Good Joy, Bad Joy

For fans of Richard Osman, Rachel Joyce, and Fredrik Backman, comes a whimsical, heartfelt novel about friendship over the decades, self-discovery, and what it means to have a life well-lived.

She's lived by the rules. Now she's breaking them...

For more than eighty years, Joy Bridport has followed the rules—devoted wife, loving mother, steadfast neighbour in her small town. But when her best friend Hazel is given only months to live, Joy is forced to confront the truth: Hazel has lived fully, while she has only played it safe.

Determined to change, Joy vows to live boldly in the time she and Hazel have left together. What begins as small rebellions soon snowballs into petty crimes, and Joy must decide whether she can embrace the freedom of 'Bad Joy' without losing the life and legacy she's built.

With humour, heart, and irresistible mischief, Good Joy, Bad Joy is a wise, bighearted celebration of friendship, second chances, and the courage to become who we were always meant to be.

With compassion and insight, Good Joy, Bad Joy shines a light on the quiet invisibility that settles over women as they age, then sweeps it aside with humour and heart. This deeply human novel captures the beauty of lifelong friendship and the gentle, inspiring truth that we are never finished becoming ourselves. - Anna Johnston, author of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

A beautifully reflective story of lifelong friendship, legacy, and what it truly means to lead a "good" life. - Natalie Sue, author of I Hope This Finds You Well

Uplifting, charming, and wonderful, it will make you call your oldest friend to say "I love you, I'm so glad you're alive, and also, please read this book". - Annie Hartnett, author of The Road to Tender Hearts

A multilayered love letter to the wonder and resilience of female friendship, but also a tender reminder that at any stage of life, even at 89, it is never too late to bloom ... and to rediscover joy. - Jessica George, author of Maame