If you are in the market for a book that will make you believe in family again, that will give you hope that people can come together after being a part and make something really meaningful - both physically and emotionally - then this book is what you have been waiting for.

The Edwards family are a motley crew! David's business is in real strife (and his wife knows it), Jenny has never strayed far from the family home and has a secret side project and boyfriend, Chris is living a glamorous life with a surgeon husband and perfect children (really??) and Sophie still hasn't found her purpose or her people.

But that is all about to change. When their dad dies and leaves them a seemingly impossible task, will the four siblings be able to team up for the most important project of their lives?

Super read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of the Edward’s family and the legacy of Ellersley. The characters are well drawn and even the flashbacks are expertly interwoven. Quintessentially Australian, these four siblings must work together to construct their father’s coffin if they are to receive their inheritance. Each had a different relationship with their father and each had gone their own way in life so being thrown together for this task makes for a challenging situation.
An excellent read and worthy winner of the Richell Prize.

Thank you hachette for letting me read an e-reader arc of this book.

The Deed - definitely a great story about how when there's a will involved and a multi-million dollar inheritance in play that things start to get greedy. I loved the story telling in this with the family and a lawyer I would not hire haha

Susannah Begbie wrote this story beautifully and I enjoyed every second of it.

A great debut novel about a dying man, a family and all the drama that goes along with it. But with a twist. A great Australian read and one that made me laugh and cry. With great characters you really do have to get to know so that the story comes together. It is a book that starts a little slowly but builds along the way which is a good way to get into the actual storyline.

This is definitely a story about the intricacies of the Australian family, money, greed and coping with life, death and ultimatums. I enjoyed it, was very entertained by and and would recommend it. I do look forward to seeing what comes next from this new author.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for giving me the opportunity to read adn review this book.

Thanks kindly to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely stunning. Susannah Begbie's debut novel is a gorgeous celebration of country Australia, and tells the story of four adult children of a farming family who are reunited to build their recently deceased father's coffin on a deadline, as a condition of his will.

I'll be the first to admit I wasn't sure if this book was for me. It took a while to orient myself in the world of 'The Deed', with its cast of characters and frequent perspective shifting. But I kept going, and I'm so, so glad that I did.

The writing builds and gets better and more enjoyable deeper into the book. I was increasingly impressed with how well developed and thought out the story was, and what felt like more frequent perspective switching became normal and even something to look forward to.

As a city person who's worked in agriculture, this reads as an accessible love letter to the contemporary struggles of generational farming. The genius of this novel lies in its unbelievably rich characters and story. I expected a dramatic tale but it was surprisingly humorous. And the ending was *ugh* oh so lovely - well considered and most definitely not rushed, whatsoever.

This novel surprised me in the best way possible, and I would most definitely recommend it for folks who are looking for a story centred on family dynamics that employs subtle and more understated humour, set in regional, farming Australia. Love love love. Genuinely so impressed.

12/02/24 note for publisher: Goodreads listing not linked successfully on NetGalley so separately posted there and linked here.