Judith Lucy has been cracking jokes about her parents for years. But when a birth relative’s casual comment implied that she despised them, Judith was shocked. Sure, she had been talking about Ann and Tony Lucy like they were one-dimensional Irish nutbags who’d ruined her life for years, but there was always more to them and her own feelings than that. So Judith decided it was time to write the full story of her parents and her childhood. And here it is, a reference book on all things Lucy from: A is for Adopted (she is) to C is for Cleaning (they didn’t) and for Counselling (you’ll find out why she had a lot of it) to D is for Diets (she was put on one at eight) to H is for Heart Attack (her father’s) to M is for Make Up (her father’s) to N is for Nuts (there was a falling out over testicles) to R is for Review (to do with Nuts) to T is for Transcendental Meditation (it didn’t work) to X is for Xmas (when a lot of this started) and beyond…

In amongst the gags Judith explores the people her parents were and the impact of finding out - at twenty-five - that she was adopted. We meet Judith’s birth mother but learn that ultimately it was her very unusual parents who made her who she is today.

The Lucy Family Alphabet is funny and ruthlessly honest, but also a moving tribute to the lunatics who raised one of Australia’s best-known comedians.