Four women. Four very different lives. One friendship that holds them together.
Stephanie is young, fun and sleeping with the boss. Rosa’s perfect family life begins to unravel when her teenage son falls in with the wrong crowd. Maria is desperate to find love before family responsibilities steal her chance, while Margaret’s new marriage hides secrets she never expected.
Behind the everyday chatter of a busy city-centre office lie love, lies, family, heartbreak and secrets — and as their seemingly separate lives begin to intertwine, their friendship will be tested in ways none of them could have imagined.
Funny, moving and wonderfully human, this is a story about the lives we show the world — and the ones we keep hidden.
Meet the Author
Leona Murray — a Derry writer turning a lifelong dream into reality
Leona Murray is originally from Top of the Hill in Derry’s Waterside and now lives in the Cityside with her family — proof that crossing the Craigavon Bridge can sometimes lead to unexpected things!
An administrator with a large housing association, Leona has always loved reading and dreamed of writing a book of her own. When the world slowed down during Covid, she decided it was time to stop dreaming and start typing. Armed with a shiny new laptop, she began writing in 2021, finally bringing to life the story she had carried in her head for years.
Drawing on her experience of office life — and the truth that we rarely know what our colleagues are dealing with once they leave work — Leona has written a warm, honest and wonderfully relatable novel about friendship, addiction, bereavement, dementia and family life. The subjects may be serious, but humour is never far away.
When she is not writing, Leona enjoys reading, walking, music, podcasts, meals and dancing with friends and family. She also shares her home with two very noisy cockatiels, who presumably believe they should have received a writing credit.
Most importantly, Leona has turned a childhood dream into reality. She bought the laptop, wrote the book and is now preparing to see it published. Not bad for something that began with a blank screen and a story she simply had to tell.
