Pour yourself a glass of tea with lemon, cut a slice of cheesecake, and settle down with Renata Singer's funny, warm, angst-ridden novel.

Share the tea and cake with a group of Polish-Jewish eccentrics, and see if you can get them to say what really happened in Poland during the war.

Advise Miriam on the wisdom of digging into the past. Wag your finger at her younger sister Felunia as she kvetches about her solid worthy husband and thinks about a more exciting sex life. Scream at them when they ignore your advice. In the end they may tell you more about how to handle relationships than you can tell them.

If you want to read about love, war, family, fidelity, intimacy and how to stop getting those flabby bits under your arms, The Front of the Family is just the book for you.

Author Details
Renata Singer

Renata Singer was born in Walbrzych, Poland and spent her formative years in Melbourne.

She has lived and worked in many countries: teaching in Oxfordshire and New Jersey, developing anti-racist programs in Sydney, researching wells and water in Tigray, Ethiopa.

As well as many articles, reviews, and stories, her publications include the books Goodbye and Hello (with Susie Orzech) in 1985, and True Stories from the Land of Divorce (with Nelly Zola) in 1995.

The Front of the Family is her first novel. Renata Singer lives in New York and Melbourne.