Keeping up appearances

Badara in South Australia is the small country town that Paige decides to retreat to with her three children. Paige soon discovers that it is not possible to remain anonymous in a small community where everyone seems to know everyone else's business. However in time she realises that generally kindness and concern, not interference, is usually behind the help offered by some community members. Eventually Paige comes to the conclusion that she should accept the offers of help as gifts of  friendship. 

It soon becomes obvious that there are many secrets in the town and, especially for some of the older ladies, these secrets are kept in order to keep up appearances. As well as the challenges faced by Paige living as a single parent looking after three children on a small income, the reader learns of secrets governing the lives of other members of the community including Briony, Marion and Sarah.

Social issues such as teenage pregnancy, children in same family with different fathers, homosexuality, drug addiction and problems of what is to become of family farms if the younger generation is not interested in taking on the property are some of the issues occurring in the novel Keeping up Appearances by Tricia Stringer. Overall this is a story of community spirit, hope, gradual understanding and acceptance of change and forgiveness.