The winner of the 2010 Finch Memoir Prize is a beguiling, sensitive and humorous story of a young woman's difficult relationship with her emotionally distant, and somewhat eccentric mother - whilst hiding the early signs of her own incurable illness.
Elizabeth Lancaster's memoir is the winner of the Finch Memoir Prize, which attracted seventy-five submissions in its first year. Selected for its 'literary quality', Marzipan and Magnolias was applauded for the author's warm and humorous portrayal of her relationship with her mother and the onset of her own unexpected illness. Struggling to escape from the unconventional and slightly eccentric nature of her mother Ruth, Elizabeth travels overseas, where she meets Martin, who is German. Learning to live apart from her family, Elizabeth knows if she continues her relationship with Martin and stays overseas, Ruth's reaction will be icy. Nevertheless she and Martin decide to get married and live in Berlin. Inevitably the relationship with her mother is fractured.
It is in Berlin, while eating marzipan, that Elizabeth experiences her first symptoms of the disease that is developing within her and will several years to diagnose: multiple sclerosis. Upon their return to Australia, Elizabeth's relationship with Ruth thaws over a mutual love of gardening. However, Martin is unexpectedly transferred to New York and Elizabeth has no sooner arrived then she has to pack up and start all over again in a new country.
