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'Sincere, heartfelt and laugh-out-loud...genuinely delightful...'

- The Australian

'Warm, life-affirming and endearing...'

- Better Reading

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Cover illustration of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife
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Available now

Australia / New Zealand

PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUSTRALIA

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

“Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I’ll take excellent care of it.”

 

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is, at age eighty-two, there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from, and he's broke and on the brink of eviction. But Fred’s luck changes when he's mistaken for Bernard Greer, a missing resident at the local nursing home, and takes his place. Now Fred has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head – as long as his look-alike Bernard never turns up. 

Denise Simms is stuck breathing the same disappointing air again and again. A middle-aged mum and caregiver at Bernard's facility, her crumbling marriage and daughter's health concerns are suffocating her joy for life. Wounded by her two-faced husband, she vows never to let a man deceive her again.

As Fred walks in Bernard’s shoes, he leaves a trail of kindness behind him, fueling Denise's suspicions about his true identity. When unexpected truths are revealed, Fred and Denise rediscover their sense of purpose and learn how to return a broken life to mint condition. 

 

Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife is a hilarious, feel-good, clever novel about grief, forgiveness, redemption, and finding family.

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Coming Soon...

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 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, soufflés, and second chances collide, they may discover a recipe for forgiveness.

A sharply funny, heart-stirring novel about food, family, and how far we’d go for those we love.

Australian Cover, US cover coming soon!


Coming 2026

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When Lemons Give You Life

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'What a glorious story it is – I absolutely loved it! Anna has created a wonderfully diverse cast of funny, flawed, and completely relatable characters. It was an absolute joy to follow Fred on his poignant, hilarious and at times precarious journey.' 

Ruth Hogan

AUTHOR OF

THE KEEPER OF LOST THINGS

Praise & Reviews for Frederick Fife

'A funny, heartfelt story about found family and seeing the silver lining in life. Fans of A Man Called Ove and Remarkably Bright Creatures will especially enjoy this new novel.' 

Library Journal

'Johnston crafts a poignant tale of second chances and the lies we tell…. This touching narrative explores themes of community, family, and the redemptive power of new beginnings, illustrating the impact of past choices and the potential for personal transformation.'

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About Anna

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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. Anna has enjoyed a lifelong passion for theatre, screenplay, travel, and creative writing.

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CONTACT

Get in touch

Anna is represented by

Pippa Masson at Curtis Brown Australia.

pippa@curtisbrown.com.au

© 2024 by Anna Johnston

Images © Penguin Random House Australia and Angelica James Photography

I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which I live, work and play, paying respect to their elders and storytellers, past, present and emerging.

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