Hera set to publish uplifting contemporary family comedy series by Nancy Peach

Hera Publisher, Keshini Naidoo, has acquired World English Language and audio rights to a new uplifting family comedy series in a two-book deal.

The first book in the series, Sandwich, sees forty-something mother-of-three Penny Tyler just about managing to juggle domestic family life with a husband, three kids and a dog, only to find extra balls thrown in when she must become a full-time carer to her mother, who has dementia. The men in her life - her husband Sam and brother-who-can-do-no wrong Rory - are at best, benevolently oblivious and at worst, actively critical. Drawing on all her resources, and her close female friends, Penny juggles faster, trying to keep everyone happy. An unlikely life-line arrives in the form of a dementia-friendly choir, where Penny finds herself part of a new, supportive community who help her find  her forgotten love of music and in doing so, find herself. 

Nancy Peach was longlisted for the Comedy Women in Print Prize 2020 and is the author of romantic comedy Love Life. Sandwich is inspired by elements of her own life.

Keshini Naidoo says: ‘Sandwich hooked me from the very first page. I found myself hooting with laughter and sighing with recognition right from the first moment when Penny’s yoga class is interrupted by a phone call, to the displeasure of her yoga teacher, Bendy Linda. Nancy has such a strong comedic voice, and the book really taps into a situation faced by so many women today, caring for both their kids and their ageing parents. It will appeal to anyone who watches Motherland, or Outnumbered and reads authors such as Gill Sims and Milly Johnson. Nancy Peach has an important story to tell that will resonate with women anywhere, and tells it with sparkling wit and enormous warmth. We are delighted to welcome her to the Hera list.’

Nancy Peach says: ‘I am so thrilled to be working with Hera on Sandwich, a book I’ve been wanting to share for a long time. The team at Hera are real champions of relatable women’s fiction and they understand exactly what I’m trying to do with Sandwich; shining a light on those women who are quietly going about their business of holding everything together, whether that be family, friends, or the wider community. The book is mainly focussed on the wives, mothers and daughters of the sandwich generation but it’s also a celebration of unsung heroes in all their guises, which I think we all need right now. I’m so glad it’s found a home with Hera.’

Sandwich will be published in October 2023, in mass-market paperback and ebook, with the next book in the series to follow in July 2024. For more information, please contact publicity@canelo.co