The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett
A Novel
-
-
4.5 • 352 Ratings
-
-
- $14.99
Publisher Description
USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
"One adorably British odd couple . . . Charming." — People
“An exquisitely poignant tale of life, friendship and facing death . . . heart-breaking yet ultimately uplifting . . Everyone should read this book.” — Ruth Hogan, author of Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel
Infused with the emotional power of Me Before You and the irresistible charm of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Be Frank with Me, a moving and joyous novel about an elderly woman ready to embrace death and the little girl who reminds her what it means to live.
It's never too late to start living.
Eudora Honeysett is done with this noisy, moronic world—all of it. She has witnessed the indignities and suffering of old age and has lived a full life. At eighty-five, she isn’t going to leave things to chance. Her end will be on her terms. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland, a plan is set in motion.
Then she meets ten-year-old Rose Trewidney, a whirling, pint-sized rainbow of sparkling cheer. All Eudora wants is to be left alone to set her affairs in order. Instead, she finds herself embarking on a series of adventures with the irrepressible Rose and their affable neighbor, the recently widowed Stanley—afternoon tea, shopping sprees, trips to the beach, birthday celebrations, pizza parties.
While the trio of unlikely BFFs grow closer and anxiously await the arrival of Rose’s new baby sister, Eudora is reminded of her own childhood—of losing her father during World War II and the devastating impact it had on her entire family. In reflecting on her past, Eudora realizes she must come to terms with what lies ahead.
But now that her joy for life has been rekindled, how can she possibly say goodbye?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Eudora Honeysett, a British woman in her twilight years, resolves to die on her own terms in the witty, endearing latest from Lyons (The Happiness List). After a fall on the pavement sends Eudora to the hospital, an encounter with another older woman in the waiting room (" Not long now for you and me,' she wheezed,") plants a seed in her mind, and she realizes she's through with the pains, weakness, and fatigue of old age. She applies for a voluntary death provided by a medical clinic in Switzerland and marks her "Freedom" on the calendar, counting down the days until her appointment. Lyons unfurls Eudora's life story, including her grief over losing her father in WWII, alongside a surprising new friendship for Eudora with Rose Trewidney, a 10-year-old spitfire who's moved in next door and thrust herself into the daily routine of Eudora and her widower neighbor Stanley Marcham. As Eudora's hardened exterior softens with this newfound kinship, she is still adamant about getting on with her plans ("If I can have the choice of how I live my own life, why can't I choose how to die my own death?"). Lyons strikes a winning balance, reaching deep feelings while avoiding the traps of sentimentality.
Customer Reviews
See AllSuch a sweet story!
Enjoyed this book immensely!!
A little too cloyingly sweet
….for my taste
Sweet and delightful
Simply told with a lovely pace and enduring characters. I loved the back history set against the current day to help share the narration. Eudora is kind but brittle from life’s tough hits, but her young neighbor Rose sees the best in her. Enjoyable read that made me smile.