We Only Want What's Best

An original and gripping debut novel about class, dance and the over-sexualisation of young girls, all set in the pressure-cooker environment of a long-haul flight to Los Angeles. from debut novelist Carolyn Swindell. For fans of Nicola Moriarty and Petronella McGovern.

A long-haul flight. Two ambitious dance mums. A child in danger.

Bridget and Simone aren't friends, but their daughters are in the same dance troupe: Expressions. They're flying to Los Angeles together so the girls can perform at Disneyland. Simone's daughter, Zahra, is the leader of the troupe, while Bridget's daughter, Becky, is a talent on the rise.

An unexpected upgrade sees Bridget moved to business class and seated with Simone and her husband, Glen. Despite feeling out of her depth, Bridget is pleased to find that she and Simone share a lot in common, and the flight goes smoothly. That is until Bridget discovers shocking images of Zahra and other Expressions dancers on an old USB.

A fierce examination of their dance world ensues. Tensions rise, and there's no way for anyone to escape. For two very different families, what unfolds over the course of the flight will shock and threaten to destroy them.

Carolyn Swindell is a writer, producer and comedian from Sydney. Following a career that's spanned two decades in corporate, politics and professional sport, she turned her attention to writing after the birth of her second child. Her short story 'Brief Encounter' was published in Lonely Planet's The Kindness of Strangers and has been turned into an award-winning short film, Tango Underpants, which is currently being turned into a feature film. Her narrative journalism has appeared in most major publications in Australia and internationally.
Carolyn's first solo stand-up show Why DIY? was short-listed for Best Comedy at the 2019 Sydney Fringe Festival and her second solo show Nice Lady MP completed a sold-out season at the Enmore Theatre as part of the Sydney Comedy Festival. We Only Want What's Best is her debut novel.