In this shimmering mosaic of a novel, a writer reflects on the final days of her friend' s life. In the decades after they met at school, they shared a passion for books and words, took care of each other' s children, received acclaim as authors, and endured failure and disappointment. Yet during these last days together, as she and her friend go on walks through their neighbourhood, she discovers that their paths may have been more different than she realised – and bridging the gulf becomes more vital than ever. Based on Debra Adelaide' s friendship with Gabrielle Carey, When I Am Sixty-Four is a work of extraordinary depth and grace. Tender and moving, yet infused throughout with unexpected humour, it captures the human condition in all its complexity: the small but momentous events that can transform a life; the way cherished memories can be rewritten or expunged; the limitations of love, but also its necessity; and the exhilarating, unpredictable world of the creative imagination.
"'Here, brilliantly distilled, is a searching account of a friendship and a tragedy. A mesmerising gem of a novel.'"
Michelle de Kretser
"'This is a loving and exquisitely written homage by one writer friend to another, who has left for a place words can't reach. Debra Adelaide knew her friend deeply: from childhood, through their essential teen years, and as adults - women, writers, lovers and mothers. She cared for her in practical ways that are also monumental: the morning call, the scary truth-telling. What I am most struck by is Adelaide's fineness of tone. Whether admiring or delighted, terrified or devastated, Adelaide represents the creative intimacy of a lifetime's relationship in a way that respects the essential mystery of another person.'"
Anna Funder
"'When I Am Sixty-Four is a miracle of a book. It's about grief, but it's also a love letter to writing, and to friendship. It's a gift for every one of us who have ever lost someone we love. This is Adelaide's masterwork, a jewel of rare generosity and compassion.'"
