Blanche d’Alpuget laughed a lot. She dwelled on the good in people, rarely complaining about the bad or commenting on what she might have considered their weaknesses.

To remember Blanche as Bob Hawke’s wife, while accurate, also diminishes her. She was a prolific author who had deep insights into people she knew and many whom she didn’t.

Blanche was not entirely happy if she didn’t have a new book on the go. She would immerse herself in research for the next one, taking no break from the one just published.

We had many discussions about the Middle East, the historical origins of the conflict and the personalities involved. It was, she concluded, a diabolical problem with no obvious........

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