The Secret Life of Shirley Sullivan

Shirley Sullivan is on the run.

When Shirley Sullivan signs her 83-year-old husband, Frank, out of the Sunset Lodge Nursing Home, she has no intention of bringing him back.

For fifty-seven years the couple has shared love, happiness and heartbreak. And while Frank may not know who his wife is these days, he knows he wants to go home. Back to the beach where they met in the early 1960s . . .

So Shirley enacts an elaborate plan to evade the authorities – and their furious daughter, Fiona – to give Frank the holiday he’d always dreamed of.

And, in doing so, perhaps Shirley can make amends for a lifelong guilty secret…

What readers are saying…

  • Sally Hepworth

    NYT BESTSELLER

    "If you read nothing else this year, read this book! This is Lisa Ireland’s breakout novel. You will fall in love with Shirley as Ireland takes you on a journey through her life as a young woman, to her life now as an elderly woman, her husband suffering from dementia. It’s a story about the complications of life and love, and the ways we redeem ourselves. A stunning read."

  • Kelly Rimmer

    NYT BESTSELLER

    "Lisa Ireland’s writing is simply magical, and Shirley’s charming and heartfelt story brought me to tears again and again. 'The Secret Life of Shirley Sullivan' is one of my favourite books, ever."

  • Amanda

    GOODREADS REVIEWER

    "A beautiful and moving tribute to love, family, relationships and ageing is bestowed on the pages of Lisa Ireland’s new novel. 'The Secret Life of Shirley Sullivan' is equal parts heartwarming, heartbreaking and poignant. What an unforgettable journey this novel presented from start to the finish."

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