Chicklit Club
 

AUSTRALIAN MADE

 
 

The Fence - Meredith Jaffe (2016)

 

Gwen has always been a good neighbour, developing close bonds with those who live on Green Valley Avenue. But when working mother Frankie moves in with her stay-at-home husband Brandon and four young children, all good will evaporates. To keep her kids safe and her nosy neighbour out, Frankie is demanding that a front fence go up between the two properties, right where Gwen has lovingly grown a row of crab apple trees. I started the book thinking I’d side with the young family but I was soon totally Team Gwen. This suburban satire is a very promising debut. The dirty tactics employed by these feuding neighbours raises plenty of smiles and the relationship troubles faced by both Gwen and Frankie ensure the book has plenty of heart too.

Rating 8/10
 
 

The Fence, the debut novel by Meredith Jaffe, is centred around a neighbours' dispute. The summary says: "Gwen Hill adores Green Valley Avenue. Here she has built friendships, raised her children and nurtured a thriving garden. So when the house next door is sold, Gwen wonders how the new family will settle into this cosy community.
Francesca Desmarchelliers has high hopes for the house on Green Valley Avenue. More than a new home, it's a clean slate for Frankie, who has moved her brood in a bid to save her marriage. To maintain her privacy and corral her wandering children, Frankie proposes a fence between the properties, destroying Gwen's picture-perfect front yard.
To Gwen, this is an act of war. Soon the neighbours are in an escalating battle about more than just council approvals, where boundaries aren't the only things at stake." The Fence is out in August 2016.

Back to Home