When Lemons Give You Life by Anna Johnston

STAFF REVIEW

A truly delightful, feel good read with characters you will fall in love with and hope the best for, while the plot keeps getting thicker!!  She really kept me guessing with how she would resolve the narrative, and has done a tremendous job at creating a heartfelt, but laugh-out-loud-funny story, about how our passions in life – food, music, our closest friends and chosen family  – make us who we are and can return us to ourselves – through illness and loss.

Reviewed by Kate

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A sharply funny, heart-stirring novel about rediscovering joy when life has lost its flavour, from the author of the bestselling The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife (recently acquired by Netflix).

Redemption is a dish best served warm . . .

Retired Michelin-star chef Griff Barlow has lost his appetite. He’s done with grief, guilt and the beige slop they dare call food at Sunny Glen Aged Care Facility, where he now resides.

Life’s given him all the lemons he can handle – so he breaks into the nursing home kitchen to bake himself one last tart. It’s supposed to be his final meal, but the act of cooking stirs a dormant joy. Soon, he’s regularly sneaking in after dark, serving up flavour and comfort to his fellow residents. Yet behind the apron is a lie so big it could destroy the one thing he has left to protect . . .

Meanwhile, Griff’s younger sister, Lisa, is navigating a new ADHD diagnosis and the spark of an unexpected romance. Despite their fractured sibling relationship, she dutifully visits Griff, though she knows hope of a reconciliation is gone, buried in the silence between them.

But the truth has a way of boiling over – and when secrets, souffles and second chances collide, they may discover a recipe for forgiveness.

Anna Johnston’s second novel is an enchanting story that will appeal to fans of Richard Osman, Joanna Nell and Amanda Hampson.

‘Smart, authentic and full of heart.’ Graeme Simsion, internationally bestselling author of The Rosie Project

‘Anna Johnston imbues her characters with a warmth, tenderness and singularity that makes them irresistible. A charming tale of redemption, complex sibling bonds and the joy of a meal cooked with love, this book will leave your heart full and your tastebuds ignited.’ Mikki Brammer, internationally bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover

‘A delicious treat of a novel, rich with the complex flavours of love, loss, familial relationships and redemption. I adored it.’ Emma Grey, internationally bestselling author of Pictures of You

‘Written with empathy, insight and authenticity, When Lemons Give You Life is a delicious journey from regret to reconciliation. Heartfelt, funny and uplifting.’ Julietta Henderson, bestselling author of The Funny Thing About Norman Foreman

‘An absolute chef’s kiss of a novel, prepared with heart and humour, guaranteed to please your palate.’ Troy Hunter, author of Gus and the Missing Boy

‘For the burnt-out and world-weary, Anna Johnston’s novels offer essential therapy – wickedly funny stories about flawed heroes with the power to restore our faith in each other.’ Kirsten Miller, author of Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books

About the Author: Anna Johnston is a former baby, aspiring octogenarian and emerging Australian author with a love for the heartfelt and hilarious. She grew up in country Victoria before moving to Melbourne where she lives joyously with her husband and daughters by the beach. Anna left an imminent career in medicine to follow her heart into her grandfather’s nursing home where she became the social support coordinator, taking great delight in shaking up the usual program. When injury left her unable to continue working in aged care, she began to write about it, channelling her love for older people onto the page. Her first novel, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife, has recently been optioned by Netflix.

28 Apr 2026

When Lemons Give You Life by Anna Johnston ISBN 9781761347689