by Karen Ross
‘The top row shows your life expectancy,’ Barclay says. ‘I worked it out to ninety-nine years four months and five days. And these numbers,’ he taps the clock face, ‘they show how much longer you’ve got left. The idea is to remind us that time is our most precious asset. So we can make good choices about the best way to use it.’
Barclay leans in closer. ‘I think we should spend the next two minutes – at least – doing this.’
He leans in for a kiss.
Life is good.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks first – and always – to my dear friend, mentor, and fellow novelist Beverly Swerling. Beverly, I miss you every day and I’m so sad that you are not here to celebrate publication with me.
Thanks also to Jo Barnett, Richard Barnett, Roberta Burke, Mel Croucher, Francesca Drake, Randy Haunfelder, Paula Jarvis, Lynne Orton, John Reiss, Judy Rich, and Tim Whiting.
I would also like to thank my editor Molly Walker-Sharp and her colleagues Hannah Todd, Sabah Kahn, Elke Desanghere, Rachel Faulkner-Willcocks, Helen Huthwaite, Katie Loughnane, Tilda McDonald, Beth Wickington and Lauren Tavella. I am thrilled to have received such an enthusiastic welcome into the Avon HarperCollins family.
Special thanks are also due to Tracy Fenton, tireless overlord of THE Book Club (TBC) on Facebook, and to Phoebe Morgan, who posted a message in the group … had I been working rather than procrastinating that day, then Five Wakes and a Wedding might never have seen the light of day.
I am also grateful to the various funeral directors who were kind enough to give me their time, help, and advice on the road to publication; all factual errors are mine.
One final point. While Nina got a rough ride from some of the retailers in my parallel universe Primrose Hill setting, those who work so hard to keep my neighbourhood’s real life shops going – despite the crippling burden of business rates – are responsible in no small measure for maintaining and enhancing the unique village atmosphere of the charming London backwater I am proud to call home.
NINE BOOK CLUB QUESTIONS AND A SUGGESTION
Life, death, love, heartbreak, a bottle of wine – or three – along with some nibbles and chocolate and a chat about this month’s novel. If that sounds anything like your own Book Club, then here’s a few questions to get you started.
How would you feel if a funeral home opened up on your local high street, or near your home – and have your views changed as a result of reading the book?
Did you have any sympathy with the council official who tried to insist Nina should take down her window display?
Towards the end of the book Zoe explains how a childhood bereavement has shaped the personalities of her brother and herself. Did you feel one way of coping was better than the other?
Is Barclay a worthy hero – or just a man-child with a too many toys and T-shirts?
Which of the five funerals affected you the most – and why?
One of the stallholders at Nina’s Funeral Expo says, ‘There’s so much more you can do with ashes than just scatter them or keep them in an urn.’ Did any of the ideas take your fancy?
Who’s your favourite character?
Is there a relationship between death, art, and gardening?
Has the book prompted you to think about writing down your wishes for your own funeral – or do you feel that would be tempting fate?
Now let’s open another bottle of wine and play Fantasy Casting! Who would you pick to play the main characters?
About the Author
Karen Ross is a former journalist, broadcaster and advertising copywriter who continues to run her own successful marketing consultancy in the absence of a job offer to manage Tottenham Hotspur.
She lives in Primrose Hill, where she and her dog, Scrabble, are among the least famous residents.
You can follow her on twitter: @ComedyKaren.
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
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Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
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Canada
HarperCollins Canada
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India
HarperCollins India
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New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
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Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com
