Mothers-in-law are famous for being difficult but when Nell marries Andy it's her father-in-law, Hal, who is the problem. A corrosive force in his own family, Hal is a truly ugly Australian who spreads his corruption whenever he gets the chance. Surviving Hal takes place in Sydney and Thailand and is the story of Nell and Andy trying to keep their family together against the influence of a charismatic but ugly soul. Praise for Penny Flanagan: "Poignant ... balanced, delicately handled, quietly eloquent." - The Sydney Morning Herald "Penny Flanagan has produced a stylish first novel studded with comic gems." - New Librarian "Not since Helen Garner's Monkey Grip has a book given me this feeling of fitting into another woman's skin." - Marie Low