Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander
Fiction
2022
Narrated by Freya Mavor
Finished on June 17, 2024
Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)
Publisher's Blurb:
A best friend in Sadie.
A beloved cat in Fred.
Jigsaws to fill the time.
Recipes to perfect.
Even a weekly visit from the Tesco delivery guy.
So what if she hasn't left the house in 1,214 days? That her memories are treacherous, and it's getting harder to ignore the estranged sister knocking at her door.
How long can one woman keep the world out?
How long before she invites in what's out there?
And how long does it take to discover the person you were meant to be?
I really enjoyed this novel! At the heart of the story are Meredith and her sister, Fiona. Raised by a single mother who is incapable of love, throwing verbal abuse their way at every opportunity, both sisters are eager to leave home as soon as possible. Surprisingly, Meredith's awful childhood and upbringing isn't the source of her agoraphobia, although it isn't difficult to discern the cause, given several clues in the early chapters of the book.
Meredith is such a likeable, well-drawn character. I came to care about her, as well as her new friends, Tom and Celeste, who not only give her emotional support and confidence to overcome her situation, but also unconditional love, which she is so desperately in need of. The story's conclusion is not predictable or sappy, but ultimately hopeful and uplifting. Fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine are sure to enjoy this satisfying, character-driven story. And the audiobook is outstanding! I was eager to listen at every chance I had, and I fell in love with the narration by Freya Mavor, a Scottish actor with whom I'm not familiar. I look forward to Claire Alexander's second novel, which is due out in 2025.
Recommend!
I received a complimentary copy from Libro.fm. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I have been curious about this book. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, Les. I'm glad to see how much you enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteDeb, I don't remember if you listen to audiobooks (I think not), so I'll be curious to hear how you like this one in the print format. A big plus for me was the audio narration.
DeleteI liked that book quite a bit. Also the Eleanor Oliphant book and that's a great comparison for the same sort of genre. I didn't knonw a new novel was planned by Claire Alexander but I will go check it out and add to my read list on Goodreads.
ReplyDeleteTina, it's funny that I compared it to Eleanor Oliphant. After I wrote my review, I was scrolling through the author's IG feed and noticed that a review mentioned the same comparison! Go figure! :) As far as her new book, it's remains untitled at this time. I'll let you know if I see anything about it in the future on IG.
DeleteI did a little sleuthing and found this on the publisher's site (Penguin Random House UK):
DeleteThe Pieces of Us (6/3/2025)
Three generations of women. Three life altering events. As they discover the truth of their heritage, they'll discover what makes the pieces of us...
At fifty-eight Minnie McAllister isn’t an old woman. But as Alzheimer’s ravages her mind, her brain says otherwise.
Cat McAllister is tackling everything life can throw at her. And just when she thinks it can’t get any worse, she’s faced with the discovery that Minnie might not be the mother she once knew.
Meanwhile, Cat's daughter, Ruby McAllister, who is staring at a two very blue lines, faces a decision that will change the course of her life.
As three generations of women are pulled in three different directions, each are forced to learn lessons about themselves that they never could have imagined.
That's fantastic! I just added it to my Goodreads lineup. You are a super sleuth!
Delete:)
DeleteI like the sound of this one and I did enjoy the Eleanor Oliphant book. Will put it on my list for a possible read/listen maybe.
ReplyDeleteKay, if you're undecided on the format, I recommend the audio. The narrator is really good!
DeleteThis sounds good, Les. A narrator can make all the difference in a good book. It's wonderful when you can slip into an audio book and never stop to question something about the narration!
ReplyDeleteJenclair, and it wasn't just the narrator's performance that I enjoyed. The book is well done and I enjoyed the relationships between a few of the characters. There are a couple of people I disliked immensely, but the others are very likeable. Good book!
DeleteI really enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant and this one sounds great, too... literally. I just listened to the audio sample. Now it's on my wish list.
ReplyDeleteJoAnn, don't you just love the narrator's voice?! It's not necessarily a light read, but it was entertaining and didn't require anything from me other than to settle in and listen. Hope you enjoy it!
DeleteYou sold me on this one! I'll put my name in for the audio. I think I went thru an agoraphobia phase ... when we got the house and never went back to the city and I didn't know anyone out here. I just worked on the house and didn't want to go out. So I'm curious about her circumstance. Now that summer is about here I'm more out & about. lol.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I think it's one you'll enjoy, especially the audiobook! I'm glad you are getting out and about more now that summer has arrived. I'm a homebody, but I don't think I've ever felt anxious about leaving the house. I do prefer to take my walks by myself, though, and prefer my audibooks over long conversations with other people that I encounter on my walks. ;)
DeleteI LOVED Eleanor Oliphant so that's a good recommendation for me to read this one. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHelen, I think you'd enjoy this one if you LOVED Eleanor Oliphant. Enjoy!
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