People Like Us … coming July 2026
Brave, compassionate and humorous, People Like Us is a novel about the very best kind of friendships
About the book
After Tina Lamb loses her family home in a bitter divorce, she finds herself living in a caravan on the city’s fringes. Having raised four children and nursed her dying mum, she was not anticipating making a new start alone or from scratch. And while some of her new neighbours are welcoming, she soon finds herself getting far more attention than she bargained for.
When Tina finds work caring for a wealthy elderly woman, it is a welcome break from an ageist, sexist job market. But Mrs Bell is anything but predictable. Highly educated, acerbic and intimidating, she is not the straightforward charge that Tina had hoped for. As the two women form an unlikely friendship, they soon discover that financial security is about more than having money.
Topical and absorbing, People Like Us celebrates the power of female friendships and the promise of new beginnings found in unexpected places.
Advance praise for the book …
‘A beautiful story of friendship and family. Packed with nuance and warmth, People Like Us explores the true value of connections, at any age.’ - JANE HARPER, author of Last One Out
‘One of Australia’s best and most acute observers of the lives of women.’ - KRISTINA OLSSON, author of Boy, Lost and Shell
‘Big-hearted, full of compassion and dark humour, People Like Us zeroes in on women’s invisible sacrifices for family. Tina Lamb is one woman and every woman. Her voice rings vivid, clear and convincing, giving life to the vulnerability and fragility of existence on the knife-edge of poverty. Brave, hopeful, and vibrant – a call to empathy and understanding. You will love this book.’ - KAREN VIGGERS, author of Sidelines
‘Heartwarming and ruefully funny, People Like Us is a story of struggle, and also one of resilience, restored dignity and hope.’ - SUSAN DAVIES, Co-Founder and President of Sharing with Friends Foundation
‘Piper gives a tender voice to the voiceless women in this country. A beautifully observed, heartbreakingly real story about vulnerability, and a woman's courage to find herself when she has been lost. It's a story that might be written about any one of us.’ - JACINTA PARSONS, author of A Wisdom of Age
‘People Like Us is a universal story of true friendship ... our joy of storytelling, our need for companionship and the kindness of neighbours is essential to our shared humanity in the global village.’ - ANITA HEISS, author of The Paradise Pact
Available for pre-order
People Like Us can be re-ordered at University of Queensland Press, all good bookstores such as Avid Reader Bookshop or Booktopia.
