Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor Oliphant is thirty and lives a regimented and simple, single and solitary life. Every day is the same as the day before for Eleanor and she prefers it that way. She doesn’t socialize at work or outside and spends the weekends listening to radio programs or reading books whose covers have caught her attention at the library, regardless of their subject matter. The only other person she speaks regularly to is her abusive Mummy.

When Eleanor’s computer goes on the fritz, she’s forced to contact Raymond, the firm’s new IT employee, who insists on being chatty and walking her to the bus stop. Unfortunately, elderly Sammy has taken a tumble on the street. Raymond quickly rushes to his aid and convinces reluctant Eleanor to help as well. Despite her need to remain anonymous, Eleanor slowly finds herself drawn to Raymond and his mother, and to Sammy and his large family.

It’s rare that I can zip through a book in a day, but when I do, I know it’s because I’m absolutely in love with it. While there’s some undeniably depressing and tragic subject matter in Eleanor Oliphant, there are many, MANY truly delightful breaks of sunshine and happiness.

I adored Gail Honeyman’s writing. Deadpan, dry, yet highly intelligent humor, to me, is hilarious and there is definitely tons of it here. It’s not often that I literally laugh aloud while reading a book (especially in public) but I did several times while reading this one. Ms. Honeyman’s sense of humor is classic.

The characters are wonderfully genuine and realistically flawed. My heart ached for Eleanor. I know what it’s like to endure abuse and how it can destroy your spirit. Yet I also know that you can’t let that pain consume you, and that it’s okay to trust people again. 

This is touching, quirky and spectacularly splendid reading! I absolutely cannot say enough good things about Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and I can’t wait for the movie to come out.

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton

Book Review of The Little French Bistro by Nina George

Sixty-year-old Marianne Messmann has had enough of her loveless, one-sided marriage of forty plus years. Lothar Messman is an overbearing oaf who has no idea how to show Marianne the love and affection she so desperately wants. For far too long, Marianne has blamed herself and when she becomes overwhelmingly despondent during their Paris vacation, she wanders off to end it all. When her suicide doesn’t go as planned, Marianne uses the near death experience to embark on an adventure of self-discovery and reinvention.

I read Nina George’s “The Little Paris Bookshop” and was less than enthusiastic about it. In it, George writes from the male perspective and I couldn’t find it convincing or compelling. The Little French Bistro, by comparison, was fabulous. Writing from the female perspective, to me, makes the author’s voice so much more believable and enjoyable.

The Little French Bistro brings a lovely cast of characters together. The 60+ crowd has great deal of experience with life, love and loss to teach younger generations and this theme shines through beautifully in this book. I loved every single character here. The author does a wonderful job of creating believable, likable characters that peel away layers to reveal their genuine hopes, dreams, thoughts, feelings and faults.

I can’t say enough good things about The Little French Bistro. It’s definitely worth reading and the characters will stay with you long after you’ve finished. Thanks to the publisher and the now defunct Blogging for Books for a complimentary copy.

5 of 5 Stars, Review by Susan Barton, DIY Mom Blog