The Evolution of Goodwife Judith

A Heartwarming Story of Widowhood, Independence and Starting Again at Seventy-Eight

After the death of her husband, George, Judith Hailey discovers that life as a widow may hold more possibilities than anyone expects. Her elder son imagines a quiet, carefully supervised future for her at Bay Gardens retirement village. Judith has something very different in mind.

It begins with a car: a 2001 Toyota Celica named Cecily. Soon Judith is volunteering, forming unexpected friendships, confronting social issues and discovering a growing passion for activism. Along the way, family tensions, new relationships and difficult questions about ageing and mortality test her determination to live on her own terms.

Set in Melbourne, The Evolution of Goodwife Judith by Sue Parritt is a warm and humorous novel about family, freedom, friendship and second chances. At its heart is an older woman refusing to become invisible—and discovering that personal growth has no age limit.

Discover Judith’s journey from dutiful wife to independent woman in The Evolution of Goodwife Judith.

Excerpt from the book

On the corner of Gull Grove, new widow Judith Hailey stood watching her niece, Janette, crawl down Black Swan Boulevard, a broad, tree-lined road meandering through the retirement village to the imposing entrance like a lethargic river. Ornate wrought-iron gates provided 24/7 security for the elderly, who had opposed management’s suggestion the gates remain open during daylight hours. Several metres from the gates, a pad beneath the bitumen registered a vehicle’s arrival, triggering gate release. Nonagenarian-slow, the gates moved inwards, which had evoked irritation and impatience from late husband George whenever they left the village. Exiting on foot proved marginally faster, residents using their house key to unlock the smaller pedestrian-only gates positioned on either side of the vehicular access. The residents’ manual maintained that an emergency pedestrian exit existed where the end of Cormorant Close abutted the perimeter fence, but after twenty years, the trees and shrubs planted by nearby residents to mask the unattractive gate had rendered the escape route invisible.

As usual, Janette had parked on the villa’s driveway, reluctant to park in one of the designated visitor spaces lest an ancient resident – her description – misjudge the nearby corner. Another new car, Judith had noted when elder son James drove her home following the funeral and refreshments; it seemed no time at all since a hybrid Toyota had graced the driveway. If only Janette had waited a few more weeks to purchase the new car, Judith could have saved her the trouble of trading in the Corolla by offering her a good price. The Kluger must be sold as soon as possible! Bloody monster, taking up more than half the double garage with its unattractive bulk like a whale beached somewhere in Western Australia. Why had she agreed with George that one car would suffice when they downsized? She’d loved her Mazda 2, easy to park, decent-sized boot, economical. Zoom zoom, she mused, recalling the TV ad. Despite the Mazda’s almost nine years, a distinct disadvantage according to George, he’d sold it quickly on carsales.com.au.

A gust of wind stirred the autumn leaves lying on the footpath awaiting a gardener’s noisy leaf blower. The season had turned early this year; summer clothes transferred to the guest room wardrobe by the middle of April. So much for global warming; trust Melbourne to buck the trend. A swift kick and Judith had dislodged the leaves clinging to her black-patent shoes and was watching them float into the garden bed adjacent to neighbour Hilda’s villa. Hilda, 98 last month, had attended the funeral service and assorted sandwiches that followed in the room adjoining the chapel, but declined the invitation to the more substantial afternoon tea that daughter-in-law Andrea and Janette had prepared, in favour of an afternoon nap.