This book is specifically of interest to an older female demographic. I found it overly simplistic and had no real narrative development. Good to recommend for someone who wants a gentle non-confronting read.

Mim and Mathias are two older people who meet on their way back to Australia after individual journeys abroad. They strike up a friendship and become an important part of each others lives as both are struggling with issues from their respective childhoods. Mim's sister Alice decides to join Mim in Australia whilst Mathias moves to be closer to his daughter who has started seeing a close friend of Mim's. A story about how long held trauma can hold us back from ever really living and that you are never too old to find happiness and embrace who you are.

‘Does love feel different in old age? she wonders. Is this love or just a close friendship?’

At The End of the Day is another fabulous story from Liz - so beautifully written and one to really capture your heart. The characters are real as you become truly invested in their journey. The issues they deal with are universal, human and relatable.

‘Maybe I need to open up a bit, she concedes, let more people into my life, stop holding them at a distance in case they die and leave me alone. Maybe it is not too late to change.’

This is a story of two Mim and Mathias, having led full lives they are both now in their seventies yet events of the past are casting current day shadows. This is the story of past, present and future and Liz writes of it so very well.

‘Why did I never even take the smallest risk of trying to find some sort of style? Why did I let myself become a dowdy old woman who has never really had the confidence to play to her best side?’

A heartwarming and uplifting story about people at a certain stage of their life, chance meetings between introverts who bond over their love of books. The inclusion of Mim having polio was eye opening with Liz certainly having done her research as a range of other topical issues are included - everything from aging and loneliness, to strength and independence. Enlightening, entertaining and certainly thought provoking.

‘I have to learn who I want to be here, how I will step across the chasm into a new life, a different life, and make it my own.’

Liz has penned a poignant and practical tale of life for the older members of our society, there us much to consider but ultimately it is an uplifting and hopeful tale.

‘I need to learn to live peacefully, free of the darkness of my own fears and limitations. I must begin again.’










This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Another great Liz Byrski book. All her characters are realistic, and she deals sensitively with issues of the day. This book is a wonderful exposition of love, ageing, family, anxiety and peace. It delves into many social issues, quite sensitively and realistically. She seems to have great insight into peoples issues, whether complex or simple. I thought she dealt particularly well with anxiety and regret in this novel. Highly recommended.

At the End of the Day by Liz Bryski is a wonderful book about friendship, love, health, family, and finding true happiness.

I used to travel a lot, and on some flights, I’d be ready to settle in and listen to something on my headphones, lost in my own thoughts – hours of total escapism. Other flights, I’d smile at the person next to me, and we’d start chatting. I’ve met so many amazing people and heard the most incredible stories – from a burlesque dancer moving from Australia to Paris – we didn’t draw breath for eight hours!; to the woman who had just, tearfully, farewelled the man she’d met overseas the year before, despite his cancer diagnosis weeks earlier and countless others. In fact, one of my wonderful friends today is someone I met on a plane! So I was excited to read At the End of the Day, a story where Mim and Mathias, two people in their seventies, meet on a plane.

Mim and Mathias have a lot in common – Mim owns a bookshop, while Mathias is a writer, they’re both introverts, and they both love their independence. Mim’s childhood polio is causing her issues, while Mathias is planning to relocate to be closer to his daughter.

Through the course of the novel, we get to meet Mathias’ daughter, Carla, Mim’s sister, Alice, Mim’s friend, Jodie, and other wonderful characters, but it was the story of Mim and Mathias that I loved the most. This is a heartwarming story, with a beautiful cast of characters, and storylines throughout.

This is a page turner, because you want to know what’s going to happen with the characters. This novel had me riveted from page one, as I wanted to find out more, and I debated with myself throughout – was this a book about friendship, or romance. You’ll need to find out yourself.

This is the third Liz Bryski book I’ve read, and I’ve always enjoyed the characters, and setting, but I think this one was my favourite one, and it has certainly inspired me to look up Liz’s back-catalogue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One thing you can be sure of when you open a Liz Byrski novel is that you are about to meet a whole bunch of interesting and likable characters. This one is no different.

At the End of the Day introduces us to Mim who is in her late seventies but still runs her own bookshop near Perth, and travels to the UK on her own to visit her sister. She is beginning to feel that it is time to stop doing both. On her flight back to Australia she meets Mathias, an author and of a similar age to herself. The book explores the development of their relationship and adds the other members of both families to the mix.

Mim is a very interesting character who I felt really deserved some late in life happiness. Her story is one that was real for many who were born before the advent of the wonderful Polio vaccine. The horrors of small children living for months in an 'iron lung', totally separated from their families and being left with lifelong physical damage seem unbelievable today. Byrski tells it well and opened my eyes to some of the details of care that I had never even thought about.

This is a quietly romantic novel with a wide range of interesting characters, set beautifully in Western Australia and with plenty of social issues to think about along the way. An excellent and entertaining read as usual from this author.

Another insightful and entertaining book by Liz Byrski. She writes such believable characters that are multi-layered yet realistic. Following the budding friendship of two people who meet in an airport, this book is enjoyable and heart-warming. I was completely in love with both Mim and Mathias. The world she creates is immersive and she even makes Perth seem quaint! She is a talented writer. I've only read one other book by her but I will be remedying that soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Australia for the opportunity to read this book.

EXCERPT: May 2019 - On the day she is due to fly home to Australia, Miriam Squires is sitting at a table in the hotel restaurant, sipping her second cup of coffee and staring at the English Channel, which is so still it looks more like a lake than the sea. It's the end of her annual visit to the UK, always a month or six weeks with her sister Alice in Oxford, followed by a few days of nostalgia here in Brighton, where they had grown up. The town, with its stony beach and two piers, one thriving, the other now a wreck, always lures her back. But now - at seventy-five, with painful mobility problems - the prospect of long queues, struggles with baggage and long hours in the air is daunting. Today, she thinks, is probably the last time she will see the place where she was born. It's not just the misery of the journey itself, but her increasing disenchantment with England. Beautiful villages have become ugly towns bordered by industrial estates; unique country pubs have been swallowed up by hospitality chains, and those shops who can't withstand the shift to online shopping are disappearing, leaving high streets sadly diminished.

'Even Marks and Spencer's is fading away,' Alice had told her. 'Imagine no M and S knickers or bras! And then there's Brexit. England's a basket case - it'll be a disaster if we leave the EU. You're so lucky with that Jacinda Adern.'

'She's the Prime Minister of New Zealand,' Mim had said, 'but I do think you'd love Australia. You should come and stay with me, Al.' She has issued the invitation many times over the years.

'I'll think about it,' Alice had said. 'I really will.' That's what she always said.

ABOUT 'AT THE END OF THE DAY': When Mim Squires and Mathias Vander are stranded together on a disrupted flight home to Perth, they are surprised to find that they have much in common. Mim owns a bookshop, Mathias is a writer, and both are at turning points in their lives. Mim's childhood polio is taking a toll on her life. Mathias is contemplating a cross-continent move to be nearer his daughter.

But life back in Perth is not smooth sailing, with their respective family members going through their own upheavals. As Mim and Mathias both struggle to adjust to the challenges of being in their late seventies, secrets from the past that neither wishes to face rise to the surface, challenging their long-held beliefs in their independence and singularity.

At the end of the day, can they muster the wisdom and the courage they need to change?

MY THOUGHTS: Immersing myself in a Liz Byrski book is my happy place. At the End of the Day is a beautifully written story of family, love, friendship and making peace with the past.

Liz's characters are loveable - people I could be friends with, realistic people with quirks and faults, having to make decisions that many of us will face in our lives. She writes with a gentle humour and an obvious affection for her characters.

2019 is a time of turmoil for both families. Mim is acknowledging her health problems which are again beginning to impact on her life. She wonders if she will ever see her sister Alice again, and how she is going to cope with running her bookstore, Life Sentence, in the future. An accident causes friction between her and Jodie, whom she treats like the daughter she never had, and she feels like she is losing control of her life.

Mathias is at a crossroads in his life. Lifelong friend Luc, is dying, he seems to have lost his motivation to write, and an incident from his past that has haunted him all his life is causing debilitating panic attacks. On top of all that, his daughter Carla has broken up with her partner, who Mathias never much liked anyway, and is wondering if she will ever find anyone to share her life with.

We follow these two families as friendships are forged, fears are faced, and secrets revealed. Not all questions are answered, but that's okay, because that's just the way life works. Covid-19 gets a fleeting mention as this story concludes early in 2020.

At the End of the Day tugged at my heartstrings. It shows that how we remember the past isn't always how it happened. It demonstrates that there is always hope for the future, and that independence isn't always the prize it is made out to be.

This read was made even more poignant when, reading the author's acknowledgments, I discovered that Liz Byrski had suffered a stroke during the writing of At The End of The Day, and finished it post-stroke, a feat to be admired. I wish you a full recovery Liz, and many happy and healthy years to come.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#AttheEndoftheDay #NetGalley

I: @lizbyrski @macmillanaus

T: @LizByrski @MacmillanAus

#aging #contemporaryfiction #sliceoflife

THE AUTHOR: Liz was born in London and spent most of her childhood in Sussex. As an only child she spent a lot of time alone, much of it buried in books. She began her working life as a secretary and later moved into journalism working as a reporter on a local newspaper until she took up freelance writing when her children were born. Before moving to Western Australia she also worked as an appeals organiser for Oxfam.

After moving to Perth with her family in 1981 she once again established a freelance career writing for Australian publications including The Australian, Homes and Living, Cosmopolitan and Weekend News.

Liz lives between Perth and Fremantle and in addition to enjoying the company of family and friends, she spends most of her time reading, writing and walking. She has two adult sons and twin grandsons.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Pan Macmillan Australia via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of At the End of the Day by Liz Byrski for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage.

Liz Byrski, At the End of the Day, Macmillan Australia 2021

Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected proof for review.

Liz Byrski has once again given voices to people who for a long time have been silenced. She answers the question, can romance really be created around people in their seventies? Indeed it can, and while romances are an important feature of At the end of the Day, there is more. Although ageing has increasingly become a focus of fiction, Byrski enhances her depictions of the two ageing main characters in this novel by giving them backgrounds that expand the way in which they are developed. Miriam Squires (Mim) and Mathias Vander meet on a plane flying from London to Australia. Both harbour a past that incapacitates them, physically and emotionally. Mim’s physical difficulties are apparent; Mathias’ physical manifestation of a blow from his past appears only when he is under extreme mental stress. However, both are emotionally inhibited, a flaw that each intuits in the other, finding the distance it imparts engaging rather than repelling.

Mathias’ daughter, Carla and his friend, Luc; Mim’s friend, Jodie and sister, Alice; and secondary characters such as the manager of Mim’s bookshop, Jodie’s assistant in her veterinary practice and Nick and Paolo in the Applecross coffee shop, together with others, people the novel in a pleasant and interesting way – and there are also dogs, a happy addition to any narrative in my view. Less engaging is an intrusive bird named Trump! The additional human characters are also mature, although far younger than Mim and Mathias, demonstrating the fluid way in which friendships can develop over shared interests and become comfortable, exhilarating, and enduring whatever a person’s physical age.

Set mainly in Western Australia, Byrski demonstrates her affection for her state through taking the reader to a range of environments, the beach, bush, shopping in the city, even naming highways and towns that are familiar to West Australians. The cities of Fremantle and Perth, also sympathetically depicted, will be more well-known. Fremantle’s coffee shops, eating fish and chips near the beach, and the bookshops, of which Mim’s is one, are accurate depictions of life in that coastal town. I would have liked more in these descriptions, so that I could feel that I was present. Bryski seems more at home with drawing us into the domestic environments. Her description of the sounds of domestic activities (fridge door opening and closing, clink of china) are satisfyingly realistic.

At the end of the novel many of the strands appear to be tied up satisfactorily, partnerships have been realised and careers modified to suit not only ageing but realisation that friendships are an important part of the characters’ lives and deserve more attention. The secrets incapacitating Mim and Mathias have been brought into the open and resolved, demonstrating that the two characters at the centre of the novel, although ageing, have lives to live beyond those which have been impacted by past wounds. Alice’s story has more to give Bryski’s readers, moving as it does into the severely Covid 19 affected future Britain, and her plans to emigrate to Australia. Perhaps another story in the making?

This book to me is a story about life, family, acceptance and love. It starts with Mim who in her senior years still struggles with the past. She literally bumps into Mathias at the airport and he is much the same. They form a great friendship but this book is not just about these two great characters but about those around them as well.

Alice, Mim's sister, Jodie who is Mim's very close friend and somewhat serrigate daughter and Carla, Mathias's daughter. They are all great characters who bring a different take on life and coping with all the things life throws at them. It is about change and secrets, life and being able to rely on others when you need to.

This story is thought provoking, it makes you think about how people are treated and how they should be treated. It is an inspiring, easy but poignant read. Easy to read, well written and no matter what age or stage you are in life you can fell how each of these people feel about their life, their situation and place in the world.

A great book that is well worth the read and I highly recommend it.

n At The End of the Day we meet two main characters, Mim and Mathias. They are both in their seventies and have led full lives, yet for both of them there are unresolved issues that shadow their present day happiness. The story explores who they are now, who they have been and who they might (or might not) become now.

I liked both these characters. Mim as a child had polio and now has a post polio syndrome that leaves her often tired and in pain. Mathias is a bit of a recluse but he likes to be around his daughter and is experiencing present day loss around his oldest friend. They are both facing into the later stage of life and exploring how they might live it fully and happily.

We also meet Alice - Mim's sister and the exploration of sisterhood and the realisation that up until now they have not really understood each other and their misconceptions. Mim has a wonderful friend considerably younger than her and Matthias has a daughter. Together they find their way through new relationships to something completely new. 

I really liked the final resolution of the book, there is a note of hope and future possibilities. People who could have become set in what has been, change and adjust to challenges, and reach for what makes them happy.  There is a recognition of our need for each other and that while independence is important, so is allowing others to reach out to us.

Thank you to Liz Byrski for facing into her own challenges to complete another thought provoking and engaging read.

Mim Squires was sad to leave the UK and her sister Alice as she thought it would probably be the last time she was able to travel the vast distance from Australia to England and back. In her mid-seventies, independent as always, Mim was suffering from post polio syndrome after being diagnosed as a young girl with the disease. Plus the long plane flight always took its toll and when the flight had to return to Doha just two hours out because of a sick passenger, Mim was more discouraged.

Matthias Vander was on a flight from London to Australia, returning home to Perth to see his daughter before flying across to Melbourne where his home was. When the flight was delayed in Doha, Matthias met a woman in the airport who was around his age – the instant connection Mim and Matthias felt was astounding. Both heading for Perth, Matthias was a writer while Mim owned a bookshop in Fremantle. They felt they’d known each other for a lifetime, although both of them had always found it difficult to talk to strangers. Matthias had a burden which had long weighed him down; something he’d only ever told his wife and his best friend Luc. Somehow, he knew he needed to tell his daughter Carla about his past – Luc was always telling him he must.

Family turmoils, secrets too long held – would Mim see her sister Alice again? Would her good friend Jodie find happiness? And would Matthias find his peace while telling Carla what he needed to divulge?

At the End of the Day by Aussie author Liz Byrski is exceptional! I thoroughly enjoyed it, loved the characters, was both sad and happy in different parts of the story. Seeing what Alice could do in her seventies, how she could change, and how her enthusiasm rubbed off on Mim – it just goes to show what we can do when we set our minds to it. An inspirational, poignant read, At the End of the Day is one I recommend highly. I would also like to wish Ms Byrski the best of health after she suffered a stroke during the writing of this novel – I’m so glad you recovered and continued when you could 😊

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

Plot: 5 out of 5 stars
Writing: 5 out of 5 stars
Character development: 5 out of 5 stars
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for readers of:

Women’s Fiction
General Fiction

Review:

This is a wonderful, heartwarming and uplifting story about strong and independent people. A chance meeting at the airport while on the way back home to Australia is the start of a new friendship for Mim and Mathew both introverts who generally find it hard to connect with other people. As they get to know each other they soon realize that they have a lot more in common than just their love for books.

The book is beautifully written and captures you from the start. The characters are interesting and kind people, their actions feel natural as they are explained well. Even though the main characters are of a different age group then me, I still found them easy to relate to as the issues they are dealing with are universal and very human. This is the first book I have read from this author but not my last!

Review copy provided by Netgalley at no cost to me.

At The End Of The Day is the eleventh novel by Australian author, Liz Byrski. Former librarian Miriam Squires is returning home to Fremantle after visiting her sister in Oxford. Best-selling Melbourne author, Mathias Vander is rounding off his visit to his dying Belgian friend with a Perth stopover to see his daughter. Stuck for some hours in Doha, these usually reserved strangers strike up a conversation and discover an almost instant rapport.

Back in Perth, Mim is dismayed by her diminished energy and enthusiasm for her successful second-hand book store, Life Support, and by the rebuffing of her offer of help to her much younger friend, Jodie, who recovering from a car accident. It’s a reality check on her ongoing physical disability, a legacy of polio that Mim contracted over sixty years earlier. Continued contact with Mathias brings her unexpected comfort.

Fresh from the break-up of an unsatisfactory relationship, artist/illustrator Carla Vander is happy to have the company of her beloved Papa, and delighted when he again raises the idea of selling the family home in the Dandenongs and moving to Perth, to be closer to her (and Mim?). Except for the author persona he adopts for book publicity events, Mathias is usually rather reclusive, so she is pleased to see how much at ease he is when Mim is around.

But both Mim and Mathias are burdened with relics from their pasts. When his oldest, closest friend in Belgium dies “the loss of the one person who knew his deepest secret and kept it all his life, has made him vulnerable. Without Luc’s support, he fears exposure and rejection more than he has ever done. He is haunted by dread.” Mathias wonders if the move to Western Australia “could be more than just a change of location; it could be the catalyst for a change within himself.”

Meanwhile, Mim is overjoyed that her encouragement of younger sister, Alice to come to Australia has had a result. “For years she struggled to appear strong and competent; an example of how someone with a disability can overcome the hurdles if they really want to. But deep down she’s felt that polio had left her flawed and unlovable, and she had longed to be loved.” Could they finally broach the subject that had been avoided for so many decades?

What a marvellous cast Byrski gives the reader: her talent for creating believable characters, appealing for all their faults and foibles, is undeniable. She sets them realistic challenges, and the reader cannot help but cheer them on and hope for their happiness.

It is apparent on every page that Byrski’s research is thorough and this thought-provoking and moving tale includes both topical and classic themes: panic attacks, post-polio syndrome, fear of becoming irrelevant as we age, loneliness, and lack of self-worth. A heart-warming and uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Pan Macmillan Australia

I’ve heard it said that Liz Byrski writes powering female characters, taking charge of their lives and growing older on their own terms and this is 100% true in all the novels I’ve been lucky enough to read.
This is the story of Mim and Mathias, two wandering souls in their mid-seventies, both dealing with guilt from their past and burdens they haven’t shared. But it’s also the story of Carla and Jodie, two professional women unlucky in love and finding their way back to trusting their own hearts.
I remember thinking I wasn’t in the right age demographic for the first Byrski I read (last chance cafe) but I was wrong because the lessons and journeys she writes about are universal. I love her writing style and the simple and profound nature of the story. An gorgeous read.

Liz Byrski’s latest novel At The End Of The Day is a delightful and enjoyable read. Wonderful characters that blend into the story line beautifully.
Mim and Mathias meet while returning home to Australia and this chance meeting leads to unexpected developments and growth for both of them. While Mim lives in Perth, Mathias is stopping to visit his daughter before going home to Melbourne. Both, Mim and Mathias, are in their seventies and at times struggle with their own issues as well as those of their friends and family. A reflective story of looking back at one’s life and coming to terms with issues from the past. Mim’s main issue was that she suffered from childhood polio and now post polio syndrome and how she has dealt with her life. Mathias is a successful author but suffers from acute anxiety the source of which he needs to face and deal with.
If you enjoy an easy and relaxing read then I would recommend this novel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan Australia for an ebook copy to read and review.

An interesting and hopeful book about a book store owner and an author who meet when their plan has an unexpected stopover. This was an easy, short read and was very character driven.

Mim and Mathias unexpected meet during a flight back to Australia and find they actually like each other’s company. Both being older, independent, introverts and having books in common seems to cement this.(Mim owns a book store and Matthias is an author).
At first I thought this book had a melancholic feel to it but as I continued reading it actually surprised me to being quite an uplifting story. Mim contracted polio during childhood and has always strived to be totally independent, she is now suffering from post polio syndrome and is finding this increasingly difficult. Mathias has a cloud over him that stops him from becoming close to people.
Both Mim and Mathias have been defined by events in their childhood and this is about finally accepting this and learning to move on and perhaps finding companionship and love along the way.
Unexpected very enjoyable and actually a quick read.
Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for a copy to read

Once again I was thrilled to read a beautiful thought provoking novel by Liz Byrski. Whenever I read one of her novels I wish I knew these wonderful characters that she develops. They are always deep and interesting and live thoughtful lives. This novel is no different. It follows the story of Mim and Mathias, both who are returning to their homes in Australia from England. They meet by chance at the airport and are thrown together for the next couple of days. They immediately form a friendship and the novel goes on to explore that friendship and how it helps them release things from their pasts that have haunted them. The other characters in the novel are beautifully drawn as well. An excellent novel. Highly recommended. Thank you to Pam Macmillan Australia and Netgalley for an ARC of this wonderful novel.