Books@Stones: When Lemons Give You Life by Anna Johnston

Join us at Books@Stones on Wednesday 8 July for a special in-conversation event with Anna Johnston and Jo Skinner discussing Anna's latest novel, When Lemons Give You Life - from the bestselling author of The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife (recently optioned by Netflix), When Lemons Give You Life is a sharply funny, deeply moving novel about food, family and rediscovering joy when life has lost its flavour.

Retired Michelin-star chef Griff Barlow has lost his appetite for life. Widowed, grieving and living in an aged care facility where beige slop passes for food, Griff is done – with guilt, with loneliness and with the lie that made headlines when he was diagnosed with dementia. Planning one final act, Griff breaks into the nursing home kitchen to cook one last lemon tart. But the simple act of cooking awakens a long-forgotten joy and soon he’s restoring flavour, dignity and delight to his fellow

residents. Meanwhile, his estranged sister, Lisa, is grappling with a late-in-life ADHD diagnosis, an unexpected romance and a frightening health reality of her own. As secrets simmer and second chances collide, both siblings are forced to confront what it really means to choose life. Drawing on Anna Johnston’s experience working in aged care, the novel offers a rare and compassionate perspective on how people diagnosed with dementia are often dismissed, underestimated and quietly erased. By telling the story through the eyes of a man who carries the diagnosis yet remains fully lucid, the book invites readers to experience, from the inside, what it feels like to be unseen.

Described as ‘Ratatouille meets A Man Called Ove’, Anna Johnston’s second novel blends warmth, humour and emotional depth while tackling timely conversations around ageing, dementia, neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+ visibility in aged care, and the power of everyday kindness. It is about being seen, by others, and by ourselves, and about the possibility of reconciliation, healing and second chances at any stage of life.

Anna Johnston is a former baby, aspiring octogenarian and Australian author with a love for the heartfelt and hilarious. She grew up in country Victoria before moving to Melbourne where she lives with her husband and daughters. Anna followed her heart into her grandfather’s nursing home where she became the social support coordinator, taking great delight in shaking up the usual program. When injury left her unable to continue working in aged care, she began to write about it, channelling her love for older people onto the page. Anna’s debut novel The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife became a international bestseller and has been optioned by Netflix.

Anna will be in-conversation with local author Jo Skinner.

Jo Skinner is a Brisbane-based GP who writes contemporary women's fiction as well as freelance non-fiction articles about women’s issues and mental health. Her debut novel, The Truth About My Daughter was published in 2024 and her latest novel is A World of Silence (2025). Jo also has a distance running habit. When she is not working or writing, you will find her accruing kilometres while plotting her next story. Connect with Jo on Instagram or via her website and newsletter.