Author(s): Rick Feneley

Australian Fiction

A tragic accident tests the strength of family ties. Ted McCall is a legend among Bondi lifesavers. When he is killed in a surfing accident, his death exposes long-held family secrets and sets in motion a series of revelations and betrayals. Only one thing is certain: Ted's death is a defining moment for his loved ones. But will it make his family stronger, or break them apart? Ted's adoring wife of forty years, Connie Blunt, witnesses the tragedy. Focused on her own grief, which plays out in unexpected ways, she is incapable of offering comfort to her son, Sebastian, who worshipped Ted. Seb is an evangelical Christian. General practitioner Connie, seventy going on twenty-five, is a devout atheist, a free spirit with an edgy taste in music. Clever, sharp-tongued, often generous, cherished by both of Seb's children, she can also be intolerant, stubborn and on occasion downright unlikeable. Yet Seb has never doubted his mother's love for his dad. Or not until three days after Ted's funeral, when he discovers her in bed with another man. Ted's death turns an already tense mother-son relationship toxic. Seb demands answers, but Connie is not ready to reveal that she and Ted were keeping a secret from their son. For Connie, though, harder to confront will be the secret Ted kept from her. Threaded with wry humour, Life after Ted is a compelling examination of family conflict. The iconic backdrop of Bondi Beach is a presence as vivid, changeable and fascinating as any of the flawed and complex characters navigating their way through grief, towards hope.