Jean Harley was Here

(Paperback)

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Description

Jean Harley - wife, mother, lover, dancer - is a shining light in the lives of those who know and love her. But when tragedy strikes, what becomes of the people she leaves behind Her devoted husband, Stan, is now a single father to their young son, Orion. Her best friends, Neddy and Viv, find their relationship unravelling at the seams. And Charley, the ex-con who caused it all, struggles to reconcile his past crimes with his present mistakes. Life without Jean will take some getting used to, but her indelible imprint remains. Jean Harley Was Here is a touching and original exploration of love, relationships, and the ways in which we need each other.

Reviews

'contemplative and hopeful' Good Reading

'It's a clever novel which somehow manages to avoid being overly emotional despite the premise. This said, the story did make me laugh and cry, and reminded me of people I know.' Readings online

'I just couldn't put it down. I was engrossed immediately and tearing up by page two; it felt so real. This is a moving portrayal of the power of love and of friendship and it's wonderful.' Readings e-news

'Taylor Johnson's interweaving of her characters and management of chronology is particularly impressive.' Sydney Morning Herald

'I loved this book and highly recommend it.' The Big Book Club

'But Johnson has somehow created a character who is imagined, remembered and grieved-over through the intricate overlapping of her life with the lives of the people she connected with, and it is so beautiful that I fought back tears more than once.' OddFeather

'A pleasure to read about the life of someone special to those who loved her.' Australian Women's Weekly

'It is filled with lilting language and a pulsing beat.' Avid Reader Blog

Author Bio

Heather Taylor Johnson was born in the United States and has lived in Australia since 1999. Jean Harley Was Here is her second novel; her first was Pursuing Love and Death. She has published four volumes of verse and is the poetry editor for Transnational Literature. She is also the editor of the anthology Shaping the Fractured Self- Poetry of Chronic Illness and Pain. Heather lives in Adelaide with her husband and three children.