From the Formal Lounge Room: In Conversation with My Grandfather

by Felicity Zadro

264 pages, Paperback

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Samuel Rose]

As a grandchild myself I picked this up hoping to learn how to interview my own grandfather. And I did. Felicity's questions are gentle but persistent. She doesn't let him off the hook. When he says something racist he learned as a kid she asks him about it. Not to shame him. To understand.
The part where he talks about his first Christmas in Australia without his family. He ate alone. He cried. Then he went to work the next day. That's the migrant story. That's the whole book.

[Cassian Brooks]

Wow. Just wow. The formal lounge room. His words. His memories. His faith. His politics. His family. His legacy. This book is everything. I'm only 20 pages in but I already know it's a 5 star read. Wait. I finished it. Last night. And I already want to read it again. That's the sign of a great book. The tomato seeds. The watch. The neighbor. The wife. The laugh. The regret. The faith. The politics. The community. The legacy. All of it. Thank you Felice. Thank you Felicity.

[Charlotte Ledger]

I finished this last night and immediately wanted to start again. The part where Felice talks about his father leaving for Australia first and promising to send for the family? I held my breath. And then when he finally arrives at 15 and barely recognizes his own father? Gut wrenching. This book is a keeper. Buy it for yourself and buy a copy for someone you love.