Lonely Mouth
Will be published approx. on 2. July 2026
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-1-78474-668-1 (ISBN)
Description
'Witty, savage and poignant' NIGELLA LAWSON
'Humane and deeply, darkly humorous' MARINA KEMP, author of UNWILDING
'Gorgeous, mesmerising' CLAIRE POWELL, author of ALL IN
This summer, sink your teeth into a slice of family drama with this deliciously funny novel about sisterhood, secrets and the things you can't stomach.
Matilda knows about hunger. She works in one of Sydney's buzziest restaurants, Bocca, while suppressing her cravings, including for her celebrity chef boss, Colson. Everything in her life is tightly controlled: she allows herself one weekend a month to feast and purge, the rest of the time, she stays perfect.
That is, until her younger half-sister Lara crashes back into town, stirring up the family's chaotic past and bringing long-buried family secrets to the surface. As the pressure rises in the kitchen and at home, Matilda's carefully compartmentalised life begins to unravel.
A deliciously moreish book club novel about food, appetite, body image, family dysfunction and desire - perfect for readers looking for a smart summer holiday read.
'I devoured it in a weekend' FELICITY CLOAKE
'Singularly rich and moreish' GRAINNE O'HARE, author of THIRST TRAP
READERS ARE LOVING LONELY MOUTH:
'Sharp, emotionally layered'
'Her writing lingers'
'A powerful, beautifully written story that gets under your skin'
'I could talk about this book for hours'
'Humane and deeply, darkly humorous' MARINA KEMP, author of UNWILDING
'Gorgeous, mesmerising' CLAIRE POWELL, author of ALL IN
This summer, sink your teeth into a slice of family drama with this deliciously funny novel about sisterhood, secrets and the things you can't stomach.
Matilda knows about hunger. She works in one of Sydney's buzziest restaurants, Bocca, while suppressing her cravings, including for her celebrity chef boss, Colson. Everything in her life is tightly controlled: she allows herself one weekend a month to feast and purge, the rest of the time, she stays perfect.
That is, until her younger half-sister Lara crashes back into town, stirring up the family's chaotic past and bringing long-buried family secrets to the surface. As the pressure rises in the kitchen and at home, Matilda's carefully compartmentalised life begins to unravel.
A deliciously moreish book club novel about food, appetite, body image, family dysfunction and desire - perfect for readers looking for a smart summer holiday read.
'I devoured it in a weekend' FELICITY CLOAKE
'Singularly rich and moreish' GRAINNE O'HARE, author of THIRST TRAP
READERS ARE LOVING LONELY MOUTH:
'Sharp, emotionally layered'
'Her writing lingers'
'A powerful, beautifully written story that gets under your skin'
'I could talk about this book for hours'
Reviews / Votes
A song of abandonment, ghastly mothers, dysfunctional families, sisterhood and loss... Witty, savage and poignant -- NIGELLA LAWSON Richly drawn, wry and utterly compelling. I devoured it in a weekend -- FELICITY CLOAKE Lonely Mouth is humane and deeply, darkly humorous. Maley has a gift for character. Her cast of misfits stayed with me long after reading -- MARINA KEMP, author of The Unwilding I'm so glad to have discovered Jacqueline Maley. She writes with wit, poise and precision, while her characters are devastatingly real. Lonely Mouth is a gorgeous, mesmerising novel -- CLAIRE POWELL, author of At The Table Complex, layered, and gut-wrenching, Lonely Mouth laces personal trauma and family dysfunction with humour and humanity. A singularly rich and moreish novel - I couldn't get enough of it -- GRAINNE O'HARE, author of Thirst Trap Read the first sentence of Jacqueline Maley's debut novel, and you will be in it until the end. Electrifying, deeply unsettling and so, so satisfying. And, if you've ever tried to manage the sharp end of a career with the blunt demands of parenthood, fiercely recognisable -- MEG MASON, on The Truth About Her Complex, gripping and beautifully realised... Maley's debut asks some timely and necessary questions about truth, love and our responsibility to others * The Guardian, on The Truth About Her *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Vintage Publishing
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 40 mm
Weight
750 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78474-668-1 (9781784746681)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Jacqueline Maley
Lonely Mouth
A darkly funny literary novel about sisters, family secrets and a hunger that can't be ignored, set in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a professional kitchen
E-Book
approx. 07/2026
Vintage Digital
€12.99
Not yet available
Person
Jacqueline Maley is a columnist and senior writer for the Sydney Morning Herald and Age newspapers. She has also worked on staff at The Guardian in London and at The Australian Financial Review. In 2020 she won a Walkley Award for Journalism and in 2016 she won the Kennedy Award for Outstanding Columnist. Her previous novel, The Truth About Her, was an Australian bestseller and was shortlisted for 2022 ABIA (Australian Book Industry Awards) Literary Fiction Book of the Year and the ABIA Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year. She lives in Sydney.