“Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman

Simple social skills, casual friendships and the support of a family are all things we take for granted in day to day life but for Eleanor Oliphant these things are Mission: Impossible. For as long as she can remember she has been on her own. Bouncing from foster families every 18 months since she was 10, her carefully organized life is one of simplicity. Wednesday night phone calls with Mummy, frozen pizza and vodka from Tescos on the weekends and she is set. Eleanor doesn’t covet material things, human contact or corporate ladder climbing, she is fine as she is. Completely by chance, Eleanor makes her first friend when she and Raymond from IT are bonded over an emergency situation. Edging her way out of isolation, Eleanor begins to slowly uncover what life is like outside of the 4 walls of her apartment all while turning over stones that weigh down the buried memories of her past. “Eleanor Oliphant…” was such a pleasant surprise for me. This has been on my shelf for sometime and I’m regretting not reading it sooner. This was such a beautiful story mixed with compassion, kindness, heartbreak and survival. A quick read that will remind you that you never know what is going on inside another person, not to judge others and to always live with an open heart. If you have yet to be introduced to Eleanor Oliphant be sure to pick up a copy of this book ASAP.

Get a copy of “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” here.