This is a story about Clare, Louisa and Chris. And sometimes Paul, and less often, Beth. It is most certainly not about frittatas (a terrible concession), and more to do with lemon tart (a perfect contrast of textures).

It is about what to do when your husband tells you that he doesn't love you anymore. And what to do when your wife leaves you after too many rounds of IVF. It's about helping your new friend with her funeral catering business, and discovering that, sometimes, the most unlikely of pairings are the very, very best. It is about food that is outrageously good and comforting to sad people. And, for once, not being sensible, and throwing away everything you know.

Catering, like life, doesn't always go according to plan, and as Clare, Louisa and Chris's stories become more intertwined, they will learn that life will always manage to break in to remind you of just how good it can be.

This is a book about living. After all, the thing about death is that it makes life important.

'So warm and poignant and sweetly funny. I loved it' JACQUELINE MALEY

'A celebration of what it means to be alive, and the joy of finding friendship where you least expect it . . . explores the messiness of middle age with warmth, humanity and wry humour, as well as fiction's most delicious lemon tarts! I'd eat this book if I could' JOANNA NELL

'A truly exceptional novel . . . illuminates the breadth of the human experience through the eyes of a suite of perfectly imperfect characters. Rich with wisdom, love, humour and a sparkling joy - that unique kind of story that can make you sob and chuckle in the very same scene' KELLY RIMMER

'Immensely human and warm and satisfying' SHELLEY BURR

'A glorious book that will make you simultaneously want to eat Louisa and Clare's lemon tarts as well as forge a friendship like theirs. It reminded me that life is the most precious gift of all and every day is a treat meant to be enjoyed to its fullest!' NATASHA LESTER

'Some books grab hold of you and won't let go until the last page - and far beyond that. The Wakes is just such a book' SOPHIE GREEN

'I devoured it in two sittings. The kind of book where you want to stay in that world long after it's finished' KAYTE NUNN

'For readers of Liane Moriarty and Meg Mason. Will leave you with a renewed appreciation for life' Books+Publishing

'I fell head over heels in love with The Wakes - a truly beautiful, wise and funny novel about love, friendship and the perfection of a good morning bun' HANNAH BECKERMAN