I had a fantastic time sharing in Meredith’s apartment life. She was a character that you couldn’t help but root for.

This debut novel reminded me quite strongly of “Elinor Oliphant Is Completely Fine“, but that being said, Meredith Maggs had her own unique voice and is much more socially savvy than Elinor. Meredith had little self esteem due to her mother belittling her throughout her life.

Despite her agoraphobia (she would call herself a ‘social recluse’), she was a level headed woman, a caring woman, a deeply damaged and traumatized woman. Her journey out of her trauma was a trip that I felt privileged to have shared. And Fred, well, you just HAVE to love an orange cat!

Meredith shared many of my favourite hobbies. Besides orange cats, she loved to read, to bake, and to do jigsaw puzzles.

This ‘uplit’ novel speaks to the power of friendship, the love of sisters, and the courage to overcome those things in life that are holding you back. A well written, thoughtful, believable, and brilliant read that has the power to stay in the reader’s memory.

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel from Grand Central Publishing (Hachette Book Group) via Edelweiss.

ISBN: 9781538709948 – ASIN: ‎ B09TZXYZ4N – 368 pages

Claire Alexander lives with her young family on the west coast of Scotland. A freelance journalist, she has written about parenting, sobriety, mental health and well-being for publications including The Washington Post, The Independent, The Huffington Post and Glamour. When she’s not writing or parenting, she’s on her paddle board, thinking about her next book.

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