the fence

"I promise you one thing, young lady. Building a fence is not going to keep the world out and won't keep your children in. Life's not that simple."

Gwen Hill adores Green Valley Avenue. Here she has built friendships, raised her children and nurtured a thriving garden. So when the house next door is sold, Gwen wonders how the new family will settle into this cosy community.

Francesca Desmarchelliers has high hopes for the house on Green Valley Avenue. More than a new home, it's a clean slate for Frankie, who has moved her brood in a bid to save her marriage.

To maintain her privacy and corral her wandering children, Frankie proposes a fence between the properties, destroying Gwen's picture-perfect front yard.

To Gwen, this is an act of war.

Soon the neighbours are in an escalating battle about more than just council approvals, where boundaries aren't the only things at stake.

Praise for The Fence

"There's nothing polite about this white picket fence drama. In this green-thumbed social satire of suburban neighbourly conflict, Meredith Jaffé's wicked sense of humor blooms in the fertile compost of domestic discord. To be enjoyed in all seasons, in full sun or part shade, requiring no watering or weeding. A mischievous treat for anyone who has ever had tricky neighbours. Jaffé is a welcome new talent."

Caroline Baum, Editorial Director, Booktopia

"A keenly observed satire on the boundaries we set. Good fences make good neighbours. Or do they?"

Wendy Harmer

"Reminiscent of the fiction of Liane Moriarty...Written with astute characterisation and alternating viewpoints so the reader can sympathise with both sides, The Fence [is] an engaging and satirical novel about the struggle of whether to preserve the past or look to the future."

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