4 Stars
4 stars
I quite enjoyed this book. It explores loneliness in a way that is not romantically defined and emphasised the power we possess as humans to do small acts of kindness to forge connections.
The main thing that took me out of the narrative was the somewhat incessant need to show how “out of the loop” Eleanor is. Despite her being smart, reading newspapers daily, flicking through magazines, often listening to workplace gossip and walking/bussing around her city (ie., advertising and shop fronts galore) she somehow doesn’t have an awareness of MacDonalds or the concept of a makeup brand named after a person. It’s just too far of a stretch that it interferes with the suspension of disbelief and takes away from a more nuanced understanding of who she is.