COMP CLOSED: Book Giveaway: The Library of Unfinished Business

An extraordinary debut novel introducing a new voice in New Zealand literature – a genre-bending triumph of storytelling.

Maurice, a small-time librarian, dies one Monday morning in a fiery car crash. Finding himself in a very unexpected afterlife, he befriends Kit, who knows more than he should about Heaven – and about Maurice’s life on Earth.

Meanwhile, Maurice’s daughter Andy struggles to come to terms with the death of her ineffectual father. Tasked with preparing his eulogy, she starts writing letters to him, trying to make sense of her family’s history.

As Andy comes closer to discovering a long-hidden secret, Maurice and Kit uncover a terrifying heavenly plot, and for the first time ever Maurice must decide: will he stand and fight for something…or risk losing everything?

The Library of Unfinished Business is the story of a sad and disillusioned man who searches for the courage to transform his life—even after it has ended—and of a daughter who learns that her father’s love is mighty beyond imagining.

It’s about the magic of storytelling, the importance of living bravely, and the power of love to triumph, even over death.

Author’s note:

‘The Library of Unfinished Business is the story of a father and a daughter – estranged at first, reunited at the end – but not in the way you’d expect. It’s set on earth and … elsewhere.

There are two libraries in the story, and they’re very important. So is fire, along with everything that it symbolises. There’s also a karaoke machine, a drunken barmaid, a rowing race, naked people, bananas, and dangerous angels.’

About the author:

Patricia Bell is a writer and a freelance editor and proofreader. Her short stories, poems, and non-fiction articles have been published in anthologies, literary journals, and online, and her fiction has twice been highly commended in national competitions.

Patricia Bell is a writer, editor, and proofreader. Her short stories, poems, and non-fiction articles have been published in anthologies, literary journals, and online. Her short story “Dandelion Clocks” won first prize in the 2021 New Zealand Society of Authors Graeme Lay Short Story Competition, and her fiction has twice been highly commended in national competitions.

Patricia has a widely read author website (www.patriciabellauthor.com) where she shares some of her creative writing and offers writing advice, as well as musings on language, reading, and the writing process.

Patricia was born in Northern Ireland to a Presbyterian minister from Belfast and a teacher from Motherwell, Scotland, which probably explains a lot. She now lives with her daughter in Auckland, New Zealand. She is a trained singer and musical theatre performer, a bird nerd and conservation advocate, a proudly loud feminist, and a born-again agnostic. The Library of Unfinished Business is her first novel.

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Terms and conditions

1. You must be a GrownUps member and receive our newsletter to be eligible to win.
2. Competition closes on the 15th February 2022, winners will be notified via email by Thursday 17th February 2021.
3. As a competition winner, you must confirm you have received our email notifying you of the win within three days. If we have not heard from you in three days the prize will be redrawn, and your prize will be forfeit.
4. Winners are drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
5. GrownUps employees and family are not eligible to enter.
6. By entering the giveaway, you approve for GrownUps to use your name on social media as winner of the competition.
7. One entry per person.
8. You must reside in New Zealand – the prize will only be posted within New Zealand.
9. You must be over 50 years of age to enter, check your details are correct in your membership dashboard.