The Tea Ladies of St Jude's Hospital

The heartwarming and hilarious new novel by the author of cherished bestsellers The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village and The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home.

The Marjorie Marshall Memorial Cafeteria has
been serving refreshments and raising money at
the hospital for over fifty years, long after anybody
can remember who Marjorie Marshall actually
was.

Staffed by successive generations of dedicated
volunteers, the beloved cafeteria is known as
much for offering a kind word and sympathetic
ear (and oftenunsolicited life advice) as for its tea
and buns.

Stalwart Hilary has worked her way up through the
ranks to Manageress; Joy has been late every day
since she started as the cafeteria's newest recruit.
She doesn't take her role as 'the intern' quite as
seriously as Hilary would like but there's no doubt
she brings a welcome pop of personality.

17-year-old Chloe, the daughter of two successful
surgeons, is volunteering during the school
holidays because her mother thinks it will look

Chloe is at first bewildered by the two older
women but soon realises they have a lot in
common, not least that each bears a secret pain.
When they discover the cafeteria is under threat
of closure, this unlikely trio must band together to
save it.

'The Tea Ladies is a delight. Warm characters
and observations and great pace.' – Amanda
Hampson.

JOANNA NELL was born in the UK and studied medicine
at Cambridge and Oxford universities. Her essays
and short fiction have won multiple awards and been
published in medical journals and literary anthologies. A
former ship's doctor, and now working as a GP, Joanna
writes character-driven stories, creating young-atheart
characters who are not afraid to defy society's
expectations of ageing. Her first three novels were
national bestsellers.

The Tea Ladies of St Jude's Hospital

By Joanna Nell

Hachette Australia

RRP: $32.99