The Unlikely Motherhood of Shaleni May

Finalist for the 2025 Epigram Books Fiction Prize

Motherhood at forty-five—what could possibly go wrong?

Shaleni May never planned for motherhood—until a chance encounter, a rescue dog and an unexpected adoption at forty-five. Suddenly thrown into digital-age parenting, she battles self-doubt, meddling mums and a lurking threat from her husband’s past. Wry, warm and wildly relatable, this is a story of late-life surprises, resilience and redefining family on your own terms.

About the Author

Sunita Sue Leng has spent over thirty years passing off as an investment analyst and journalist. Born in Malaysia, she scraped through the Singapore education system and currently resides in the city-state. She studied Management Science at the University of Warwick but has never managed anything or anyone with much success. She enjoys a well-crafted sentence, the thought of hiking and jazz. This is her first work of fiction.