All the money in the world by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

July 16th 2021

My new novel, ‘All The Money In The World’ is out this month. The story is about Penny Nolan who’s resourceful and clever even though life is wearing her down. She gets a hard time at school. She’s anxious about her mother who’s worn out too. The tumbletown flats where they live are in need of repair. Money worries are never far from their minds.

It’s not all bad though, and Penny does what she can to make the best of things. Matt and Kitty are the most loyal friends anyone could wish for and for all sorts of reasons they make life worth living.

Next door to the flats there’s a strange old woman called Violet Fitzsimons. Penny and her friends have grown up terrified of Violet because of the stories they’ve been told, but when Penny finally comes face to face with this mysterious neighbour she discovers that the stories aren’t true. An unlikely friendship begins to bloom between them. Violet brings music to Penny’s life, and Penny brings companionship and colour back to Violet. Soon, with Violet’s support, Penny’s getting opportunities that she couldn’t have dreamed of and the chance to reinvent herself in a way she never thought possible.

I’ve always loved rags to riches stories. They’re central plots in so many of my own favourite books from Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca to Roald Dahl’s Charlie and The Chocolate factory. To me it’s always been a brilliant storytelling premise. And I’m so thrilled to introduce Penny to my readers. I hope they’ll enjoy her adventure. In the end her journey is not nearly as much about the money as it is about how she finds the courage to defy a world that has done so much to try to make her feel small about herself.  

All the Money in the World is out now.