THE BRILLIANT LIFE OF EUDORA HONEYSETT

By Annie Lyons

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ¼ (Goodreads: 4.31)

GENRE: Fiction

PART OF A SERIES? No

WORTH READING? Yes

SUMMARY:

Eudora Honeysett feels that she has lived a full life. She has sent enquiries off to a clinic in Switzerland, so that she may end her life exactly how she wants to.

Into Eudora’s life, comes a friendly neighbour, Stanley, and a happy ten-year-old named Rose. Even though Rose isn’t aware, she regularly interferes with Eudora’s plans of getting her affairs in order before travelling to Switzerland. Suddenly Eudora finds herself drawn into Rose’s colourful world. Now her life is filled with afternoon tea, day trips, shopping sprees and parties.

As the unlikely group of BFFs form a tight bond, and eagerly anticipate the arrival of Rose’s baby sister, Eudora reflects on her own childhood. The loss of her father during World War II, and its heartbreaking impact on her family, come flooding back. Confronting her past forces Eudora to accept what the future holds.

But with her joy for life rekindled, how can Eudora possibly say farewell? 

Opening lines: “When Eudora Honeysett hears the flip-clunk of the letterbox on this particular Tuesday morning, her heart skips before she pulls it back down to earth like a rapidly descending hot-air balloon.”

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is written as a dual timeline novel, showing us what Eudora went through as a young girl, then Eudora as a refined and ‘proper’ lady in her eighties. The story begins with introducing the reader to a rather crotchety old lady called Eudora Honeysett. Almost immediately, we get a feel for her character, and despite being cantankerous, I couldn’t help warming to Eudora quite quickly.

Eudora Honeysett has decided to end her life, as she lived it - with dignity, in Switzerland. She’s had quite enough of this “…noisy, moronic world.!”

Ten-year-old Rose, Eudora’s new neighbour, is quite the character. She is also very intuitive. It doesn’t take very long before Eudora thaws to her. The two females seem to fill a gap in each other’s lives and it’s really lovely to go on the journey with them.

When we are absorbed in Eudora Honeysett’s life as a child, we meet a not-so-likeable character, Eudora’s sister. Naturally, seeing what her sister was like gives us a little bit of insight into why Eudora is the way she is.

In many ways, The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett was an easy read. However, in it, Annie Lyons does deal with the sometimes-controversial issue of assisted dying, where a person chooses to end their life with medical assistance.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett! Annie Lyon's writing is clever, humorous, and like sitting down with a delicious hot chocolate.

Reading this brought to mind the wonderful Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine  (click here) and the brilliant A Man Called Ove (click here).

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