What to do when I'm gone: a mother's wisdom to her daughter

A mother's advice to her daughter - a guide to daily living, both practical and sublime - with full-colour illustrations throughout.

One sleepless night while she was in her early twenties, illustrator/writer Hallie Bateman had a painful realization: her mum would die, and after she died she would be gone.

The prospect was devastating, and also scary - how would she navigate the world without the person who gave her life?

She thought about all the motherly advice she would miss - advice that could help her through the challenges to come, including the ordeal of losing a parent.

The next day, Hallie asked her mother, writer Suzy Hopkins, to record step-by-step instructions for her to follow in the event of her mum's death.

The list began: 'Pour yourself a stiff glass of whiskey and make some fajitas' and continued from there, walking Hallie through the days, months, and years of life after loss.