At the End of the Day by Liz Byrski is a wonderful book about friendship, love, health, family, and finding true happiness.
I used to travel a lot, and on some flights, I’d be ready to settle in and listen to something on my headphones, lost in my own thoughts – hours of total escapism. On other flights, I’d smile at the person next to me, and we’d start chatting.
I’ve met so many amazing people and heard the most incredible stories – from a burlesque dancer moving from Australia to Paris – we didn’t draw breath for eight hours!; to the woman who had just, tearfully, farewelled the man she’d met overseas the year before, despite his cancer diagnosis weeks earlier and countless others.
In fact, one of my closest friends today is someone I met on a plane! So, I was excited to read At the End of the Day, a story where Mim and Mathias, two people in their seventies, meet on a plane.
Mim and Mathias have a lot in common – Mim owns a bookshop, while Mathias is a writer, they’re both introverts, and they both love their independence. Mim’s childhood polio is causing her issues, while Mathias is planning to relocate to be closer to his daughter.
Through the course of the novel, we get to meet Mathias’ daughter, Carla, Mim’s sister, Alice, Mim’s friend, Jodie, and other wonderful characters, but it was the story of Mim and Mathias that I loved the most. This is a heartwarming story, with a beautiful cast of characters, and storylines throughout.
This is a page-turner because you want to know what’s going to happen with the characters. This novel had me riveted from page one, as I wanted to find out more, and I debated with myself throughout – was this a book about friendship, or romance?
You’ll need to find out yourself.
This is the third Liz Byrski book I’ve read, and I’ve always enjoyed the characters and setting, but I think this one was my favourite. It has certainly inspired me to look up Liz’s back-catalogue.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Pan Macmillan for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Author: Liz Byrski
ISBN: 9781760781644
Copy courtesy of Pan MacMillan
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading At the End of the Day by Liz Byrski. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
Raechel is a Professor, mother of 5 and avid reader. She always has at least four books on the go at any one time – an audio book, a fiction e-book, a non-fiction e-book, and an ‘actual’ book. She is often criticized for this behaviour!
I was excited to receive this book as I have read one of Liz’s books previously and like her style of writing. She really captures the image in my head as I read the lines. I love that it crosses over from overseas back to Australia and is focussed on 2 mature characters, Mim and Mathias who have a lot in common they find when stranded on their return to Perth. Both are returning to family and the struggles and love that come with that. Sometimes even wisdom and age is not enough to make the big decisions. I was able to share this book with my 73 year old mum and she loved it too. Put this one on the must read list.
I totally agree with u i’m reading this book for the third time and loving it again ive really enjoyed the story about how Mim and Mathias met and how they click because of their personalities and backgrounds being so similar
At the End of the Day by Liz Byrski was an amazing read! I could not put this down. Highly recommend.
5 stars
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Pan MacMillan for the oppurtunity to read and review.
What a beautiful story about friendships, family, secrets, elderly people and love and humour all entwined in this magical storyline.
The story centres around the characters of Mim and Mathias whom she meets when stranded at the airport heading to Perth from the UK. Surprisingly on just talking they find they both have a common interest in books. Mim owns a bookstore and Mathias is a writer.
I love how Liz the author had written of Mim & Mathias’s slight accident at the airport. You captured it perfectly Liz in that you could visualise the whole scene.
Mim had a hard life growing up as she had polio and in the days where it was just hushed and keep the child out of sight.
Both Mim & Mathias are in their late 70s and this was such a lovely engaging story to read about their journeys and how they became lifelong friends.
Mim’s younger sister Alice who comes to visit is a character that you will endear to also.
I loved the banter of Mim’s friend Jodie and Mathia’s daughter Carla that I found myself giggling at their antics.
This truely is a beautiful well written book that will capture your heart from page one to the end. I have read all of Liz’s Books and I would put this up with her first book I read In the Company of Strangers.
There are parts in the story that I could see captured what Liz has been through due to her own health battles.
There are sad parts in the book where I did shed some tears and Liz mentions the bushfires and covid into the storyline also.
The cover on the front of the book is just gorgeous and I am attracted to such standout covers these days.
Thank you Beauty & Lace and Pan Macmillan Australia. I highly recommend this book to others. Thank you also to Liz Byrski – you have produced another memorable book for me.
Thank you Beauty & Lace and Pan Macmillan Australia for the opportunity to read and review At the End of the Day by Liz Byrski.
This was a wonderful story about friendships, family secrets, love and humour all entwined.
I could see my grandparents, and even parents, in Mim & Mathias in their late 70s nearing the end of their journeys but not wanting to give up on making new friends and forging new paths just yet.
The supporting roles were just as rich with content, having both their own storylines but also allowing the main characters to explore their pasts and look to the future.
I found it truly endearing and a lovely read.
At the end of the day by Liz Byrski is a beautiful story of family, love and friendship
and full of very likeable characters.
Mim in her seventies visits her sister in the UK possibly for the last time. On her flight home
to Australia she meets Mathias who is a similar age. They are both returning to Perth.
They seem to have an instant connection even though they don’t usually talk with strangers.
Mathias is a writer and Mim owns a bookshop. They both are dealing with issues. Mim has had Polio as a child which still affects her and Mathias has a secret that has been a burden for
most of his life. They are both suffering physically and emotionally.
This is a story of reflection and coming to terms with things of the past.
Then there is Mathias’ daughter Carla and Jodie a very close friend of Mims, also Alice who
Is Mim’s sister, all who are wonderful and relatable characters.
This is such a pleasant, easy, relaxing read.
I have not read any of Liz Byrski’s novels before but I will certainly be looking for more
of her books.
Thanks to Pan Macmillan and BeautyandLace for the opportunity to read this.
At the End of the Day by Liz Byrski is a wonderful read. I’ve never read any of Liz’s books before and found this one thoroughly enjoyable. The story centers on the main characters Mathius and Mim, who meet unexpectedly in an airport. They are in their seventies and form a wonderful friendship. The story is about taking chances and realising that you are never to old to change and create new relationships. Thanks Beauty and Lace for another great book
This was the first novel I had read by Liz byrski and I was hooked after a few chapters . A beautiful story about friendship, family secrets and finding out that you are never too old to find happiness and fall in love. It was interesting touching on gay relationships and the inevitable covid 19 in such a positive way. Highly recommend this read.
At The End of the Day tells the story of Mim, an elderly woman living in Fremantle, who owns a bookshop and enjoys a very full, independent life despite chronic pain from having polio as a child. On the way home from visiting her sister in England, she meets an elderly man, Mathias, an author, and they become friends. Their own friends and families are drawn together and they form strong bonds.
Each character faces major changes in their lives, as relationships end and new beginnings become possible. As they age, Mim and Mathias realise that their proud independence may no longer serve their needs. They also hold the burden of long-held secrets from their past, things they’d been taught to be ashamed of and that they had been unable to share.
Similar to Liz Byrski’s other novels, this is a cosy read, exploring relationships between (mostly) women of all ages. Her characters are introspective at times as they learn about themselves and others, and realise what is important in their lives and what they can let go of.
I enjoyed the book, the setting of Perth and Fremantle, and the theme of “it’s never too late” to find happiness. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.