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Exuberance
(Republished as paperback in 2023 with a new cover different from the one shown here)
“A poignant story about living with a mental health condition, offering insight and hope.” Says Anne Buist, co-author of bestseller The Glass House & Chair of Women’s Health, University of Melbourne.
As Sydney gears up for the 2000 Olympics, Angelica Fletcher is ready to rewrite her life. Bored with her conventional existence, she conjures up a feisty alter ego, Elena. But as Elena grows beyond Angie’s control, the line between reality and imagination blurs, sending shockwaves through those around her.
Angie’s husband, Jimmy, scrambles to keep up with her boundless exuberance. Her friend Sinéad is drawn to her spark, unaware of the darkness beneath. And for her mother, Norah, Angie’s wild antics stir up long-buried ghosts. Even Tiger, Jimmy’s estranged friend, is swept up in the mayhem.
Angie is making the most of her borrowed life, but how long can this last before she discovers who Elena really is? With intelligence and sensitivity, this award-winning novel explores the far-reaching effects of mental illness, the transformative power of healing, and the need for balance and authenticity in our lives.
“A poignant story about living with a mental health condition, offering insight and hope.” Says Anne Buist, co-author of bestseller The Glass House & Chair of Women’s Health, University of Melbourne.
As Sydney gears up for the 2000 Olympics, Angelica Fletcher is ready to rewrite her life. Bored with her conventional existence, she conjures up a feisty alter ego, Elena. But as Elena grows beyond Angie’s control, the line between reality and imagination blurs, sending shockwaves through those around her.
Angie’s husband, Jimmy, scrambles to keep up with her boundless exuberance. Her friend Sinéad is drawn to her spark, unaware of the darkness beneath. And for her mother, Norah, Angie’s wild antics stir up long-buried ghosts. Even Tiger, Jimmy’s estranged friend, is swept up in the mayhem.
Angie is making the most of her borrowed life, but how long can this last before she discovers who Elena really is? With intelligence and sensitivity, this award-winning novel explores the far-reaching effects of mental illness, the transformative power of healing, and the need for balance and authenticity in our lives.
247 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2013
2 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Bel Vidal
2 books7 followersBel Vidal is the pen name of a Bolivian-Australian writer who since 1988 has called Sydney home.
Her works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry have been widely published both in English and Spanish, under her pen name, her real name and other pseudonyms.
Soon after arriving in Sydney, she was the recipient of an Australia Council (now Creative Australia) grant to publish a bilingual collection of poems and short stories, Arcoiris de Sueños / Rainbow of Dreams.
An earlier draft of her novel Exuberance was short-listed for the Varuna-Harper Collins award for manuscript development, and was awarded the five-day Varuna Awards Residential Masterclass. It was independently published in 2023, followed by her collection short fiction and non-fiction stories, Tales of Suburban Castaways in 2024.
Bel has a BA in Communications, Majoring in Creative Writing (UTS) and a Masters in writing for the Media (Macquarie University).
She works in the not-for-profict sector as a communications and media professional, using her writing skills towards advocating for positive social change.
Bel is also a mental health advocate, book lover, film buff, bush walking enthusiast, keen photographer / designer, adventurous traveller, blogger and firm believer it's never too late to start something new.
Her works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry have been widely published both in English and Spanish, under her pen name, her real name and other pseudonyms.
Soon after arriving in Sydney, she was the recipient of an Australia Council (now Creative Australia) grant to publish a bilingual collection of poems and short stories, Arcoiris de Sueños / Rainbow of Dreams.
An earlier draft of her novel Exuberance was short-listed for the Varuna-Harper Collins award for manuscript development, and was awarded the five-day Varuna Awards Residential Masterclass. It was independently published in 2023, followed by her collection short fiction and non-fiction stories, Tales of Suburban Castaways in 2024.
Bel has a BA in Communications, Majoring in Creative Writing (UTS) and a Masters in writing for the Media (Macquarie University).
She works in the not-for-profict sector as a communications and media professional, using her writing skills towards advocating for positive social change.
Bel is also a mental health advocate, book lover, film buff, bush walking enthusiast, keen photographer / designer, adventurous traveller, blogger and firm believer it's never too late to start something new.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 15, 2013
This book offers a fascinating insight into bipolar mood disorder and how it affects not just Angie, but everyone whose life is touched and changed by the sudden manifestation of Angie's illness. It offers a perspective from every character's point of view, delving into their own stories to explain why each of them acts and reacts the way they do. At the same time, it tells an entertaining, uplifting tale with plenty of twists.
December 23, 2025
Set against Sydney's 2000 Olympics, this novel gripped me from the start.
When Angie Fletcher creates a bold alter ego to escape her mundane life, things quickly spiral beyond her control, sending shockwaves through everyone around her.
Vidal writes with striking sensitivity, showing how Angie's unraveling devastates her bewildered husband Jimmy, unsuspecting friend Sinéad, haunted mother Norah, and others caught in the chaos. Each relationship feels achingly real.
What impressed me most was the nuanced handling of mental health. Vidal illuminates bipolar disorder without melodrama, balancing genuine humor and warmth against the darkness. There's real heart here—compassion for the trauma mental illness inflicts on entire families struggling to recalibrate. Some aspects were too close to my heart, so I had to put book down a few times. But I picked it up again and again.
This novel just tell one woman's story—it challenges us toward greater empathy and understanding. Essential reading for our current times. We need to embrace the Angies of this world rather than stigmatize them.
When Angie Fletcher creates a bold alter ego to escape her mundane life, things quickly spiral beyond her control, sending shockwaves through everyone around her.
Vidal writes with striking sensitivity, showing how Angie's unraveling devastates her bewildered husband Jimmy, unsuspecting friend Sinéad, haunted mother Norah, and others caught in the chaos. Each relationship feels achingly real.
What impressed me most was the nuanced handling of mental health. Vidal illuminates bipolar disorder without melodrama, balancing genuine humor and warmth against the darkness. There's real heart here—compassion for the trauma mental illness inflicts on entire families struggling to recalibrate. Some aspects were too close to my heart, so I had to put book down a few times. But I picked it up again and again.
This novel just tell one woman's story—it challenges us toward greater empathy and understanding. Essential reading for our current times. We need to embrace the Angies of this world rather than stigmatize them.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews