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ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Betty is almost 100, so she is looking back on her life. She was the seventh child in a family of ten, and her poverty stricken early years spent in pre-war London are the genesis of her remarkable ability for defying authority, escaping into the written word and story telling. The Blitz saw her grow up quickly, post-war saw her migrating to Australia. On the boat over she makes lifelong friends, whose stories weave in and out of hers. As Betty morphs into Elizabeth, and marries Donald, her life takes another turn and her powers of reinvention and resilience are further tested. But you really can't keep a good woman down, and as the 20th century unfolds, she finds herself following different pathways to fulfilment.
This is a brilliant novel, with a character who is so real and vital you want to believe she exists. Her voice is loud and witty and engaging, intelligent and self-aware – Betty is wonderful! I didn't want the story to end, and it's certainly going on to my 'favourite novels of the year' list! Lindy
Meet Betty: storyteller, feminist, eternally curious and phenomenally old. On the eve of her hundredth birthday party, Betty tells us her story.
Praise:
'Sweeping us across the decades with intellect and wit, Betty is the heroine women have been waiting for.' Gabbie Stroud, author of Teacher and The Things That Matter Most
'Oswald writes older women with the panache, wit and steeliness that many of us will recognise in our mothers, grandmothers and aunts who traversed a century that was never quite ready for them.' Melanie Joosten, author of Like Fire-Hearted Suns
'Debra Oswald fulfils a novelist's highest purpose in One Hundred Years of Betty. In a marathon exercise of imaginative empathy, she creates a life in full-all its aching sorrows, all its transcendent joys-unfolding amidst the convulsions of our tumultuous century. A rich feast of a novel, a perfect balance of sweet and sour. You won't want it to end.' Geraldine Brooks, bestselling author of Horse
Praise for The Family Doctor:
'Oswald has a way with words that immediately draws you into the story and keeps you there until the very last line. Highly recommended!' - Mamamia
'A compelling page-turner.' - The Age
'In crystal-clear prose, Debra Oswald unveils an all-too-believable world of love and loyalty stretched to the limit, with agonising consequences when the best people are forced to do the worst things. The moment you finish this novel you will want to find someone else who has read it and talk all night about the vital questions it raises.' - Malcolm Knox, author of Bluebird
'Oswald is such a deft writer...a timely, evocative and at times harrowing exploration of domestic violence.' - The Courier-Mail
'Mesmerising and heart-breaking. A perfect story for this moment in time.' Sarah Bailey, author of Where the Dead Go
Debra Oswald is a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. She is a two-time winner of the NSW Premier's Literary Award and author of the novels Useful (2015), The Whole Bright Year (2018) and The Family Doctor (2021). She was creator/head writer of the first five seasons of the successful TV series Offspring. Her stage plays have been performed around the world and published by Currency Press. Gary's House, Sweet Road and The Peach Season were all shortlisted for the NSW Premier's Literary Award. Debra has also written four plays for young audiences-Dags, Skate, Stories in the Dark and House on Fire. She has written three Aussie Bites books and six children's novels, including The Redback Leftovers. Her television credits include award-winning episodes of Police Rescue, Palace of Dreams, The Secret Life of Us, Sweet and Sour and Bananas in Pyjamas. Debra performed her one-woman show Is There Something Wrong With That Lady? at the Griffin Theatre in 2021 and a month-long season at the Ensemble in 2023.
ABBEY'S BOOKSELLER PICK ----- Betty is almost 100, so she is looking back on her life. She was the seventh child in a family of ten, and her poverty stricken early years spent in pre-war London are the genesis of her remarkable ability for defying authority, escaping into the written word and story telling. The Blitz saw her grow up quickly, post-war saw her migrating to Australia. On the boat over she makes lifelong friends, whose stories weave in and out of hers. As Betty morphs into Elizabeth, and marries Donald, her life takes another turn and her powers of reinvention and resilience are further tested. But you really can't keep a good woman down, and as the 20th century unfolds, she finds herself following different pathways to fulfilment.
This is a brilliant novel, with a character who is so real and vital you want to believe she exists. Her voice is loud and witty and engaging, intelligent and self-aware – Betty is wonderful! I didn't want the story to end, and it's certainly going on to my 'favourite novels of the year' list! Lindy
