The Self-Made Saint: Debut Novel by Alexandra Addams (Literary Fiction)
"Best to get on with it before you go under it.”
As a humanitarian volunteer, Judith Drainger has always played life by her own rules. So, she thinks it’s pretty rude that at this late stage it seems life is playing her right back.
After being forcibly retired from the UNHCR, headstrong Judith seizes the opportunity to leave her awful marriage in London and move across the world to Australia to reunite with her adult daughter, only to land smack bang in the quagmire of her daughter’s grief, anger and abandonment issues. To make matters worse, Judith can see her baby granddaughter has a serious health issue but when she offers help she’s treated as an old fool.
Feeling rejected and helpless, Judith is on the verge of leaving her new home when an accident knocks her off her feet and she is swamped by the well-meaning care of her nosy neighbours. Yet, when given a chance to become a part of their community, Judith shocks herself by making a series of unforgivable blunders, bringing strife and pain to their quiet lives. Realizing if she’s to have any hope of reuniting her family, she must learn the power of saying ‘sorry’ and what it actually means to be a good person.
The Self-Made Saint is forthcoming (June 26, 2025) from High Frequency Press.
Cover is ARC version; final cover may vary.
"Best to get on with it before you go under it.”
As a humanitarian volunteer, Judith Drainger has always played life by her own rules. So, she thinks it’s pretty rude that at this late stage it seems life is playing her right back.
After being forcibly retired from the UNHCR, headstrong Judith seizes the opportunity to leave her awful marriage in London and move across the world to Australia to reunite with her adult daughter, only to land smack bang in the quagmire of her daughter’s grief, anger and abandonment issues. To make matters worse, Judith can see her baby granddaughter has a serious health issue but when she offers help she’s treated as an old fool.
Feeling rejected and helpless, Judith is on the verge of leaving her new home when an accident knocks her off her feet and she is swamped by the well-meaning care of her nosy neighbours. Yet, when given a chance to become a part of their community, Judith shocks herself by making a series of unforgivable blunders, bringing strife and pain to their quiet lives. Realizing if she’s to have any hope of reuniting her family, she must learn the power of saying ‘sorry’ and what it actually means to be a good person.
The Self-Made Saint is forthcoming (June 26, 2025) from High Frequency Press.
Cover is ARC version; final cover may vary.
"Best to get on with it before you go under it.”
As a humanitarian volunteer, Judith Drainger has always played life by her own rules. So, she thinks it’s pretty rude that at this late stage it seems life is playing her right back.
After being forcibly retired from the UNHCR, headstrong Judith seizes the opportunity to leave her awful marriage in London and move across the world to Australia to reunite with her adult daughter, only to land smack bang in the quagmire of her daughter’s grief, anger and abandonment issues. To make matters worse, Judith can see her baby granddaughter has a serious health issue but when she offers help she’s treated as an old fool.
Feeling rejected and helpless, Judith is on the verge of leaving her new home when an accident knocks her off her feet and she is swamped by the well-meaning care of her nosy neighbours. Yet, when given a chance to become a part of their community, Judith shocks herself by making a series of unforgivable blunders, bringing strife and pain to their quiet lives. Realizing if she’s to have any hope of reuniting her family, she must learn the power of saying ‘sorry’ and what it actually means to be a good person.
The Self-Made Saint is forthcoming (June 26, 2025) from High Frequency Press.
Cover is ARC version; final cover may vary.
Alexandra Addams is an Australian novelist and screenwriter living in Switzerland. She has one less than half a dozen children who provide much of the trauma and wild inspiration required to write novels. The Self-Made Saint is her first published work of fiction. Contact Alexandra Addams at www.alexandraaddams.com and Instagram: @AAddamsWrites
Author photo ©Margot Canale