Why a Booktrail?
2025: Judith Drainger has always played life by her own rules. But these days life seems to be playing her right back.
The Self-Made Saint
What you need to know before your trail
Divorced, orphaned and forcibly retired, 59-year-old Judith is determined to seize the opportunity to leave her broken home in London and move across the world to Australia. Here she reunites with her estranged adult daughter Cassandra – only to land smack bang in the emotional quagmire of her daughter’s anger and abandonment issues. To make matters worse, Judith can see her new granddaughter Emily has a serious health issue, but her offers of help are ignored and rejected.
When an accident knocks her off her feet, Judith is swamped by the kindly care of her nosy new neighbors. Yet, when given a chance to become a part of their community, Judith shocks even herself by making a series of unforgivable blunders. Realizing if she’s to have any hope of reuniting her family, this well-meaning but stubborn curmudgeon must learn the power of saying ‘sorry’ – and what it actually means to be a good person.
Locations
Reset- Australia - South Australia
- A: Clifton St/Rowntree St
- B: Bricks & Stones Cafe
- C: Skillogalee Wines
Travel Guide
Adelaide
The author says:
The Self-Made Saint is set in the beautiful city of Adelaide, South Australia. Planned from its conception, Adelaide is the only Australian city built entirely on a grid system so it’s easy to navigate when exploring. The houses in my favourite suburbs are an elegant mix of colonial and Victorian cottages with the odd faux-Victorian sprawling bungalow thrown in.
I choose this setting because I was born in Adelaide and though my family moved to country South Australia for most of my teenage years, I settled back in Adelaide for university and lived there for a couple of years.
Adelaide has a vibrant art and café culture and no story set here would be complete without the addition of a café where the characters interact on many occasions. The café in the story “Beans and Brew” was invented but I based it on the small suburban cafes which are the center of life in each little hamlet of Adelaide. Cafés don’t just serve good coffee but make a point of supporting local bakeries, coffee roasters and even local artists who exhibit their wares on the café walls.
The name of Rowntree Street is invented but Goodwood is a real and very pretty suburb a short drive from the city centre. It’s very much its own community and if you live there, there isn’t often a reason to leave its cosy environs.
BookTrail Boarding Pass: The Self-Made Saint
Destination/location: Adelaide Author/guide: Alexandra Addams Departure Time: 2025
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