What can I say about Eleanor Oliphant – what can’t I say! I found myself picking up my Kindle to read when I couldn’t sleep at 3 in the morning. Or an almost 2 hour drive with my husband, although I brought magazines where I could read a short article or two, I chose, instead, to get back to Eleanor. It covered all the bases; a novel about love, hate, living with sadness and loneliness, growing up and discovering your past, abuses of so many kinds, and opening up to possibilities when there has never been anything even remotely close to living a normal life. Eleanor. I loved her and wished only the best for her. But that was a long time to come, slowly at first, then accelerated. She made me cry, she made me laugh. I shared much of her humor with my husband until he said, ok, I have to read it myself now.

Living with a mother who was most definitely insane, Eleanor knew very little about what constituted normal. As a child, living in foster homes where she was showed very little love, she never knew the warm and safe feelings that came from loving another human being. Enter Raymond, most likely her soulmate (and angel on earth) who shows her what love and caring is all about. Another character or two and Eleanor begins to open up to the possibilities in life and that she could actually, finally, live a normal life.

I rate “Eleanor Oliphant…” 5 out of 5 stars