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Reviewed by Makeda Cummings for Readers' Favorite
In D J Colbert’s If That Was Lunch, We’ve Had It, two friends, Will and Rodney, hatch a plan on a beach as teenagers: write a book to dodge regular jobs. They spend decades avoiding traditional labor, bouncing between high-country sheep farming, hospital shifts, retail menswear sales, and maritime work. The story moves between New Zealand, Australia, and Middle Eastern ports, introducing a colorful circle of friends, including a punk named Bryan and a flatmate named Stan. A major problem emerges when their manuscript faces rejection from a publishing company, prompting them to look more closely at a suspicious writers’ group coordinator named Ralph. As the years roll by, they deal with serious health scares and a sudden, terrible accident that lands one of them in the hospital. This story leaves you with a lot to ponder about how long-term friendships withstand the unexpected curveballs of getting older.
D J Colbert’s If That Was Lunch, We’ve Had It is a humorous yarn that keeps a highly entertaining momentum. The author uses an observational, witty style that brings life to odd jobs, like early-morning bakery shifts where dropped sausage rolls become lunch. The chapters unfold nicely through the years, changing from early get-rich-quick schemes to a chaotic hitchhiking journey across Australia featuring eccentric drivers and a night spent in a rainy cemetery. The situation with the predatory publishing scam adds an interesting layer of intrigue, which the author fits alongside the realities of chronic illness and aging parents. It is great to read about a bond between two people that survives so many decades of transition. I think it’s a great read for anyone who wants a funny, realistic look at life’s unpredictable timing.
