I wasn't sure if I would enjoy 'Guppies', as I have two octogenarian parents with acute short-term memory problems and quite dread what the near future will bring. However, Marika has written brilliantly and with humour about circumstaces which I fully recognise. Caring for our dearest, when they are not always the people we remember and cherish is challenging, frustrating and at times physically and emotionally draining. And when one feels that nobody else is helping out, so that there is little respite from the worry, bitterness can creep in. However, there are many moments of joy and laughter yet to be had and this author has lassooed all of this into a very satisfying novel. Not sure about breaking and entering to spend Christmas in the old homestead, but somehow it became a very plausible part of the plot.
A very good read.