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In the days before Christmas, three women in their 70s - friends for more than four decades - meet at their recently deceased friend's house by the beach, to make it ready for sale. There is Jude, a tall, poised, secretive, authoritative, former restaurateur. Wendy, the compassionate, once striking but now quite large and frumpy, famous intellectual. Finally we have Adele, a childlike, well-preserved, acclaimed actress who hasn't been offered any work in over a year. An unwelcome addition to the group is Wendy's dog, Finn, 17yo, blind, deaf and highly anxious - but she couldn't leave him behind in Sydney.

As you would expect, three vastly different characters are going to have a few flashpoints along the way, and not all of them are caused by the dog. The women are forced to examine their past, expose their insecurities, and by the end they have a better understanding of how their friendship can move forward as a trio rather than their accustomed quartet.

I haven't read anything by Charlotte Wood before, and I found this a pleasant if somewhat forgettable diversion for a couple of days. I may have felt more invested in the story if I was a generation older.

With thinks to Allen & Unwin for an advance copy to read and review.