Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Fiona Harris & Mike McLeish, Echo Publishing, $29.99.
McLeish and Harris is an accomplished husband-and-wife writing team. Mike is an actor, writer, singer, musician, cabaret performer, songwriter, one-time artistic director and full-time collaborator with his wife, Fiona. He famously played Paul Keating in Keating!
Their writing team wrote their first novel, The Drop-off, in 2020 that was based on a web series starring Fiona and Mike. In the sequel, ‘you drop ‘em off. You pick ‘em up. You lose ‘em at school camp’.
The Pick-up has resulted from hibernation, of sorts. As the authors indicate: “In Lin Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton, the eponymous character sings about his ability to write his way out – out of poverty and out of strife, and subsequently into the history books. But during Melbourne’s strict lockdown due to the Virus That Shall Not Be Named, we found ourselves having to write our way in – into sanity, into a sense of stability and, if all went well, eventually out of our tracksuit pants”.
Lizzie, Sam and Megan are very different people who became best friends over good coffee and good laughs at school drop-off. Single mum Megan is contemplating a slightly scandalous relationship. Newly divorced Sam is navigating the ‘delights’ of online dating. Lizzie is flat out juggling four kids and an absent husband.
As if that wasn’t enough, this year the trio have decided to embrace their inner parent helper and volunteer to go on the annual school camp. If they think their personal lives are chaotic, this camp’s going to teach them what chaos really means.
It has been said The Pick-up is “hilariously relevant, disturbingly relatable.” It is real life, but since it’s happening to others, “it’s way funnier”.
It’s the families, friends and long-time friendships we always remember. We keep in touch with each other, check in on each other, support and champion each other.
“Lockdown brought an even more intense sense of connection with nearest and dearest. Checking in took on more import; being there for each other became more crucial. New connections were made too. Being community-minded is advantageous.”
“Dipping our toes into that school community has informed and enriched our professional and personal lives beyond measure. Today, we can’t imagine what our lives might be if we’d stayed true to our selfish ways!”
Name the prequel to The Pick-up and, if the answer is correct, you could be one of two winners to get a copy of the book. Entries should be sent to [email protected] by Monday, 25 October 2021. Names of the winners will be announced in Frank Cassidy’s PS-sssst…! column on 26 October 2021.
