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The Life of Sylvia Lennox: a novel
This uplifting novel describes Sylvia Lennox's gradual journey towards becoming an artist and her lifelong friendship with Jade Chong, who quickly succeeds as a fashion designer.
Sylvia and Jade meet as students in a rooming house full of unusual characters in the historically interesting Millers Point area near Sydney Harbour Bridge. Sylvia is eighteen, and Jade is twenty, and despite their different backgrounds and personalities, they bond instantly. Their friendship continues for the rest of their lives through career changes, loves, marriages, a divorce, and children.
The first edition of this novel ranked 65 in the Top 100 Literary Fiction for Amazon Australia when first published. It has since been extensively revised and this is the second edition.
Review from Australia
Jamieson Reid
Enjoyable Read and Strong First Novel
This novel follows the friendship of two young women, Sylvia Lennox, a recent arrival from the country, and Jade Chong, an aspiring designer. Befriending each other as students in the 1960s and sharing creative interests, their friendship traverses the ensuing decades.
Part-coming of age story and part-character study of Sylvia in the context of her relationships and artistic ambitions, the novel is also a rich portrait of Sydney–its geography, its people and its recent social history.
This novel’s greatest strength lies, perhaps, in its ability to accurately capture something of an individual life’s panoramic quality and the stream of people that pass through it. In so doing, the novel’s pages are peopled with many true-to-life and well-drawn supporting characters, whose orbits momentarily collide with those of Sylvia and Jade.
Sylvia and Jade meet as students in a rooming house full of unusual characters in the historically interesting Millers Point area near Sydney Harbour Bridge. Sylvia is eighteen, and Jade is twenty, and despite their different backgrounds and personalities, they bond instantly. Their friendship continues for the rest of their lives through career changes, loves, marriages, a divorce, and children.
The first edition of this novel ranked 65 in the Top 100 Literary Fiction for Amazon Australia when first published. It has since been extensively revised and this is the second edition.
Review from Australia
Jamieson Reid
Enjoyable Read and Strong First Novel
This novel follows the friendship of two young women, Sylvia Lennox, a recent arrival from the country, and Jade Chong, an aspiring designer. Befriending each other as students in the 1960s and sharing creative interests, their friendship traverses the ensuing decades.
Part-coming of age story and part-character study of Sylvia in the context of her relationships and artistic ambitions, the novel is also a rich portrait of Sydney–its geography, its people and its recent social history.
This novel’s greatest strength lies, perhaps, in its ability to accurately capture something of an individual life’s panoramic quality and the stream of people that pass through it. In so doing, the novel’s pages are peopled with many true-to-life and well-drawn supporting characters, whose orbits momentarily collide with those of Sylvia and Jade.
Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 8, 2026
Wonderful read
This author took us through the lives of 2 women in Sydney Australia. Their thoughts, hopes, doubts were all presented in a way I easily related to. What an amazing story about friendship in all its aspects.
This author took us through the lives of 2 women in Sydney Australia. Their thoughts, hopes, doubts were all presented in a way I easily related to. What an amazing story about friendship in all its aspects.
March 29, 2026
An awesomely narrated life story of two strong, hardworking women; their lifelong mutual friendship, enriched family support, and fulfilled personal and career lives!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews