Melting Moments

A charming, sharply observed first novel from one of Australia's best writers.

From the bestselling author of Piano Lessons.

Sometimes events occur as one might wish but sometimes they do not.

So says the ever-practical Ruby, always striving for what is right and proper, from the time we meet her as a striking soldier's fiancée through to the rather less steady years of her old age. With an eyebrow pencil in one hand and gardening shears in the other, Ruby navigates the intervening years doing her duty as a woman, allowing marriage and motherhood to fill her with purpose and pleasure—and only occasionally wondering, Is this all there is?

In her moving, captivating fiction debut, award-winning author Anna Goldsworthy recreates Adelaide and Melbourne of half a century ago, bringing a family to life as they move through the decades, challenging and caring for and loving one another, often in surprising ways. Charming and sharply observed, Melting Moments is, like Ruby herself, a gentle powerhouse.

Shortlisted, 2021 Colin Roderick Award

'A tender evocation of times past, and a subtle, elegant portrait of one woman's life and loves as she grows and adapts to a changing world.' - Ceridwen Dovey

'A delightful and beautifully written book, suffused with humour and enquiry into the domestic habits, social expectations and morals of a period and place.' - Joan London