Margaret, Are You Leaving? by Dianne Yarwood

‘Such a warm, generous, uplifting book. Full of heart and wisdom, emotionally sharp and funny in a very human way’ EMMA PEI YIN

An uplifting and life-affirming novel about family lost and found from the author of Australian bestseller The Wakes

Sydney, 2001. Now in her forties, Maggie Reid has built a good life for herself, surrounded by good people. She has an adorable but needy dog and a new relationship. She has tried hard to leave her painful past behind her, but when her beloved brother Lucas calls with news of their adopted mother’s death, he also delivers a bombshell about Maggie’s birth mother.

So begins an uncertain, bumpy journey to trace her mother’s identity, a quest that brings fresh heartbreak but also unexpected joy. Maggie’s spent her whole life leaving, but now, for the first time, will she feel like staying?

Deeply empathetic, uncommonly witty and wise, Margaret, Are You Leaving? celebrates the messiness of family and the beauty of life in all its heartache and wonder.

Praise for Dianne Yarwood’s debut novel, The Wakes:

‘An insightful, emotionally intelligent writer . . . her book is like a warm embrace’ The Times

‘Heartfelt, funny, uplifting’ The Australian Women’s Weekly

‘Few people can write about food and heartbreak like Nora Ephron – that was until Dianne Yarwood . . . comfort food for your mind’ Harper’s Bazaar

‘Funny, moving, tender and wise‘ LIANE MORIARTY

‘An uplifting novel about how the joy of living can be found in the most unexpected places’ The Guardian

‘A delectable fusion of comedy, hope, loss, and great food’ Weekend Australian

Heartfelt . . . blends humour with poignant reflections on life and death’ Better Homes & Gardens

‘Full of wry, astute observations of the human condition . . . We are left with a sense of hope and a fierce consciousness of the preciousness of life’ Living Arts Canberra

‘A celebration of what it means to be alive, and the joy of finding friendship‘ JOANNA NELL

‘Warm and profound. I can’t wait for everyone to read it’ SALLY HEPWORTH

‘Immensely human and warm and satisfying’ SHELLEY BURR

‘Rich with wisdom, love, humour and a sparkling joy’ KELLY RIMMER

‘So warm and poignant and sweetly funny. I loved it’ JACQUELINE MALEY

About the Author: Dianne Yarwood grew up in Newcastle and worked in accounting and corporate advisory in Sydney and London. She also nurtured a love for cooking and reading. At the age of forty, with three young children, she became very ill and her life was saved by an emergency doctor. This brush with mortality gave her the courage to do what she’s always wanted to do – write. Her first novel, The Wakes, was an Australian bestseller. Dianne lives in Sydney with her husband.

28 Apr 2026

Margaret, Are You Leaving? by Dianne Yarwood ISBN 9780733648069