The Spare Room

By: Helen Garner

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Synopsis: In this short but very direct novel, Helen Garner explores the question: how much of ourselves must we give up to help a friend in need? Helen has little idea what lies ahead--and what strength she must summon--when she offers her spare room to an old friend, Nicola, who has arrived in Melbourne from Sydney for cancer treatments and who is skeptical of the medical establishment, placing all her faith in an alternative health center. Nicola is determined to find her own way to cope, regardless of the advice Helen offers. In the weeks that follow, Nicola's battle for survival will turn not only her own life upside down but also those of everyone around her. Helen unexpectedly finds herself driven through extremes of rage and tenderness to become Nicola's nurse, protector, guardian angel, and stony judge. Powerful and taut, and full of wisdom and dark laughter, The Spare Room is a magical gem of a book that packs a huge punch.