LAS-EPISODE-549-GLENNA THOMSON-STELLA AND MARGIE - a podcast by DOC Media

Luke and Susie chat with Glenna Thomson about her new book, about the sandwich generation, pulling a calf.

Stella and Margie by Glenna Thomson is a piercingly insightful novel about love, duty and a touching friendship that spans generations.

‘I love the story of Stella and Margie. It’s a poignant reminder of the power of women’s friendships.’ – Ita Buttrose

Themes in the book include –

· In Australia approximately one in ten elderly parents live with their adult children, becoming reliant on the very people they once cared for. This shift in relationship, from carer to dependant, can be difficult to navigate. How do you care for an elderly parent who resents this role reversal? What about the demands of your young children who are also dependent on you?

· Stella and Margie perfectly encapsulates the feelings of those caught in the ‘sandwich generation’

· The issues that come to a head around the holiday period as it is renowned for family disputes and relationships being challenged especially those between elderly parents and adult children

· The conflict between Stella and Margie is indicative of the conflict between generations of women today, the expectations of the older generation versus the desires of the younger generation

· The reality of ageing for women and the resultant feeling of invisibility as women age, a powerful and rarely discussed issue

· The vulnerability that women can experience in various aspects of their life, in marriage, in childbearing and in their career

· The importance of family, with all its twists and turns, the joys and the worries that family bring is explored throughout the novel

Glenna Thomson lives on a cattle property in north-east Victoria and vividly portrays her experiences on the farm, and in her extensive garden, in her writing. Before moving to the country she developed a career in overseas aid and business. Stella and Margie is her second novel.

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