At 57, Ruth made a successful sea change: she relocated from the city to the country and opened Rosie's Cafe in the seaside town of Cutlers Bay. Business boomed, but five years on the shine has worn off. Where has that other Ruth gone, the independent, feisty woman who'd had the courage to sell up in the city and move to the country? Even the bathroom mirror is reflecting back someone she doesn't quite recognise: greying hair, wrinkles, skin starting to sag, the sparkle all but gone from her startling blue eyes. Ruth is convinced she has to make a change, if only she could decide what.
After a lifetime of hard work out bush, Hamish has retired to the city for a life of comfort and ease. It's what he always dreamed of, so why doesn't he feel satisfied? When his 89-year-old father dies, he comes to Cutlers Bay to settle his affairs. At first, packing up the house and renovating it to sell is both a filial duty and a welcome project to fill his days. But the work energises him, making him wonder if retirement was a mistake. The longer he's in town, the more Cutlers Bay starts to feel like home. And a certain cafe owner makes the idea of staying there all the more appealing...
A thoughtful, charming and sensitive story about aging, resilience and the delight of rediscovery.
