The Only Daughter Author:Jessica Anderson Australia, 1977. In his mid-seventies, Jack Cornock has just suffered a stroke, but his two families seem less concerned about his inability to speak than who will eventually inherit from his considerable will. When Sylvia, his only daughter and favorite child suddenly returns home after twenty years of living in Europe, nearly everyone is suspi... more »cious of why she has chosen to come back now - and what her homecoming will mean....There is Greta, Sylvia's stepmother, proud, independent, yet financially reliant on Jack....Greta's children by her first marriage, two sons and two daughters, concerned about their mother's security, but caught up in their own marital and family problems....Molly, Sylvia's mother, outspoken and vulgar, fond of her son Stewart, yet uneasy with her newly returned daughter...
Filled with marvelous characters, humor, and brilliant dialogue that distinguished Tirra Lirra by the River, The Only Daughter is a rich and compelling story of family ties and modern manners.« less
From back cover: "A family comedy of class and manners...Her descriptions of contemporary life in Sydney glitter and bustle like the sun-drenched vibrant harbor of its setting." -Ms.