The Quiet Triumph of Rachel Farrowsworth

Rachel Farrowsworth is 56, lives in South Western Sydney, and is looking for a job. She is not a confident 'Fifty and fabulous' as frequently depicted on the cover of magazines. With limited education, she is rejected for hundreds of low-level jobs and is one step away from being homeless. Her mother is in a nursing home, her best friend in Brisbane and her closest friend is Rima from Syria who lives next door. She faces age discrimination. She reluctantly accepts the stream of rejection emails, living on instant noodles and begging the electricity company for sympathy. She attends interview after interview. She feels invisible. A Covid-19 lockdown hits hard. She takes in Leah, a reforming drug addict, another fifty something who is struggling to survive. She reads in the paper that her former partner has committed murder-suicide. She is forced to relive their relationship, the control he had over her, the miscarriage she suffered. One day, her frustration gets the better of her and as part of an emotional outburst she responds with 'Eating' to the ubiquitous 'What motivates you?' question and Bev, an Office Manager, takes a chance. Rachel lands a job as an Administrative Assistant in a technology company! The learning curve is steep but rewarding. She must master corporate buzzwords, fancy coffee machines, team building activities. Eighteen months later, she is made redundant. Unable to face what she knows will be another endless stream of knockbacks, she spirals. She is shocked back into action after almost losing Rima's daughter at the park. In the background is Robert, another job seeker. Quiet, humble, educated Robert who is drawn to Rachel's gutsiness. Rachel refuses to give up her independence, but she likes Robert. Recognising a need in the community for a drop-in centre for older people looking for work, they start the next chapter of their life by opening Leah's Corner, named after her friend who died of an overdose.