Lawyer Tony Kelly and playwright, arts producer and social worker Rebecca Lister relocated to Mount Isa in 2016 to care for Rebecca's mother Diana.

Their experiences are now recorded in a book published by UQP called Growing Pineapples in the Outback which will be launched in Mount Isa on March 13.

The couple left behind their young adult children, careers and friends. Initially they thought they would only be there for a year but it quickly dawned on them that they were there for however long it took. Two years later Diana died.

They describe the challenges they had moving to Mount Isa, finding jobs and a place for themselves there. They also describe how for a little while it became home.

Growing pineapples in the outback tells their story. Rebecca and Tony, taking a chapter in turn, chart their relationship with Diana, each other and themselves and the challenges and joys of coming to terms with their new home and life, the isolation and the demands of caring for someone who is in the end stage of life.

In their own ways Rebecca and Tony had to face their own mortality and were forced to reflect on life decisions that had left them in late middle age with few tangible assets and an uncertain future. It is also a story about love: love for Diana, love for place and love for each other.

While Rebecca deals with her mother's declining health and delves into her own past, Tony takes on a new role in native title law.

Caring for Diana - a witty, crossword-loving 92-year-old - proves to be a more enriching experience than either Tony or Rebecca thought possible.

The book explores the highs and lows of caring for an ageing parent, while also celebrating the rewards of a simpler life.

The book launch will be at Arvo's Tapas Bar 79 Camooweal St, Friday March 13, 5.30pm to 7pm.

MC will be Lynette Stenhouse and books will be available for sale.

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