eReaders love Ellen Wiles\u003c\/strong\u003e\n        \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Absorbed from page one' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'A fantastic read. I was completely gripped throughout' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Communicates a difficult topic with incredible insight and poetic language. I became completely absorbed by the characters' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e'Loved the characters and the way the story was told through them' Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEllen Wiles latest work, The Unexpected, is a poignant exploration of the intricacies of life, friendship, and the unconventional aspects of motherhood. The narrative, steeped in feminist undertones, is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of chosen families.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor fans of Sophie Kinsella (What Does it Feel Like?), Lucy Diamond (The Best Days of Our Lives), Jojo Moyes (The Giver of Stars), L.M. Chilton (Swiped), and Sophie Green (Weekends with the Sunshine Gardening Society).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHarperCollins 2024\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ellen Wiles","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46888984838293,"sku":"9780008267872","price":45.99,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0484\/3175\/9509\/files\/9780008267872.jpg?v=1776888212","url":"https:\/\/harpercollins.com.au\/products\/9780008267872","provider":"HarperCollins AU","version":"1.0","type":"link"}