The Women and the Girls
Laura Bloom
Three friends. Three marriages left behind. Life begins in earnest.
It’s 1977, and warm, bohemian Libby – stay-at-home mother, genius entertainer and gifted cook – is lonely. When she meets Carol, who has recently emigrated from London with her controlling husband and is feeling adrift, and Anna, who loves her career but not her marriage, the women form an unexpected bond.
Their husbands aren’t happy about it, and neither are their daughters.
Set against a backdrop of inner-city grunge and 70s glamour, far-out parties and ABBA songs, The Women and The Girls is a funny, questioning and moving novel about love, friendship, work, family, and freedom.
About the Author
Laura Bloom is the author of eight critically acclaimed novels for adults and children, including The Cleanskin, which was described in The Australian as ‘a masterpiece of drama and characterisation.’ Her novels have been shortlisted for many awards, including the NSW Premier’s Awards. Laura is also an award-winning screenwriter, and many of her novels have been optioned for film and TV.
Laura grew up in Sydney, in the 1970s, where her latest novel, The Women and The Girls, is set. It explores a turning point of the last half century, with a uniquely female gaze – casting new light on old stories and bringing fresh insight to the struggles and conversations we are having today.
‘I’m from the Jane Austen/Liane Moriarty school of fiction,’ Laura says. ‘I want my stories to be entertaining, and an escape. The truth must be there, though – otherwise it’s not a good story. Money must be there, and other practical considerations. Love must be there, of course, and suffering. But offered in a narrative that’s told with humour and intimacy, so that my reader feels as if they’re in the company of a keenly observant friend.’
Now based in the Northern Rivers Region of NSW, Laura also teaches writing workshops, and presents at libraries, festivals and events.
Laura Bloom has such a unique talent for modern historical fiction and this time it was a joy to be catapulted back to the 1970s. When I turned the last page I was so sad to say goodbye to her beautifully observed characters. A delight from start to finish!’ Liane Moriarty
