The Three Of Us is the third novel by Australian author, Kim Lock. At seventy-five, Thomas Mullet has never had any reason to see a shrink, so he’s wary of what he’s telling the man he’s paying $200 an hour to listen. But he has some seriously bad news, and he doesn’t know how to tell his wife. Or his other wife. And that obviously needs explanation, so eventually, he starts at the beginning.

Back in 1960, as a secretary at the Gawler Town Council, the marriage bar dictates that when Elsie Rushall marries Thomas Mullet, she has to give up the job she loves and become a housewife. Trouble is, she’s not terribly good at it. She’s bored and, even though she meets the neighbourhood wives (a snobby, critical, uncharitable bunch) and joins the knitting club, she has no real friends: she’s also lonely.

Aida Glossop has moved in next door to the Mullets, but has been instructed not to talk to anyone. Basically, she’s in hiding, so as not to bring shame on her well-known father. But she can’t help taking pity on Elsie when there’s a chook emergency. After that, Elsie tries very hard to make friends with this other lonely soul, but Aida strongly resists. It takes a few more incidents, some minor, some much more serious, before they become friends. And then, much more.

Thomas has already spent $200 on therapy and hasn’t really reached the crux of the matter, the thing that’s really bothering him. But Harvey Green is patient, non-judgemental, understanding. Thomas confesses there’s something else he needs to tell…

Lock’s tale spans half a century and she easily evokes her era and setting with popular cultural references; the few anachronisms can be forgiven in a story that features characters it’s easy to care about, to cheer on, characters who richly reward the reader’s investment in them as they face the challenges of the rigid social mores of the time.

She gives her incidental priest some wise words: “‘You know that forgiveness isn’t about the other person though, don’t you, Mr Mullet?’ Thomas looked at him. ‘It’s about you.’ The priest pointed his finger at Thomas’s chest. ‘You forgive, so you can be free. When we don’t forgive, we make any wrongdoing our own. We cling to it. With non-forgiveness – it’s only ever ourselves that we harm.’” Funny, thought-provoking, heart-warming and uplifting.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Escape Publishing.

He is dying and his wife doesn't know and neither does his other wife! What the?? This is one mind blowing story and so unique. I enjoyed the family dynamics and the complex relationships.

A story about friendship and love. I had a connection with the characters and wanted to see how it all planned out. It was such a thought provoking book and I loved it.

“The Three of Us” is a sensitive and human depiction of a loving relationship that happens to be a little different from what society calls “normal”.

Thomas Mullett is 75 years old and facing a dilemma. He’s dying, and he doesn’t know how to tell either one of his wives.

Many years earlier, Thomas married Elsie. They moved to the suburbs, and Elsie gave up her job – as she was required to do. She set about being the perfect wife, but soon found it boring and stifling.

It’s not long before she’s intrigued by their mysterious neighbour, who seems to be hiding inside. Elsie eventually finds that it’s Aida, who’s been banished by her family to a place where she’s unknown and can remain unseen.

The two woman, both isolated and smothered by society’s expectations, soon find a deep connection that goes well beyond friendship. And it’s not long after that it broadens to include Thomas.

This is a lovely novel. It’s completely non judgemental about the three of them, and focuses on the love they share and the support they offer each other. There are certainly obstacles and problems. Some are those you encounter in any long term relationship; others are a little more unique. All are explored with sensitivity and compassion.

The novel touches on all kinds of relationships – parental, sibling, romantic, sexual, friendship. Lock has a good eye for these and explores each in a way that feels real.

The novel spans around fifty years, so Lock also explores some of the changing social mores. The different eras are vividly depicted, particularly regarding common attitudes of each period. However, the relationship between Thomas, Elsie and Aida remains at the heart of the novel.

I’m not an overly sentimental person, but found the closing chapters of the novel very moving. To say this novel is heart warming feels as if I’m short changing it, because that’s often code for “trite and full of cliches”, and this is neither.

This is highly recommended if you’re looking for a novel that leans towards the positive, while being realistic and grounded. It’s a lovely depiction of a long term relationship, albeit one that’s a step away from mainstream.

I will return to add links once this is posted to my blog

The Three of Us is a wonderful story of friendship, betrayal, secrets and love. Aussie author Kim Lock sure knows how to keep her readers entertained as I enjoyed this book a great deal more than I thought I would. Highly recommended.

The Three of Us by Aussie author Kim Lock is a story of friendship and family, laughter and loss. This is not the book you think it will be. I am becoming such a fan of Kim’s work - there is always so much more to her stories, her words being so nuanced. This would be an excellent read for a book club - it would generate much discussion. Sadly, that discussion cannot take place here. This is a touching tale as Kim presents the complex world of human relationships and how it warms the heart to understand loves limitless capacity. A surprising story and yet another of Kim’s book that come highly recommended.



‘Society is more tolerant?’ Thomas gave a wry laugh. ‘We like to think so, don’t we? But I reckon it’s just different versions of the same intolerance. There’s still criticism – horrible things still happen because of narrow minds.’

When seventy-five-year-old Thomas Mullet reluctantly sits on his psychologist’s couch, he discloses three things:
• He is dying.
• His wife doesn’t know.
• Nor does his other wife

What the! I definitely had to read this to find out more. It didn’t turn into a cheating premise but a pleasant romance. I ended up enjoying it

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

3.5 stars rounding up to 4.
I had mixed feelings about this one. I enjoyed the story, but seemed to keep getting distracted from reading, which tells me I'm not engaged in it as much as I want to be. I found it a bit slow at times and thought it ended abruptly. That said it was a touching story about love, family, secrets and how times changed.
I really enjoyed the book being set in Gawler, South Australia.

I really wasn't sure what this book would be like going into it, the description did make me wonder just what would unfold. I think that's probably a common thought, I tried to explain to my husband what it was about and he got quite confused and wondered if it was porn. (Although I didn't know what it was going to be, that's not what I expected.) It's not, at all. What it really is, is a love story. An unconventional love story, but a love story all the same.
The story follows young married couple Elsie and Thomas and their next-door neighbour Aida, who becomes part of their relationship. The three of them living and loving as a thruple. The story is more than that though, it really is about their life at this time. The way that the roles of men and women are changing, the way that unmarried mothers are treated, the way that the world moves on.
I enjoyed the book and the story of these three. There was something that happened right at the end of the book though which just didn't really work. It seemed to come from nowhere and I think was intended as a bit of a plot twist. We then had a conclusion to this with no real explanation of how it had come about or why. For me, it was a bit unnecessary and didn't really work in the context of the rest of the book. With a bit more explanation or with some building up to it, it might have been better. This was just a small section of an otherwise really enjoyable read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Elsie and Thomas Mullet are newlyweds in 1960 when they move into their house in Gawler, South Australia. Elsie was forced to resign from her typing job, she tries hard to be a housewife, she discovers there’s only so many times you can clean the bathroom and wash sheets, she feels isolated and bored.

Thomas works for Mr. Bagnoli at his store, he sells new electrical appliances, vacuum cleaners, fridges and washing machines. Thomas likes his job, he does in home demonstrations and sometimes travels.

Aida Glasson is eighteen years old, unmarried, has a secret and lives on the same block of land as the Mullets. Elise sees Aida peeking out of the window one day, both women are lonely and they meet when Aida helps Elsie with her sick chicken and gives her badly needed cooking advice.

Instead of picking out his wife’s flaws, Thomas is considerate and open minded. Thomas Mullet is a man before his time and not your average Aussie bloke, he want's Elsie to be happy and he understands she’s different. The Mullets don’t have your typical marriage, family’s as we know come in all kinds of configurations and you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

I received a digital copy of The Three of Us by Kim Lock from Escape Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Spanning fifty years it's a story about marriage, unwed mothers and how badly they were treated, complex relationships, how love can come in many forms and types.

A tender, moving, selfless, emotional and thought provoking narrative from Kim Lock and five stars from me.

The Three of Us by Kim Lock

The story starts in 1960; Thomas and Elsie Mullet have just gotten married and have just moved in to their new house in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs where Aida Glasson is living next door. At first Aida keeps to herself and never goes outside her house but soon she cannot help but become friends with Elsie and then Thomas. They become so close they are inseparable more like family then neighbours and friends.

I loved this book and found my self not being able to stop reading until I finished the book as I could not wait to find out how the story of Elsie, Thomas and Aida turns out.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Escape Publishing for a copy of this eBook in exchange for an honest review