Are you looking for a novel that is going to tease you a little? Perhaps you are after a story with characters in it that seem quirky enough, true enough, even, to remind you of people you know? Do you enjoy reading about situations you have also experienced? And do you understand the power of a good morning bun, or a chicken sandwich? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, then please do yourself a wonderful weekend favour and read The Wakes. It will not take you long because you will not be able to put it down. You will, after all, be reading passages from your own life. (That is, if you are like me: a middle-aged woman!)

Clare and Louisa meet in their Sydney street and form a friendship and a business catering company for funeral wakes. They meet because their lives have been dramatically reconsidered by forces outside their own control. It is a story about funerals, so do be prepared to cry a little. It is also a story about falling out of love; so again, be primed to weep. Overall, though, this is a story about friendship and change and all the power that happens when you finally decide to put your own needs first.

This is Dianne Yarwood’s first novel. I expect she is already writing the next. I also believe that this is the type of novel that will be picked up quick smart by a production company. If you love the work of Toni Jordan, Liane Moriarty, and Trent Dalton, then this debut novel is for you. Have it ready to go for your next weekend away, or that long plane trip, or that empty Tuesday evening. You’re welcome.