The Quiet Spectacular

**Funny and moving, this novel subverts notions of ‘man vs. wild’ while showcasing** **female experience through encounters with family, friends and the natural world** **.** **Loretta** is a school librarian, who embarks on compiling *The Dangerous Book for Menopausal Women* while waiting to collect her son from after-school activities. **Chance** is a teenager, who discovers an unusual creative outlet to offset the strain of her controlling mother. **Riva** is the founder of a wetlands sanctuary, who is seeking a way to fulfil her promise to her dying sister to do something ‘absolutely spectacular’. Within a clearing in the woods by a lake stands a den, a secret sanctuary and eventual meeting place for all three women . . .