What do you think?
Rate this book
Becoming Beth
Beth has forgotten the core truth of her own life. In a cruel move, her dead mother is about to remind her. A wise and ultimately warm-hearted story about self-discovery, family and community for fans of Tricia Stringer and Liz Byrski.
Since adolescence, 58-year-old Beth has lived her life with blinkers on, repressing the memory of a teenage trauma. Her mother, Marian, took control of that situation, and of all else in their family life—and as much as she could in the small town of Miner's Ridge as well.
Now Marian is dead, and Beth, unemployed and in the middle of a humiliating divorce, is living with her gentle-hearted father in the family home. Beth feels obliged to take over her mother's involvement in the local town hall committee, which becomes a source of new friendships, old friendships renewed, and a considerable amount of aggravation.
Researching town hall history, Beth finds photographs that show Marian in a surprising light; sorting through Marian's belongings, she realises that her mother has left a trail of landmines, cruel revelations that knock the feet out from under her supposed nearest and dearest. Beth struggles to emerge from the ensuing emotional chaos ... in middle age, can she really start anew?
A deeply felt, acutely observed novel about mothers and children, about what people hide from themselves and each other, about the richness and difficulties of community, and about becoming your own person.
Since adolescence, 58-year-old Beth has lived her life with blinkers on, repressing the memory of a teenage trauma. Her mother, Marian, took control of that situation, and of all else in their family life—and as much as she could in the small town of Miner's Ridge as well.
Now Marian is dead, and Beth, unemployed and in the middle of a humiliating divorce, is living with her gentle-hearted father in the family home. Beth feels obliged to take over her mother's involvement in the local town hall committee, which becomes a source of new friendships, old friendships renewed, and a considerable amount of aggravation.
Researching town hall history, Beth finds photographs that show Marian in a surprising light; sorting through Marian's belongings, she realises that her mother has left a trail of landmines, cruel revelations that knock the feet out from under her supposed nearest and dearest. Beth struggles to emerge from the ensuing emotional chaos ... in middle age, can she really start anew?
A deeply felt, acutely observed novel about mothers and children, about what people hide from themselves and each other, about the richness and difficulties of community, and about becoming your own person.
- GenresContemporaryFiction
Audible Audio
Published February 1, 2023
12 people are currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
Meredith Appleyard
10 books121 followersMeredith Appleyard lives in the Clare Valley wine-growing region of South Australia, two hours north of Adelaide. As a registered nurse and midwife, she has worked in a wide range of country health practice settings, including the Royal Flying Doctor Service. She has done agency nursing in London and volunteer work in Vietnam. After her first manuscript was rejected, she joined a writers' group, attended workshops and successfully completed an Advanced Diploma of Arts in Professional Writing with the Adelaide College of the Arts. And she kept working. When she isn't writing, Meredith is reading, helping organise the annual Clare Writers' Festival, or at home with her husband and her border collie, Daisy. The Country Practice is her first novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
September 22, 2022
EXCERPT: My laptop sat on the kitchen table where I'd left it. I eyed it with apprehension. How should I respond to Andrew's email? You'd think in the five hours I'd tossed and turned in bed thinking about it, I would have come up with something. But no, I still hadn't moved past the bit about Andrew casting me adrift in favour of a man called Rodney.
How had I missed that about my husband? The person I'd shared a home and a bed with for fifteen years. Was I stupid or what? Had there been subtle hints along the way that had slipped right by me? Obviously. Blind and clueless, that was me.
What was even worse was when I'd discovered that a few of our friends, who were also work colleagues, had worked it out. It also explained why, towards the end, I'd sometimes catch them watching me with a strange mix of compassion and bemusement. Stupid, clueless Beth.
Tears burned at the back of my throat. I sniffed, loud and unladylike. Would the shame ever go away? Thank God I'd had Mum and Dad and Miners Ridge to retreat to.
ABOUT 'BECOMING BETH': Since adolescence, 58-year-old Beth has lived her life with blinkers on, repressing the memory of a teenage trauma. Her mother, Marian, took control of that situation, and of all else in their family life - and as much as she could in the small town of Miner's Ridge as well.
Now Marian is dead, and Beth, unemployed and in the middle of a humiliating divorce, is living with her gentle-hearted father in the family home. Beth feels obliged to take over her mother's involvement in the local town hall committee, which becomes a source of new friendships, old friendships renewed, and a considerable amount of aggravation.
Researching town hall history, Beth finds photographs that show Marian in a surprising light; sorting through Marian's belongings, she realises that her mother has left a trail of landmines, cruel revelations that knock the feet out from under her supposed nearest and dearest. Beth struggles to emerge from the ensuing emotional chaos ... in middle age, can she really start anew?
MY THOUGHTS: I'm always excited by the appearance of a new Meredith Appleyard novel, and Becoming Beth doesn't disappoint.
'Life is difficult and full of challenges. We end up doing some things for all the wrong reasons. We make mistakes. The trick is to learn from them and move on. Forgive others and forgive yourself.'
Becoming Beth is an emotional and, at times, heartbreaking story of a woman in emotional turmoil following the breakdown of her marriage and the death of her mother.
Beth's relationship with her mother had never been an easy one. Beth feels like she has never measured up to her mother's expectations, and now Marian has died, still disappointed in her daughter.
Beth has carried around her secret for all her life. She has never shared it with anyone, not even Andrew. As far as she is aware that secret was kept between herself, her mother and her mother's sister. Now, nearing sixty, her life in freefall, Beth is discovering that her mother wasn't the woman she'd always thought her to be.
Is this just another burden for Beth to bear? Or will it finally set her free to find her own place in life?
I loved this story of an older woman's 'coming of age'. This is a story of family secrets, set in a small South Australian town. It's also a story of kindness and friendship and community spirit. Meredith Appleyard excels at this genre, and I read this in a day, invested in Beth's dilemma.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.1
I: #meredithappleyard @harlequinaus
T: #MeredithAppleyard @HarlequinAUS
#australianfiction #contemporaryfiction #familydrama #romance #sliceoflife
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I was born and raised in a farming community in the Murray Mallee region of rural South Australia, and my heart will always be in the country, and when I’m not physically there, I yearn to return. These days home is the Clare Valley wine-growing region in South Australia.
Before following my dream to become a writer, a career as a registered nurse gave me the opportunity to experience many country health practice settings – lots of ideas and inspiration!
My ongoing fascination with the complexities of small country communities, the characters I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had, are all reflected in the novels I’ve written, and the ones I’m planning.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ and MIRA via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of All About Ella by Meredith Appleyard for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
How had I missed that about my husband? The person I'd shared a home and a bed with for fifteen years. Was I stupid or what? Had there been subtle hints along the way that had slipped right by me? Obviously. Blind and clueless, that was me.
What was even worse was when I'd discovered that a few of our friends, who were also work colleagues, had worked it out. It also explained why, towards the end, I'd sometimes catch them watching me with a strange mix of compassion and bemusement. Stupid, clueless Beth.
Tears burned at the back of my throat. I sniffed, loud and unladylike. Would the shame ever go away? Thank God I'd had Mum and Dad and Miners Ridge to retreat to.
ABOUT 'BECOMING BETH': Since adolescence, 58-year-old Beth has lived her life with blinkers on, repressing the memory of a teenage trauma. Her mother, Marian, took control of that situation, and of all else in their family life - and as much as she could in the small town of Miner's Ridge as well.
Now Marian is dead, and Beth, unemployed and in the middle of a humiliating divorce, is living with her gentle-hearted father in the family home. Beth feels obliged to take over her mother's involvement in the local town hall committee, which becomes a source of new friendships, old friendships renewed, and a considerable amount of aggravation.
Researching town hall history, Beth finds photographs that show Marian in a surprising light; sorting through Marian's belongings, she realises that her mother has left a trail of landmines, cruel revelations that knock the feet out from under her supposed nearest and dearest. Beth struggles to emerge from the ensuing emotional chaos ... in middle age, can she really start anew?
MY THOUGHTS: I'm always excited by the appearance of a new Meredith Appleyard novel, and Becoming Beth doesn't disappoint.
'Life is difficult and full of challenges. We end up doing some things for all the wrong reasons. We make mistakes. The trick is to learn from them and move on. Forgive others and forgive yourself.'
Becoming Beth is an emotional and, at times, heartbreaking story of a woman in emotional turmoil following the breakdown of her marriage and the death of her mother.
Beth's relationship with her mother had never been an easy one. Beth feels like she has never measured up to her mother's expectations, and now Marian has died, still disappointed in her daughter.
Beth has carried around her secret for all her life. She has never shared it with anyone, not even Andrew. As far as she is aware that secret was kept between herself, her mother and her mother's sister. Now, nearing sixty, her life in freefall, Beth is discovering that her mother wasn't the woman she'd always thought her to be.
Is this just another burden for Beth to bear? Or will it finally set her free to find her own place in life?
I loved this story of an older woman's 'coming of age'. This is a story of family secrets, set in a small South Australian town. It's also a story of kindness and friendship and community spirit. Meredith Appleyard excels at this genre, and I read this in a day, invested in Beth's dilemma.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.1
I: #meredithappleyard @harlequinaus
T: #MeredithAppleyard @HarlequinAUS
#australianfiction #contemporaryfiction #familydrama #romance #sliceoflife
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I was born and raised in a farming community in the Murray Mallee region of rural South Australia, and my heart will always be in the country, and when I’m not physically there, I yearn to return. These days home is the Clare Valley wine-growing region in South Australia.
Before following my dream to become a writer, a career as a registered nurse gave me the opportunity to experience many country health practice settings – lots of ideas and inspiration!
My ongoing fascination with the complexities of small country communities, the characters I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had, are all reflected in the novels I’ve written, and the ones I’m planning.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harlequin Australia, HQ and MIRA via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of All About Ella by Meredith Appleyard for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
September 8, 2022
Beth returns home to Miners Ridge when her husband informs her he’s met someone else, around the same time her mum Marian suffers a series of strokes, and she stays to help her dad Alan look after her mum. Sadly Marian passes away, Beth remains living with her dad, and he’s in his eighties and needs her support. At fifty-eight Beth has lost her mother, husband, house, job and confidence.
Marian was a member of the town hall committee, Beth decides to attend the meetings in her place and see if she can help. Like most country towns, the hall was the venue for school concerts, Christmas parties and wedding receptions. Unfortunately the hall isn’t used as much as it once was, it needs major repairs and the roof is leaking. Beth knows some of the members of the committee, others are new people to the area and it’s a real mixed group of personalities. Everybody has ideas of what needs to be done to bring the hall back to it’s former glory and how to raise the money, and they don’t always agree and the meetings can get rather tense. Beth becomes friends and is reacquainted with members, Mrs. Shirley Schubert, the new hairdresser in town Lucy Colac and the school principal Mr. Ashton Tiller.
With her father’s permission, Beth starts going through her mother’s possessions, she’s looking for information about the history of the town hall, she’s shocked when she discovers her mother has been keeping secrets, and it triggers memories of a really traumatic time in Beth’s life.
I received a copy of Becoming Beth from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I always enjoy reading Meredith Appleyards’s books, she has the gift of making you care about the characters in the narrative and I certainly felt this way about Beth.
The story revolves around the main character Beth, her complicated relationships, the outcome of her mother making poor decisions and how it effects her loved ones years later, regret, and how important it is do deal with the pain of the past. Beth learns a lot about herself in the process, she changes her mind set and is open to the possibilities of what the future holds for her. Five stars from me, I love stories set in small country towns, and this one is a real beauty.
Marian was a member of the town hall committee, Beth decides to attend the meetings in her place and see if she can help. Like most country towns, the hall was the venue for school concerts, Christmas parties and wedding receptions. Unfortunately the hall isn’t used as much as it once was, it needs major repairs and the roof is leaking. Beth knows some of the members of the committee, others are new people to the area and it’s a real mixed group of personalities. Everybody has ideas of what needs to be done to bring the hall back to it’s former glory and how to raise the money, and they don’t always agree and the meetings can get rather tense. Beth becomes friends and is reacquainted with members, Mrs. Shirley Schubert, the new hairdresser in town Lucy Colac and the school principal Mr. Ashton Tiller.
With her father’s permission, Beth starts going through her mother’s possessions, she’s looking for information about the history of the town hall, she’s shocked when she discovers her mother has been keeping secrets, and it triggers memories of a really traumatic time in Beth’s life.
I received a copy of Becoming Beth from NetGalley and Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review. I always enjoy reading Meredith Appleyards’s books, she has the gift of making you care about the characters in the narrative and I certainly felt this way about Beth.
The story revolves around the main character Beth, her complicated relationships, the outcome of her mother making poor decisions and how it effects her loved ones years later, regret, and how important it is do deal with the pain of the past. Beth learns a lot about herself in the process, she changes her mind set and is open to the possibilities of what the future holds for her. Five stars from me, I love stories set in small country towns, and this one is a real beauty.
September 8, 2022
When Beth arrived home to the small town of Miner's Ridge after her marriage imploded, she was distraught. She stayed with her elderly mother and father, both in their eighties, but when her mother, Marian, suffered a stroke, Beth and her dad cared for her until she died. The two events coming close together saw Beth at a crossroad - having quit her job in Adelaide when she left, there was no job, no marriage and no mother. She loved her gentle natured dad and was happy to live in the old home, making sure he was alright, as he pottered around his vegetable garden, which he loved.
When Beth half-heartedly joined the town hall committee, following in her mother's footsteps wasn't her thoughts at all. But gradually she became friendly with the local women and it wasn't too long before she felt at home. She assisted the elderly Shirley when she broke her wrist, supported Lucy who was a struggling hairdresser, and helped with the fundraising to put a new roof on the town hall. But Beth had secrets that she'd hidden for over forty years and they were a burden. She couldn't find her way out of the mire she was in - had no idea where her life was going...
Becoming Beth by Aussie author Meredith Appleyard is a heartwarming, but heartbreaking story of emotional struggles, of aging without a compass and with finding oneself amid what life throws at you. Most of the main characters were in their late fifties and early sixties and I was immersed in the turmoil that was worked through. Set near the beautiful South Australian wine region not far from Clare, the journey through what is fairly familiar country was satisfying. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
When Beth half-heartedly joined the town hall committee, following in her mother's footsteps wasn't her thoughts at all. But gradually she became friendly with the local women and it wasn't too long before she felt at home. She assisted the elderly Shirley when she broke her wrist, supported Lucy who was a struggling hairdresser, and helped with the fundraising to put a new roof on the town hall. But Beth had secrets that she'd hidden for over forty years and they were a burden. She couldn't find her way out of the mire she was in - had no idea where her life was going...
Becoming Beth by Aussie author Meredith Appleyard is a heartwarming, but heartbreaking story of emotional struggles, of aging without a compass and with finding oneself amid what life throws at you. Most of the main characters were in their late fifties and early sixties and I was immersed in the turmoil that was worked through. Set near the beautiful South Australian wine region not far from Clare, the journey through what is fairly familiar country was satisfying. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
December 20, 2023
This is another fabulous story from Aussies author Meredith Appleyard, her characters are so very easy to like and she opens so many emotions this one is heart-felt and heartwarming, when fifty eight year old Beth arrives home to the small town of Miner’s Ridge after her marriage of fifteen years falls apart dreadfully her life changes so much when her mother has a stoke and Beth finds herself with the help of her father caring for the mother she never had a close relationship with.
Her mother dies soon after and Beth is left thinking about her past and all of the things that happened when she was a very young sixteen year old but she is determined to move forward and takes on her mother’s role on the committee for the local town hall she forms new friendships and renewed others, but she is still not settling into her new life really well.
While researching the history of the town hall Beth discovers secrets that her mother has kept and her own past life is haunting her, is it time to look back at what happened or should she let the past stay in the past and will she ever find the happiness that she does deserve?
This is a lovely story that I highly recommend, it is moving and emotional I thought Beth was wonderful she had been through so much and there are some fabulous characters in this one, one not to be missed.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
Her mother dies soon after and Beth is left thinking about her past and all of the things that happened when she was a very young sixteen year old but she is determined to move forward and takes on her mother’s role on the committee for the local town hall she forms new friendships and renewed others, but she is still not settling into her new life really well.
While researching the history of the town hall Beth discovers secrets that her mother has kept and her own past life is haunting her, is it time to look back at what happened or should she let the past stay in the past and will she ever find the happiness that she does deserve?
This is a lovely story that I highly recommend, it is moving and emotional I thought Beth was wonderful she had been through so much and there are some fabulous characters in this one, one not to be missed.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
December 28, 2025
”I didn't have a clue where to begin to pick up the pieces and move on with my life.”
Is there a magic age in adulthood by which time you should have it all figured out? Be settled. Feel content. Know that you are exactly where you planned to be. Or is life just a series of events where we stumble from one day to the next, one month to the next, year after year.
What I love about Meredith Appleyard’s writing is the authenticity of it. She writes about real life and real women. There’s no sugar coating where the protagonist suddenly turns her life around and is a “new” woman by the end of the book. Life usually has other plans, and that makes reading her books even more enjoyable.
”If you ask me, life doesn't stop throwing up surprises, big and small, good and bad.”
After her marriage falls apart under very difficult circumstances, our protagonist Beth leaves behind her job and city life in Adelaide to start again.
She didn't expect that at the age of 58 she'd have no-one to turn to but to her parents. Returning to her childhood home in Miner’s Ridge, to add to her already precarious emotional state, Beth's mother passes away within six weeks of her arrival.
This story deals with the guilt of grief, the sometimes difficult relationships between mothers and daughters, between siblings, and the pain of secrets.
”What's done is done. Don't let the past warp your future.”
As Beth slowly builds a routine to her daily life by joining the committee her Mum had previously sat on to save the local town hall, we get a glimpse into her high school years, and an event that had a huge bearing on her adulthood.
Meeting old school mates now also forty years older with their own emotional scars and disappointments, this is an honest look at ageing. And that it's not necessarily true you ever have it all figured out, but that you can always try again to have a fresh start.
The book ended with a bunch of "Bookclub Questions” which was interesting, as they also brought to mind some facets of the story I hadn't considered.
This really was a wonderful book to end my reading year with.
”You think you have all the time in the world to right wrongs, and then suddenly you don't.”
Is there a magic age in adulthood by which time you should have it all figured out? Be settled. Feel content. Know that you are exactly where you planned to be. Or is life just a series of events where we stumble from one day to the next, one month to the next, year after year.
What I love about Meredith Appleyard’s writing is the authenticity of it. She writes about real life and real women. There’s no sugar coating where the protagonist suddenly turns her life around and is a “new” woman by the end of the book. Life usually has other plans, and that makes reading her books even more enjoyable.
”If you ask me, life doesn't stop throwing up surprises, big and small, good and bad.”
After her marriage falls apart under very difficult circumstances, our protagonist Beth leaves behind her job and city life in Adelaide to start again.
She didn't expect that at the age of 58 she'd have no-one to turn to but to her parents. Returning to her childhood home in Miner’s Ridge, to add to her already precarious emotional state, Beth's mother passes away within six weeks of her arrival.
This story deals with the guilt of grief, the sometimes difficult relationships between mothers and daughters, between siblings, and the pain of secrets.
”What's done is done. Don't let the past warp your future.”
As Beth slowly builds a routine to her daily life by joining the committee her Mum had previously sat on to save the local town hall, we get a glimpse into her high school years, and an event that had a huge bearing on her adulthood.
Meeting old school mates now also forty years older with their own emotional scars and disappointments, this is an honest look at ageing. And that it's not necessarily true you ever have it all figured out, but that you can always try again to have a fresh start.
The book ended with a bunch of "Bookclub Questions” which was interesting, as they also brought to mind some facets of the story I hadn't considered.
This really was a wonderful book to end my reading year with.
”You think you have all the time in the world to right wrongs, and then suddenly you don't.”
August 24, 2022
4 and a half stars
58 year old Beth has repressed her memories of what happened when she was sixteen. Back then, her mother Marian took control of the situation, just the same way she organised her life, and that of her family. Marian also sat on and organised many committees in the South Australian town of Miner’s Ridge. When her mother needs care, Beth moved back to Miner’s Ridge to help her father care for her mother, even though Beth and her mother never got along. Nothing Beth did was ever good enough, it seemed. After Marian’s death and the break up of her fifteen year marriage, Beth is left to reflect on her life and what she wants to do next. She takes over some roles on committees and learn several people did not like her mother. While looking for some documents for the local town hall committee, Beth finds some photographs that raise interesting questions. What does the future hold for Beth?
This is a story of community, family, secrets and friendship. Although it took me a while to read this is nothing detrimental about the book. The story is a great read. It was sadly the circumstances of life took up too much time and attention when I would have liked to keep reading. Thanks to Better Reading and HQ fiction for my ARC I won to read and review. Very glad to have read it.
I really liked Beth, her father Alan, Heather, Beth’s aunt and Marian’s sister, plus Shirley, Lucy, Sarah and a couple of other community members, especially Ash. And yes, there is some romantic interest emerges over the course of the story. But will it go anywhere? Beth is faced with some big decisions that affect her future. Setting as well as characters are fleshed out and believable.
This book maintained my interest throughout. A really enjoyable Aussie read that covers some issues all of us will face at some stage in life. A pleasure to read and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if some of these characters appear in another book. It also included book club questions for those so inclined.
58 year old Beth has repressed her memories of what happened when she was sixteen. Back then, her mother Marian took control of the situation, just the same way she organised her life, and that of her family. Marian also sat on and organised many committees in the South Australian town of Miner’s Ridge. When her mother needs care, Beth moved back to Miner’s Ridge to help her father care for her mother, even though Beth and her mother never got along. Nothing Beth did was ever good enough, it seemed. After Marian’s death and the break up of her fifteen year marriage, Beth is left to reflect on her life and what she wants to do next. She takes over some roles on committees and learn several people did not like her mother. While looking for some documents for the local town hall committee, Beth finds some photographs that raise interesting questions. What does the future hold for Beth?
This is a story of community, family, secrets and friendship. Although it took me a while to read this is nothing detrimental about the book. The story is a great read. It was sadly the circumstances of life took up too much time and attention when I would have liked to keep reading. Thanks to Better Reading and HQ fiction for my ARC I won to read and review. Very glad to have read it.
I really liked Beth, her father Alan, Heather, Beth’s aunt and Marian’s sister, plus Shirley, Lucy, Sarah and a couple of other community members, especially Ash. And yes, there is some romantic interest emerges over the course of the story. But will it go anywhere? Beth is faced with some big decisions that affect her future. Setting as well as characters are fleshed out and believable.
This book maintained my interest throughout. A really enjoyable Aussie read that covers some issues all of us will face at some stage in life. A pleasure to read and I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if some of these characters appear in another book. It also included book club questions for those so inclined.
July 14, 2025
*https://www.instagram.com/mrsb_book_r...
Meredith Appleyard, known for her empathetic exploration of life in small rural communities, turns her sensitive pen towards personal reinvention in her 2022 novel Becoming Beth. With nine titles to her name, Appleyard continues to write with genuine feeling, tenderness and insight drawn from her own wealth of experience.
In Becoming Beth, we follow the titular character through a turbulent period in her life. Beth is recovering from a painful marriage breakdown. This coincided with the illness, care and recent loss of her mother. She is also confronting long-buried trauma from her youth. These layers of grief, identity and memory intersect with the social fabric of a little country town where gossip and grudges run deep. In particular Appleyard’s novel delves into the world of local committees, where we see a plethora of individual personalities and power plays taking place. Becoming Beth considers themes of intuition and truth-telling alongside personal pain and self awareness.
Becoming Beth looks closely at a complex mother-daughter relationship and the fallout of secrets kept for protection and reputation. Appleyard also shines a light on the realities of starting over later in life, particularly for women. This novel attacks further issues on relationships, by considering carefully how old, new, broken, or rekindled connections can help us move forward in life.
I read Becoming Beth as a buddy audiobook experience and while I appreciated the poignant themes and emotional approach, I struggled with aspects of this story. The audiobook narrator's tone and delivery detracted from fully appreciating this one. Unfortunately, I also found the main character Beth difficult to connect with. Many of the side characters felt grating, particularly the dramatic Shirley. It was only Beth’s gentle father who offered a truly likable anchor in the cast set.
While this novel wasn’t a standout for me among Appleyard’s collection, I still admire the author’s willingness to tackle difficult emotional terrain and her deep understanding of life for those in their latter years looking on at their experiences. Thank you again to my regular buddy read pal @bmichie31 thank goodness we did this one together, you gave me the solidarity and strength to read this one! ⭐️⭐️⭐️3 stars.
Meredith Appleyard, known for her empathetic exploration of life in small rural communities, turns her sensitive pen towards personal reinvention in her 2022 novel Becoming Beth. With nine titles to her name, Appleyard continues to write with genuine feeling, tenderness and insight drawn from her own wealth of experience.
In Becoming Beth, we follow the titular character through a turbulent period in her life. Beth is recovering from a painful marriage breakdown. This coincided with the illness, care and recent loss of her mother. She is also confronting long-buried trauma from her youth. These layers of grief, identity and memory intersect with the social fabric of a little country town where gossip and grudges run deep. In particular Appleyard’s novel delves into the world of local committees, where we see a plethora of individual personalities and power plays taking place. Becoming Beth considers themes of intuition and truth-telling alongside personal pain and self awareness.
Becoming Beth looks closely at a complex mother-daughter relationship and the fallout of secrets kept for protection and reputation. Appleyard also shines a light on the realities of starting over later in life, particularly for women. This novel attacks further issues on relationships, by considering carefully how old, new, broken, or rekindled connections can help us move forward in life.
I read Becoming Beth as a buddy audiobook experience and while I appreciated the poignant themes and emotional approach, I struggled with aspects of this story. The audiobook narrator's tone and delivery detracted from fully appreciating this one. Unfortunately, I also found the main character Beth difficult to connect with. Many of the side characters felt grating, particularly the dramatic Shirley. It was only Beth’s gentle father who offered a truly likable anchor in the cast set.
While this novel wasn’t a standout for me among Appleyard’s collection, I still admire the author’s willingness to tackle difficult emotional terrain and her deep understanding of life for those in their latter years looking on at their experiences. Thank you again to my regular buddy read pal @bmichie31 thank goodness we did this one together, you gave me the solidarity and strength to read this one! ⭐️⭐️⭐️3 stars.
December 31, 2022
https://theburgeoningbookshelf.blogsp...
Becoming Beth is a story about finding yourself after major life upheavals and moving on.
Beth is in her 50's and back at her childhood home after an unexpected marriage breakdown. She has left her job and needs time to mourn not only her marriage but also decades of old hurt and the loss of her mother after a severe stroke.
I loved that Meredith has given her readers an older character having to start over in life. Beth is living with her elderly father however he is not frail and is quite able to care for himself and Meredith Appleyard touches on the stigma of mature children living at home with their parents unless they are a carer.
Becoming Beth is set during the pandemic with mentions of lockdowns, social distancing and disinfectant spray. These were all a part of our lives for so long and I liked that it was included in the novel rather than setting it during a previous year. I think I am now ready to read books with covid restrictions affecting families with parents dying, no visitors, no funeral. I couldn't have done that a year ago.
In Becoming Beth Meredith Appleyard highlights problems faced by small country towns with fundraising to maintain community halls. I loved how the townsfolk all worked together and helped each other. The whole book had a lovely community feel with people of all ages working together for the good of the community.
Meredith Appleyard portrays the heat of an Australian summer with ease. I breezed through this book, it was such an immersive story with just the right amount of drama and a couple of mysteries running through it.
The only thing I would have liked a bit more of was the romance element.
* This review is from the Beauty & Lace book club
Becoming Beth is a story about finding yourself after major life upheavals and moving on.
Beth is in her 50's and back at her childhood home after an unexpected marriage breakdown. She has left her job and needs time to mourn not only her marriage but also decades of old hurt and the loss of her mother after a severe stroke.
I loved that Meredith has given her readers an older character having to start over in life. Beth is living with her elderly father however he is not frail and is quite able to care for himself and Meredith Appleyard touches on the stigma of mature children living at home with their parents unless they are a carer.
Becoming Beth is set during the pandemic with mentions of lockdowns, social distancing and disinfectant spray. These were all a part of our lives for so long and I liked that it was included in the novel rather than setting it during a previous year. I think I am now ready to read books with covid restrictions affecting families with parents dying, no visitors, no funeral. I couldn't have done that a year ago.
In Becoming Beth Meredith Appleyard highlights problems faced by small country towns with fundraising to maintain community halls. I loved how the townsfolk all worked together and helped each other. The whole book had a lovely community feel with people of all ages working together for the good of the community.
Meredith Appleyard portrays the heat of an Australian summer with ease. I breezed through this book, it was such an immersive story with just the right amount of drama and a couple of mysteries running through it.
The only thing I would have liked a bit more of was the romance element.
* This review is from the Beauty & Lace book club
September 29, 2022
“Rudderless, I drifted through the days. There was no other way to describe it. Reflecting on the past was something I’d always meticulously avoided, and I couldn’t conjure any energy to contemplate the future.”
Becoming Beth is the seventh novel by Australian author, Meredith Appleyard. In the late autumn of 2020, Beth Harkness has been back in her rural South Australian hometown of Miners Ridge for some months. Her return was prompted by the split with her husband of fifteen years, but it put her in place to help out when her mother had a stroke.
Some six weeks after Marian Harkness has died, Beth is looking out for her beloved but very independent dad, Alan, and filling a vacant spot on the town hall committee, just to keep herself busy and useful. When her husband left her for a younger man, she quit her job and has not seriously looked for anything else. Instead she’s helping out a widow on the committee with transport and chores. Beth finds Shirley Schubert a lot easier to talk to than her mother ever was.
Her relationship with Marian was always fraught, and Beth has been avoiding sorting out her mother’s things. When she eventually begins, she learns that while her mother was a powerhouse for attracting funding and getting things done, she wasn’t universally popular in town. Efficient, but not empathetic, as Beth well knew from her youth.
When the town hall committee needs Marian’s documents for a new roof campaign, a search of her laptop yields a timebomb: an unwelcome reminder of something she’d rather avoid. “I could bury an unpleasant experience so deep as to almost forget it’d ever happened. Unsurpassed self-deception: now that was one of my strengths.”
At the same time, Committee meetings mean encounters with someone from her past: Ashton Tiller, now a local high school teacher, is the twin brother of the boy on whom Beth had a secret crush. Ash seems to be the polar opposite of Richard, considerate and kind, and is also dealing with elderly parents and their problems. He and Beth can certainly relate, but Ash has his own emotional baggage, and a nuisance female colleague to diplomatically deter.
This is a novel that will strike a chord with readers of a certain vintage: those with ageing parents succumbing to dementia and/or physical deterioration, those caring for grandchildren, and those facing their own issues of work-life balance, unexpected redundancy and seeking employment at a mature age. Not to mention frustration with their own ageing bodies.
Appleyard’s protagonist might initially not endear herself to the reader: a bit “poor me” and sometimes a little uncharitable and judgemental, for which she soon enough admonishes herself when she learns the true situations of the objects of her criticism. But it is satisfying to see her gradually woven into the fabric of the Miners Ridge community.
We could all wish for a wise and kind father like Beth’s, though: “Beth, you have not and never could disappoint me. Life is difficult and full of challenges. We end up doing some things for all the wrong reasons. We make mistakes. The trick is to learn from them and move on. Forgive others, and forgive yourself.”
Appleyard renders her setting and era with consummate ease. Miners Ridge and its residents could be any small Australian rural town. She gives them plenty of wise words and insightful observations. And she seamlessly and realistically incorporates the COVID spectre into her tale, without allowing it to cast a pall.
The story explores the long-term damage that can be done by a parent who thrusts their own unrealised ambition and expectations onto their child, and saddles them with their disappointment at perceived failure. It also emphasises how unhealthy repressed emotions can be. A moving and thought-provoking read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Australia.
Becoming Beth is the seventh novel by Australian author, Meredith Appleyard. In the late autumn of 2020, Beth Harkness has been back in her rural South Australian hometown of Miners Ridge for some months. Her return was prompted by the split with her husband of fifteen years, but it put her in place to help out when her mother had a stroke.
Some six weeks after Marian Harkness has died, Beth is looking out for her beloved but very independent dad, Alan, and filling a vacant spot on the town hall committee, just to keep herself busy and useful. When her husband left her for a younger man, she quit her job and has not seriously looked for anything else. Instead she’s helping out a widow on the committee with transport and chores. Beth finds Shirley Schubert a lot easier to talk to than her mother ever was.
Her relationship with Marian was always fraught, and Beth has been avoiding sorting out her mother’s things. When she eventually begins, she learns that while her mother was a powerhouse for attracting funding and getting things done, she wasn’t universally popular in town. Efficient, but not empathetic, as Beth well knew from her youth.
When the town hall committee needs Marian’s documents for a new roof campaign, a search of her laptop yields a timebomb: an unwelcome reminder of something she’d rather avoid. “I could bury an unpleasant experience so deep as to almost forget it’d ever happened. Unsurpassed self-deception: now that was one of my strengths.”
At the same time, Committee meetings mean encounters with someone from her past: Ashton Tiller, now a local high school teacher, is the twin brother of the boy on whom Beth had a secret crush. Ash seems to be the polar opposite of Richard, considerate and kind, and is also dealing with elderly parents and their problems. He and Beth can certainly relate, but Ash has his own emotional baggage, and a nuisance female colleague to diplomatically deter.
This is a novel that will strike a chord with readers of a certain vintage: those with ageing parents succumbing to dementia and/or physical deterioration, those caring for grandchildren, and those facing their own issues of work-life balance, unexpected redundancy and seeking employment at a mature age. Not to mention frustration with their own ageing bodies.
Appleyard’s protagonist might initially not endear herself to the reader: a bit “poor me” and sometimes a little uncharitable and judgemental, for which she soon enough admonishes herself when she learns the true situations of the objects of her criticism. But it is satisfying to see her gradually woven into the fabric of the Miners Ridge community.
We could all wish for a wise and kind father like Beth’s, though: “Beth, you have not and never could disappoint me. Life is difficult and full of challenges. We end up doing some things for all the wrong reasons. We make mistakes. The trick is to learn from them and move on. Forgive others, and forgive yourself.”
Appleyard renders her setting and era with consummate ease. Miners Ridge and its residents could be any small Australian rural town. She gives them plenty of wise words and insightful observations. And she seamlessly and realistically incorporates the COVID spectre into her tale, without allowing it to cast a pall.
The story explores the long-term damage that can be done by a parent who thrusts their own unrealised ambition and expectations onto their child, and saddles them with their disappointment at perceived failure. It also emphasises how unhealthy repressed emotions can be. A moving and thought-provoking read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Harlequin Australia.
September 10, 2022
I love Meredith Appleyard’s books, there is something so comforting about them.
Beth has returned home to the place she grew up after her marriage fell apart, she ended up helping her father nurse her mother after she had a stroke and passed away and now she’s finding it hard to move on….especially as some secrets are being revealed.
This book has a slight melancholy feel to it but I really feel that’s just real life.
I loved the relationship Beth had with her father and all in all this book had such a great sense of time and place, it really was just like I was there listening to everyone and everything.
Some great secondary characters which really make the book.
Highly recommended and thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.
Beth has returned home to the place she grew up after her marriage fell apart, she ended up helping her father nurse her mother after she had a stroke and passed away and now she’s finding it hard to move on….especially as some secrets are being revealed.
This book has a slight melancholy feel to it but I really feel that’s just real life.
I loved the relationship Beth had with her father and all in all this book had such a great sense of time and place, it really was just like I was there listening to everyone and everything.
Some great secondary characters which really make the book.
Highly recommended and thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.
September 15, 2022
‘It had been a filthy day. Hot, even for mid-November.’
When her marriage broke down, fifty-eight-year-old Beth returned to her parents’ home in the small South Australian town of Miner’s Ridge. Shortly after her return, Beth’s mother Marian suffered a series of strokes. Beth and her father Alan nursed Marian until her death, and Beth stayed on unsure of what she wanted to do next. Yes, Beth was busy enough: helping her elderly father and becoming involved in the local town hall committee. But what did Beth want from life?
Returning to her childhood home meant that Beth had to confront her memories of the past, as well as facing the fact that her mother, while a supreme organiser, was not well liked. Beth makes new friends amongst the community and becomes involved in raising funds for the new roof the town hall desperately needs. However, as she sorts through her mother’s belongings, Beth is overwhelmed by both her own secrets and her mother’s. And when her aunt moves in, providing her father with companionship closer to his own age, Beth needs to work out how to establish her own life. Is a new start possible?
I enjoyed this novel, with its depiction of life in a small community where everyone knows most of everyone else’s business (and is happy to speculate where they don’t). Beth is not the only person within the community dealing with marriage breakdown, family secrets and ageing parents. There are some lovely characters in this novel, particularly Shirley, Lucy, Alan and Ashton. I finished the story imagining a much happier future for Beth (as well as for several other characters).
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
When her marriage broke down, fifty-eight-year-old Beth returned to her parents’ home in the small South Australian town of Miner’s Ridge. Shortly after her return, Beth’s mother Marian suffered a series of strokes. Beth and her father Alan nursed Marian until her death, and Beth stayed on unsure of what she wanted to do next. Yes, Beth was busy enough: helping her elderly father and becoming involved in the local town hall committee. But what did Beth want from life?
Returning to her childhood home meant that Beth had to confront her memories of the past, as well as facing the fact that her mother, while a supreme organiser, was not well liked. Beth makes new friends amongst the community and becomes involved in raising funds for the new roof the town hall desperately needs. However, as she sorts through her mother’s belongings, Beth is overwhelmed by both her own secrets and her mother’s. And when her aunt moves in, providing her father with companionship closer to his own age, Beth needs to work out how to establish her own life. Is a new start possible?
I enjoyed this novel, with its depiction of life in a small community where everyone knows most of everyone else’s business (and is happy to speculate where they don’t). Beth is not the only person within the community dealing with marriage breakdown, family secrets and ageing parents. There are some lovely characters in this novel, particularly Shirley, Lucy, Alan and Ashton. I finished the story imagining a much happier future for Beth (as well as for several other characters).
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
September 27, 2022
4.5*
Becoming Beth is the emotional and challenging story of a middle aged woman’s journey following the breakdown of her marriage and the death of her mother. Set in a small South Australian town it tells the story through the revelation of family secrets, the forging of new friendships with the support of the local community.
‘I’m in my late fifties. I'm single again. I don't have a social life as such. I don't have a job any more, and even if I wanted one, it's unlikely at my age - and with the pandemic - that I'd get one. Sure, I have money in the bank and superannuation, but I could live for another thirty years? Imagine that. Thirty more years ….’
As a middle aged woman, Beth finds herself having to navigate these life changes, however, it forces her to look for a new direction and purpose in life. Returning to her country home town, Beth comes across the usual characters and the fun interactions from living in a small community. It was Beth’s relationship with her father that I found to be most endearing. Together they confront the past with its secrets and a future that will forge a new path for both of them.
‘I loved my dad, but more to the point, I liked him. He was perhaps the kindest man I'd ever known. Which probably went part way to explaining why the few relationships I'd had in my life had been so bitterly disappointing: the bar had been set high.’
This is not a plot driven tale, rather a gentle character analysis that many readers will undoubtedly relate to - I know I did! It’s much like sitting down over a cup of tea, around the kitchen table and listening/watching as events unfold. A story of families, dealing with grief and finding your own new identity. Meredith delivers this gentle tale with a wonderful sense of time and place of the ups and downs in life that we can all surely identify with.
‘Standing there, suddenly it all seemed so simple. I would forgive myself, and then actively pursue what I wanted for the remainder of my life. If I didn't, I would deserve what I ended up with. Maybe that's what making the most of the life you had left meant.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
Becoming Beth is the emotional and challenging story of a middle aged woman’s journey following the breakdown of her marriage and the death of her mother. Set in a small South Australian town it tells the story through the revelation of family secrets, the forging of new friendships with the support of the local community.
‘I’m in my late fifties. I'm single again. I don't have a social life as such. I don't have a job any more, and even if I wanted one, it's unlikely at my age - and with the pandemic - that I'd get one. Sure, I have money in the bank and superannuation, but I could live for another thirty years? Imagine that. Thirty more years ….’
As a middle aged woman, Beth finds herself having to navigate these life changes, however, it forces her to look for a new direction and purpose in life. Returning to her country home town, Beth comes across the usual characters and the fun interactions from living in a small community. It was Beth’s relationship with her father that I found to be most endearing. Together they confront the past with its secrets and a future that will forge a new path for both of them.
‘I loved my dad, but more to the point, I liked him. He was perhaps the kindest man I'd ever known. Which probably went part way to explaining why the few relationships I'd had in my life had been so bitterly disappointing: the bar had been set high.’
This is not a plot driven tale, rather a gentle character analysis that many readers will undoubtedly relate to - I know I did! It’s much like sitting down over a cup of tea, around the kitchen table and listening/watching as events unfold. A story of families, dealing with grief and finding your own new identity. Meredith delivers this gentle tale with a wonderful sense of time and place of the ups and downs in life that we can all surely identify with.
‘Standing there, suddenly it all seemed so simple. I would forgive myself, and then actively pursue what I wanted for the remainder of my life. If I didn't, I would deserve what I ended up with. Maybe that's what making the most of the life you had left meant.’
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
March 21, 2023
Becoming Beth by Meredith Appleyard tells the story of 58 y.o. Beth after she moves back home to Miner's Ridge following the breakup of her marriage, forcing her to deal with past issues and rebuilding her life. It shows us the value of kindness and friendship and that often it is better to face difficulties rather than keeping them buried. Not really the type of book that I enjoy, I found the story rather predictable and slow. I liked that it takes place in current times and I thought the pandemic restrictions and closures and the difficulties they posed were well depicted. The book was okay, but I had a hard time getting interested in it.
November 15, 2022
When Beth turned up at her elderly parents house after a marriage breakup, she didn't expect that her mother would pass away so soon afterwards. With her life at a crossroads, Beth is living under her dad's roof once again, and is trying to fill in the long days with the best sense of purpose she can think of. Miner's Ridge isn't exactly where Beth thought she'd end up at the age of fifty-eight, but with little else happening in her life, she may as well stay on and keep her beloved father company.
Becoming involved on the local community committee is exactly what Beth needs to kick-start her journey of self discovery... She just doesn't know it yet! Who knew by just 'stepping in' for her mum for a couple of meetings would turn into something really meaningful? It'll take awhile, but Beth's eventually going to realise that her childhood hometown is exactly where she belongs- not without some major hiccups and revelations along the way! Discovering that her somewhat controlling mother had been harbouring a shocking secret for many years is just the tip of the iceberg...
Apart from Beth, the true heroes (and heroines) have to be Alan, Ashton, Heather, Lucy and Shirley. All five are continuously featured and have the most incredible stories to share as well! In saying that, the majority of the supporting cast come across as caring, kind and gentle souls- bar a select few. The one woman I truly detested is Brenda who has such an arrogant and petty attitude towards life. Sadly, Beth is often in the firing line which seems extremely unnecessary and unwarranted. If Brenda was a real person I'd honestly remind her to be much nicer towards others!
This is truly a special read, highlighted by the presence of the older generation and all the advice and wisdom they impart throughout. There's so much to take away from Becoming Beth, and that's just one of many reasons why it's amongst Meredith's best works. I'm hoping to see a select few individuals return in future books, as there's an opportunity for Beth's story to continue!
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨/5
Becoming involved on the local community committee is exactly what Beth needs to kick-start her journey of self discovery... She just doesn't know it yet! Who knew by just 'stepping in' for her mum for a couple of meetings would turn into something really meaningful? It'll take awhile, but Beth's eventually going to realise that her childhood hometown is exactly where she belongs- not without some major hiccups and revelations along the way! Discovering that her somewhat controlling mother had been harbouring a shocking secret for many years is just the tip of the iceberg...
Apart from Beth, the true heroes (and heroines) have to be Alan, Ashton, Heather, Lucy and Shirley. All five are continuously featured and have the most incredible stories to share as well! In saying that, the majority of the supporting cast come across as caring, kind and gentle souls- bar a select few. The one woman I truly detested is Brenda who has such an arrogant and petty attitude towards life. Sadly, Beth is often in the firing line which seems extremely unnecessary and unwarranted. If Brenda was a real person I'd honestly remind her to be much nicer towards others!
This is truly a special read, highlighted by the presence of the older generation and all the advice and wisdom they impart throughout. There's so much to take away from Becoming Beth, and that's just one of many reasons why it's amongst Meredith's best works. I'm hoping to see a select few individuals return in future books, as there's an opportunity for Beth's story to continue!
🌟🌟🌟🌟✨/5
September 5, 2022
Thank you Harlequin for sending us a copy to read and review.
Meredith consistently writes raw, emotional and heartfelt stories that weaves its way into your heart and soul.
Welcome back to Miner’s Ridge.
58 year old Beth is unemployed, about to get a divorce and living with her father at the family home.
Her mother, Marian passed away but Beth has little time to be sad as they had become distant.
Marian was a difficult woman and took control of an incident when Beth was a teenager.
Beth steps into her mothers role on the committee at the local town hall, she begins researching for a project and she comes across some photographs that set off a chain of events.
A book that shines exploring family dynamics, strained relationships and with a big measure of drama and emotions
Meredith has this wonderful ability to make her characters stand out, they feel very real and authentic even when they are in trying situations and are vulnerable.
They could be your next door neighbours or someone you are close too.
They feel more real when they have flaws and life throws them a challenge or two.
Well written, an interesting storyline, a balanced cast, capturing country town vibes and entertaining, it’s very easy to invest in it all.
There’s also a nod to a previous book as the reader gets to briefly meet again some previous characters.
I continue to adore Meredith’s tales and look forward to her next.
This book will leave a mark on you and have that lasting impression.
Meredith consistently writes raw, emotional and heartfelt stories that weaves its way into your heart and soul.
Welcome back to Miner’s Ridge.
58 year old Beth is unemployed, about to get a divorce and living with her father at the family home.
Her mother, Marian passed away but Beth has little time to be sad as they had become distant.
Marian was a difficult woman and took control of an incident when Beth was a teenager.
Beth steps into her mothers role on the committee at the local town hall, she begins researching for a project and she comes across some photographs that set off a chain of events.
A book that shines exploring family dynamics, strained relationships and with a big measure of drama and emotions
Meredith has this wonderful ability to make her characters stand out, they feel very real and authentic even when they are in trying situations and are vulnerable.
They could be your next door neighbours or someone you are close too.
They feel more real when they have flaws and life throws them a challenge or two.
Well written, an interesting storyline, a balanced cast, capturing country town vibes and entertaining, it’s very easy to invest in it all.
There’s also a nod to a previous book as the reader gets to briefly meet again some previous characters.
I continue to adore Meredith’s tales and look forward to her next.
This book will leave a mark on you and have that lasting impression.
August 22, 2022
Review:
‘Becoming Beth’ is a moving account of a woman’s attempts to reset her life & her goals, following divorce & returning to her hometown to care for her mother prior to her passing.
Beth has lived her life in denial of how a few minutes of her teenage years giving in to a need to be loved turned into years of trying to forget.
Without meaningful employment, Beth focuses on temporarily filling her mother’s role within the Community Hall Committee, unprepared for what what to ensue.
The committee members come together to try to raise funds for reaping the Hall’s leaking roof & during this process Beth discovers there is far more to these locals and what they have to offer than she first thought.
Strengthening her relationship with her father, Beth becomes torn between revealing a family secret she has unwittingly uncovered.
I absolutely loved this book, it’s normality, reality and my ability to empathise with its characters.
You won’t take long to read this book as you will be impatient to read what happens at every page turn.
‘Becoming Beth’ is a moving account of a woman’s attempts to reset her life & her goals, following divorce & returning to her hometown to care for her mother prior to her passing.
Beth has lived her life in denial of how a few minutes of her teenage years giving in to a need to be loved turned into years of trying to forget.
Without meaningful employment, Beth focuses on temporarily filling her mother’s role within the Community Hall Committee, unprepared for what what to ensue.
The committee members come together to try to raise funds for reaping the Hall’s leaking roof & during this process Beth discovers there is far more to these locals and what they have to offer than she first thought.
Strengthening her relationship with her father, Beth becomes torn between revealing a family secret she has unwittingly uncovered.
I absolutely loved this book, it’s normality, reality and my ability to empathise with its characters.
You won’t take long to read this book as you will be impatient to read what happens at every page turn.
October 13, 2022
This was not my favourite book by this Author as Beth seemed to act much younger than her 58 years. I did enjoy the setting and the cast of characters, especially Beth's Dad.
August 26, 2025
easy to read, but discussions about the endless town hall committee meetings and multiple cups of tea was abit excessive. I liked the dogs and Beth's fathers friendship
December 31, 2024
Birthday present from Sonja signed copy.
Simply story with complex issues that face all families. Could relate to the situation characters & the settings. Really enjoyed
Simply story with complex issues that face all families. Could relate to the situation characters & the settings. Really enjoyed
August 20, 2022
Such an enjoyable read, I was sucked in from the start.
August 12, 2022
When Meredith gave me an ARC to read I knew I was in for something special. Meredith writes about small towns and the people who live in them so well, at the end of the book you feel like you know them in real life. Such a beautiful read. This book is about secrets, family and friendship. It's also about banding together for a common goal. Absolutely loved it and Meredith just goes from strength to strength. Enjoy.
August 31, 2022
This book hums along nicely. There is nothing earth shattering, but it’s an absorbing tale of life in a small town, and of Beth, who has recently returned from the big smoke, in particular. As a woman in late middle age, Beth is navigating a number of unexpected life changes, and looking to find her future direction and purpose. She encounters the usual mix of small town characters, and as the book advances, comes to understand the current and past actions of those around her.
If you’re a fan of tales about small town people in general, or Meredith Appleyard books in particular, you will enjoy this offering.
I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this book
If you’re a fan of tales about small town people in general, or Meredith Appleyard books in particular, you will enjoy this offering.
I was fortunate to receive an ARC of this book
August 14, 2022
If you like books set in country towns then this one is for you. If you like stories that hum quietly along, then this one is for you.
September 22, 2022
Beth returns home to Miners Ridge after her marriage ended. Not long after her return her mother dies and Beth stays in the family home with her father. Beth clears out her mother’s emails and computer files and discovers family secrets.
When Beth’s mother’s sister Heather comes to stay Beth is forced to remember things she would prefer to forget.
This was about families, grief, secrets and identity. I loved the way Beth took over her mother’s roles in the local community as she tried to unravel her mother’s secret.
When Beth’s mother’s sister Heather comes to stay Beth is forced to remember things she would prefer to forget.
This was about families, grief, secrets and identity. I loved the way Beth took over her mother’s roles in the local community as she tried to unravel her mother’s secret.
April 6, 2023
5★s for the story, but only 3★s for the audio narration
“Rudderless, I drifted through the days. There was no other way to describe it. Reflecting on the past was something I’d always meticulously avoided, and I couldn’t conjure any energy to contemplate the future.”
Becoming Beth is the seventh novel by Australian author, Meredith Appleyard. The audio version is narrated by Karyn O'Neill. In the late autumn of 2020, Beth Harkness has been back in her rural South Australian hometown of Miners Ridge for some months. Her return was prompted by the split with her husband of fifteen years, but it put her in place to help out when her mother had a stroke.
Some six weeks after Marian Harkness has died, Beth is looking out for her beloved but very independent dad, Alan, and filling a vacant spot on the town hall committee, just to keep herself busy and useful. When her husband left her for a younger man, she quit her job and has not seriously looked for anything else. Instead she’s helping out a widow on the committee with transport and chores. Beth finds Shirley Schubert a lot easier to talk to than her mother ever was.
Her relationship with Marian was always fraught, and Beth has been avoiding sorting out her mother’s things. When she eventually begins, she learns that while her mother was a powerhouse for attracting funding and getting things done, she wasn’t universally popular in town. Efficient, but not empathetic, as Beth well knew from her youth.
When the town hall committee needs Marian’s documents for a new roof campaign, a search of her laptop yields a timebomb: an unwelcome reminder of something she’d rather avoid. “I could bury an unpleasant experience so deep as to almost forget it’d ever happened. Unsurpassed self-deception: now that was one of my strengths.”
At the same time, Committee meetings mean encounters with someone from her past: Ashton Tiller, now a local high school teacher, is the twin brother of the boy on whom Beth had a secret crush. Ash seems to be the polar opposite of Richard, considerate and kind, and is also dealing with elderly parents and their problems. He and Beth can certainly relate, but Ash has his own emotional baggage, and a nuisance female colleague to diplomatically deter.
This is a novel that will strike a chord with readers of a certain vintage: those with ageing parents succumbing to dementia and/or physical deterioration, those caring for grandchildren, and those facing their own issues of work-life balance, unexpected redundancy and seeking employment at a mature age. Not to mention frustration with their own ageing bodies.
Appleyard’s protagonist might initially not endear herself to the reader: a bit “poor me” and sometimes a little uncharitable and judgemental, for which she soon enough admonishes herself when she learns the true situations of the objects of her criticism. But it is satisfying to see her gradually woven into the fabric of the Miners Ridge community.
We could all wish for a wise and kind father like Beth’s, though: “Beth, you have not and never could disappoint me. Life is difficult and full of challenges. We end up doing some things for all the wrong reasons. We make mistakes. The trick is to learn from them and move on. Forgive others, and forgive yourself.”
Appleyard renders her setting and era with consummate ease. Miners Ridge and its residents could be any small Australian rural town. She gives them plenty of wise words and insightful observations. And she seamlessly and realistically incorporates the COVID spectre into her tale, without allowing it to cast a pall.
The story explores the long-term damage that can be done by a parent who thrusts their own unrealised ambition and expectations onto their child, and saddles them with their disappointment at perceived failure. It also emphasises how unhealthy repressed emotions can be. A moving and thought-provoking read.
“Rudderless, I drifted through the days. There was no other way to describe it. Reflecting on the past was something I’d always meticulously avoided, and I couldn’t conjure any energy to contemplate the future.”
Becoming Beth is the seventh novel by Australian author, Meredith Appleyard. The audio version is narrated by Karyn O'Neill. In the late autumn of 2020, Beth Harkness has been back in her rural South Australian hometown of Miners Ridge for some months. Her return was prompted by the split with her husband of fifteen years, but it put her in place to help out when her mother had a stroke.
Some six weeks after Marian Harkness has died, Beth is looking out for her beloved but very independent dad, Alan, and filling a vacant spot on the town hall committee, just to keep herself busy and useful. When her husband left her for a younger man, she quit her job and has not seriously looked for anything else. Instead she’s helping out a widow on the committee with transport and chores. Beth finds Shirley Schubert a lot easier to talk to than her mother ever was.
Her relationship with Marian was always fraught, and Beth has been avoiding sorting out her mother’s things. When she eventually begins, she learns that while her mother was a powerhouse for attracting funding and getting things done, she wasn’t universally popular in town. Efficient, but not empathetic, as Beth well knew from her youth.
When the town hall committee needs Marian’s documents for a new roof campaign, a search of her laptop yields a timebomb: an unwelcome reminder of something she’d rather avoid. “I could bury an unpleasant experience so deep as to almost forget it’d ever happened. Unsurpassed self-deception: now that was one of my strengths.”
At the same time, Committee meetings mean encounters with someone from her past: Ashton Tiller, now a local high school teacher, is the twin brother of the boy on whom Beth had a secret crush. Ash seems to be the polar opposite of Richard, considerate and kind, and is also dealing with elderly parents and their problems. He and Beth can certainly relate, but Ash has his own emotional baggage, and a nuisance female colleague to diplomatically deter.
This is a novel that will strike a chord with readers of a certain vintage: those with ageing parents succumbing to dementia and/or physical deterioration, those caring for grandchildren, and those facing their own issues of work-life balance, unexpected redundancy and seeking employment at a mature age. Not to mention frustration with their own ageing bodies.
Appleyard’s protagonist might initially not endear herself to the reader: a bit “poor me” and sometimes a little uncharitable and judgemental, for which she soon enough admonishes herself when she learns the true situations of the objects of her criticism. But it is satisfying to see her gradually woven into the fabric of the Miners Ridge community.
We could all wish for a wise and kind father like Beth’s, though: “Beth, you have not and never could disappoint me. Life is difficult and full of challenges. We end up doing some things for all the wrong reasons. We make mistakes. The trick is to learn from them and move on. Forgive others, and forgive yourself.”
Appleyard renders her setting and era with consummate ease. Miners Ridge and its residents could be any small Australian rural town. She gives them plenty of wise words and insightful observations. And she seamlessly and realistically incorporates the COVID spectre into her tale, without allowing it to cast a pall.
The story explores the long-term damage that can be done by a parent who thrusts their own unrealised ambition and expectations onto their child, and saddles them with their disappointment at perceived failure. It also emphasises how unhealthy repressed emotions can be. A moving and thought-provoking read.
August 7, 2023
Since adolescence, 50 year old Beth has lived her life with blinkers on, repressing the memory of a teenage trauma. Her mother, Marian, took control of that situation, and of all else in their family life - and as much as she could in the small town of Miner's Ridge as well.
Now Marian is dread, and Beth, unemployed and in the middle of a humiliating divorce, is living with her gentle-hearted father in the family home. Beth feels obliged to take over her mother's involvement in the local town hall committee, which becomes a source of new friendships, old friendships renewed, and a considerable amount of aggravation.
Researching town hall history, Beth finds photographs that show Marian in a surprising light; sorting through Marian's belongings, she realises her mother has left a trail of landmines, cruel revelations that knock the feet out from under her supposed nearest and dearest. Beth struggles to emerge from the ensuing emotional chaos....in middle age, can she start anew?
A deeply felt, acutely observed novel about mother's and children, about what people hide from themselves and each other, about the richness and difficulties of community, and about becoming your own person.
**********************
Now Marian is dread, and Beth, unemployed and in the middle of a humiliating divorce, is living with her gentle-hearted father in the family home. Beth feels obliged to take over her mother's involvement in the local town hall committee, which becomes a source of new friendships, old friendships renewed, and a considerable amount of aggravation.
Researching town hall history, Beth finds photographs that show Marian in a surprising light; sorting through Marian's belongings, she realises her mother has left a trail of landmines, cruel revelations that knock the feet out from under her supposed nearest and dearest. Beth struggles to emerge from the ensuing emotional chaos....in middle age, can she start anew?
A deeply felt, acutely observed novel about mother's and children, about what people hide from themselves and each other, about the richness and difficulties of community, and about becoming your own person.
**********************
August 30, 2022
Thank you to Better Reading for a Preview copy of this novel.
Beth has experienced several tragedies with the illness and death of a parent and the upheaval following the breakdown of her marriage. It has been a stressful time and Beth returns to her childhood hometown to care for her ageing father. Memories of long held secrets and trauma resurface. Beth is a woman adrift and this novel follows her attempts to find her emotional balance again and re-establish meaningful relationships and a purpose in life. The role of family, friends and community is put under the spotlight. They certainly contribute to her emotional upheaval but also offer the invaluable support that could turn her life around.
Appleyard writes in a very easy-going and accessible style. The familiar use of the Australian vernacular and the recognisable rural Australian setting make this a comfortable and comforting read. This is not a plot heavy novel but rather it provides a gentle character study that many readers will find relatable. In many ways the novel is akin to sitting with a good friend over a cup of coffee and chatting, with refreshing honesty, about the ups and downs of life.
Beth has experienced several tragedies with the illness and death of a parent and the upheaval following the breakdown of her marriage. It has been a stressful time and Beth returns to her childhood hometown to care for her ageing father. Memories of long held secrets and trauma resurface. Beth is a woman adrift and this novel follows her attempts to find her emotional balance again and re-establish meaningful relationships and a purpose in life. The role of family, friends and community is put under the spotlight. They certainly contribute to her emotional upheaval but also offer the invaluable support that could turn her life around.
Appleyard writes in a very easy-going and accessible style. The familiar use of the Australian vernacular and the recognisable rural Australian setting make this a comfortable and comforting read. This is not a plot heavy novel but rather it provides a gentle character study that many readers will find relatable. In many ways the novel is akin to sitting with a good friend over a cup of coffee and chatting, with refreshing honesty, about the ups and downs of life.
February 20, 2025
Very realistic story I could easily relate to.
A book with great characters - not your usual 20 - 30 somethings, but more mature characters with real life experiences, facing a crossroad of some kind in their lives, reflecting on where their future lies.
The story follows 58 year old Beth who quit her job in the city after her marriage ended, went back to her home town, looked after her mother until she passed away then stayed on to help out her 84 year old dad. There are family secrets unfolding which I found fascinating as they brought out the reality of her mother's true character. The cast is a diverse set of characters revolving around the small town hall committee.
I found I related so well to this as I live in a similar rural town to the fictional Miners Ridge. I love Australian stories, particularly when the setting is in my own state and I recognise places mentioned.
I highy recommend any book by Meredith Appleyard as many of her novels come from lived experience.
If you like Australian books in a rural setting - easy to read, no profanity, just great storytelling, then look up this and other books by Meredith Appleyard.
A book with great characters - not your usual 20 - 30 somethings, but more mature characters with real life experiences, facing a crossroad of some kind in their lives, reflecting on where their future lies.
The story follows 58 year old Beth who quit her job in the city after her marriage ended, went back to her home town, looked after her mother until she passed away then stayed on to help out her 84 year old dad. There are family secrets unfolding which I found fascinating as they brought out the reality of her mother's true character. The cast is a diverse set of characters revolving around the small town hall committee.
I found I related so well to this as I live in a similar rural town to the fictional Miners Ridge. I love Australian stories, particularly when the setting is in my own state and I recognise places mentioned.
I highy recommend any book by Meredith Appleyard as many of her novels come from lived experience.
If you like Australian books in a rural setting - easy to read, no profanity, just great storytelling, then look up this and other books by Meredith Appleyard.
November 8, 2022
Meredith Appleyard writes amazingly heartfelt stories, with a message and all the feels! Becoming Beth is a wonderful book about starting to live and not just exist, rediscovering your happiness!
Beth returns to her home, to mourn her mother’s passing and her failed marriage. Beth becomes involved in the community, helping others, her father and in turn, finding out some truths her mother kept hidden!
As Beth uncovers family and community secrets, she undoubtedly finds her own part
and place within the town.
A perfect storyline that reveals friendships and truths, whilst also finding where you belong. The emotions of forgiveness and acceptance give the reader plenty to consider!
Thanks so much to the publisher, NetGalley and wonderful author for the opportunity to read this very special book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Beth returns to her home, to mourn her mother’s passing and her failed marriage. Beth becomes involved in the community, helping others, her father and in turn, finding out some truths her mother kept hidden!
As Beth uncovers family and community secrets, she undoubtedly finds her own part
and place within the town.
A perfect storyline that reveals friendships and truths, whilst also finding where you belong. The emotions of forgiveness and acceptance give the reader plenty to consider!
Thanks so much to the publisher, NetGalley and wonderful author for the opportunity to read this very special book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 7, 2022
Beth is a Country Girl who moves to the City for work and a marriage of convenience. Beth turns up on her parents doorstep, after her husband leaves her for another love.
Beth has to create a new life after returning home but her life turns upside down when her mother falls ill, then she thinks her Dad needs her to stay.
Beth's now has a past problem turn her world upside down and decisions need to be made.
Beth throws herself into city lifestyle and finds support from friends and family. She also finds a slow burning relationship with a wonderful man who is also struggling with a relationship breakdown.
This is a wonderful book about life's struggles and country life friends and family. Everyone has something they are going through.
Beth has to create a new life after returning home but her life turns upside down when her mother falls ill, then she thinks her Dad needs her to stay.
Beth's now has a past problem turn her world upside down and decisions need to be made.
Beth throws herself into city lifestyle and finds support from friends and family. She also finds a slow burning relationship with a wonderful man who is also struggling with a relationship breakdown.
This is a wonderful book about life's struggles and country life friends and family. Everyone has something they are going through.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews