Three women. A baby rescued from the sea. Lives forever changed.

When Sapphie, a passionate environmentalist, goes on a camping trip in the bush, she miraculously rescues a baby from the sea. The baby belongs to Candace, a charity worker struggling with new motherhood. The act of rescue throws these strangers together and inspires an intense friendship. Candace’s best friend Alexia, a legal academic, has her reservations about the unconventional new woman in their lives. When Alexia investigates Sapphie’s background, she discovers … nothing. As far as the internet is concerned, Sapphie doesn’t exist. This compels Alexia to ask: What is Sapphie hiding?  
 
As the novel dives into the turbulent waters of love, duty and control, the women must navigate the powerful currents of their fears and desires to discover who they really are.  
 
All We Need is whip-smart fiction that shines a light on how we live today. It holds a mirror to contemporary parenting, economic insecurity, sibling rivalry, the environment, gender divides and the joy of dress-ups. Acutely observed, funny and tender, this tell-your-friends-about-it book will keep you gripped until the last page.

About the Author

Magdalena McGuire is an award-winning author whose new book, All We Need, explores the nuances of contemporary love and motherhood. Magdalena was awarded a prestigious Faber Writing Academy scholarship to support the development of this novel, which will be published by Ultimo Press in 2025. Magdalena’s short story collection, Born for You, was published by Ultimo Press in 2023 and has been shortlisted for the Queensland Literary Awards. Deborah Levy praised Magdalena’s writing for being ‘accomplished, complex and surreal’, while the Sydney Morning Herald commended her for being ‘a dab hand at unexpected twists’.

 

Praise

‘This book may be all you need right now - spend some quality time with these wonderful characters who will remind you of why all the best things in life are always worth fighting for: love and loyalty, hope and healing.’ – Ceridwen Dovey, author of Mothertongues