I recently re-read Helen Garner’s The Spare Room.
The Spare Room follows two friends, Helen and Nicola. Nicola is staying with her friend Helen, as she receives treatment that she hopes will cure her cancer.
But when Nicola arrives, Helen is confronted to see just how sick her friend is. She realises that the part she will need to play in her treatment is going to be more than just a person who’s lending her spare room to a friend. Throughout the book, their friendship is put to the test, however, the hardships they endure only draw them closer.
Helen Garner became a favourite of mine when I first read this book a couple years ago because her writing evokes so many emotions while you’re reading. This time I listened to the audiobook and it was just as good (if not better) the second time round.
Helen has a way of placing you in the characters’ shoes, and not letting you go until you’ve turned the last page.
-Heidi, Bland Library
