Eudora Honeysett is Quite Well, Thank You/The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons

Published September 17th 2020 by One More Chapter, September 8th 2020 by William Morrow

5 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Eudora Honeysett is an 85 year old woman who has never married. She has lost everyone in her life, parents and her sister and keeps to herself. Eudora lives in the house where she grew up, but the neighbourhood has changed and she knows no one. She has no friends except for Montgomery, a cat that is more a pain than a pet or companion. She just wants to be left alone. When she stumbles upon a pamphlet about a clinic is Switzerland where you can end your life on your own terms, she decides that is what she wants to do. She does not want to die alone in the hospital or in a home and she does not want to suffer. Enter the new neighbours. Maggie and Rob are expecting a second child, a sister to ten year old Rose. Rose wants to meet her new neighbour, and explodes into Eudora’s life bringing with her colour, music, laughter and love. Along with Rose, she becomes friends with Stanley, a man who lives down the street. She sees him walking his dog on a regular basis, but it is a fall and Rose that brings the three of them together.

I loved the intergenerational friendship of Rose, Stanley and Eudora. Stanley is dealing with grief after the loss of his wife, Eudora is sad and tired of the world, and Rose has been bullied at school in her previous neighbourhood. These three friends support one another and help each other to heal and grow. We learn about Eudora’s life and what brought her to the way she is through flashbacks. My heart broke for her as this story unfolds, but you need to read this for yourself to learn about Eudora’s story. I absolutely loved Eudora. She was a curmudgeon when we first meet her, but as she opens to others, we see her dry wit and caring nature. Rose is priceless. She is uninhibited and loves life. She tells everyone that Eudora and Stanley are her BFFs and she truly means it. Each of these characters learns something about themselves from one another and Eudora shares her wisdom with others along the way. This is a story that deals with grief and death. It is written with compassion and care. All I will say is that this book had me in tears a few times, but in giggles at others. If you love stories with mature characters, stories with intergenerational characters and uplifting and compassionate stories then you need to pick this one up. It is one I definitely recommend. I was gifted a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

The Brilliant Life of Eudora HoneysettAbout the Book (From Goodreads): 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.

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 color and 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?