From the bestselling author of THE LOUDNESS OF UNSAID THINGS comes a compelling new novel that illuminates the joys and sorrows of an ordinary life and delivers profound insights into human nature.

'She glanced back at the sleeping boy on the back seat and flashing blue and red lights caught her eye in the rear vision mirror. A police car pulled up behind her. There was nowhere to go. What had she done?'

Rose knows that she should be happy. She has a thoughtful son, a kind boss and a dream box full of savings for a rainy day. But sometimes the brick in her chest gets so heavy that it's all she can do to simply watch the minutes tick by on the oven clock.

Things change when a stranger arrives. Rose can't believe that someone like Ellie would want to be her friend. Ellie always knows what to do. She is bright and shiny and so caring. With Ellie by her side, things feel possible again, and Rose starts to remember who she is. Soon, she can't imagine how it was without Ellie there.

Sometimes, all you need is one friend to change your life. Because the best things in life are free. Aren't they?

A novel about discovering that what you need is often right in front of you. And that friendship can hide many truths.

'In her third novel, Hilde Hinton delicately confronts the complexities of motherhood and friendships . . . [Her] strength lies in her ability to create characters who feel remarkably familiar, holding up a mirror to the reader and telling us something about ourselves. Fans of Kim Lock's The Other Side of Beautiful will enjoy this important story about finding your way back to yourself.' BOOKS+PUBLISHING

'Hilde Hinton has written another gentle and perceptive look at the travails of life' THE BOOKLIST

'A delight . . . Hinton again demonstrates her talent for exposing her characters' emotions and vulnerability' DAILY TELEGRAPH

'A big-hearted novel about friendship and the devastation of betrayal' THE AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S WEEKLY