I love this book!
The main character is Eudora. She’s 85 and tired. She’s brave and sarcastic. I know people like this! Although she has lived these 85 years, she has not had a lot of unique experiences. She finds people annoying. Move on she thinks.
Told using flashbacks of earlier life events, the reader gains an understanding of Eudora’s quandary about choosing life or choosing to die.
Suddenly her life is interrupted by Rose. “This little girl is like a grenade packed full of joie de vivre.”
A widower also comes into her life and she begins to experience true friendships.
The story explores family dynamics, letting go of guilt, choices we make and their consequences. One other element of this story is the idea that dying is a part of life. The author explores this with sensitivity.
I highly recommend this book. I laughed and I cried. Certain clubs would find this to be a good book club book.
I want to thank #NetGalley #TheExtraordinaryLifeofEudoraHoneycutt #HarperCollins for an advance copy of this ebook.

If you are looking for a heartwarming book—this is it! Eudora Honeysett is 85 and is ready to die. She seeks to do so on her terms. Enter 10 year old Rose who is colorful, loud and talkative—words that are the opposite of Eudora. We also meet Stanley, a recently-widowed neighbor intent on being helpful to Eudora. This is the story of their friendship and how they teach Eudora to live. Such a nice story!

Heartwarming story about an 85 year old woman who decides that she wants to die. On her journey she bumps into an extended family who helps change her mind. Lovely description of her relationships.

This book was so delightful!! This is the story of Eudora as she moves towards the end of life at the age of 85 and the new friendships she gains. I frequently found myself smiling at something Rose said or did and they way Eudora would respond. It was so relatable in that parts of Eudora reminded me of my grandma. It was very well written and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Reminiscent of A Man Called Ove, this novel is equally engaging and alternatively makes you laugh and cry. A good story of how people of all ages can profoundly impact each other’s lives and a reminder that kindness can make all the difference.

This is one of the best books I’ve read this year! Well-drawn, hugely satisfying characters, and an engaging story line that kept me turning pages into the night. I enjoyed the parallel story lines that slowly revealed Eudora’s past, just enough at a time until the her full journey was revealed. Emotionally relevant, and the character of young Rose added just the right Balance of lightness and laughter to an otherwise serious subject. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have just started to read this book and I am early in the chapters. But the story of Eudora has captured me from the begin. She sounds like someone I would want to meet.

Eudora Honeysett is getting older and has lived through a lot of hardships in her life. She decides she is ready to die and she is determined to do so on her own terms. A 10 year old girl, Rose, moves next door and she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Eudora. Eudora suddenly has so much left to live for and she questions everything she has begun to think about life as she knows it. This is a beautiful story on how an unlikely friendship can mold the decisions we make.

Sweet story of Eudora and a young girl who moves in next door. Eudora feel as she has nothing left to live for after her elderly mother dies. Eudora is fighting with demons from the past and feeling of being unlovable, when her little neighbor creates a whole new world for her. Bittersweet.

This book starts slowly with a cranky older woman and a very excitable young girl who could not be more different. Eudora is ready to die and Rose is full of life. But they somehow find out that they need each other and become close friends. It’s a mix between A Man Called Ove and Me Before You. If you enjoyed either of these books you’ll enjoy this one. Five stars! I really enjoyed it. Thank you Netgalley for the E Arc!

What a gem!!! I received this free book & it's a wonderful story. To me, life gets better for this lonely woman who opens her heart to this young child!
Absolutely loved this!!! Thank you!!

A warm novel of friendship of a ten year old and an eighty five year old. Eudora wants die peacefully and soon. Rose moves in next door and gives Eudora new reasons to live and find joy. Eudora remembers her past, makes peace with it, and dies surrounded by love and friends.

Eudora Honeysett is 85 and has had enough of the world. It is loud, it is rude, and it does not care about her. She does not want her life to end without dignity--with a loss of faculties and living in a home or at the hospital. Eudora wants the end to come in her own way and so, she gets the ball rolling by placing a call to a specialized Swiss clinic. She is ready to embrace the end.

Then, 10-year old Rose moves in next door in a blaze of color and sparkles. Despite Eudora's desire to be left alone to plan for the end ahead, she is unable to avoid being swept up in adventures with Rose and another neighbor Stanley, who has recently lost his wife. Eudora soon finds that in order to move forward, she has to come to peace with her less than ideal past and decide what it really is that she really wants for her life.

This was so different from books I typically read, because I typically don't read books in which the main character of the book is an 85-year old woman contemplating death. Reading this, however has showed me that I really need to broaden my horizons and read more books with "elderly" main characters! The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is just so good. I was taken in from the start. I thought it would be one that that might take some time to get into...but that was not the case at all. I couldn't wait to keep reading. The way this story tackles old age and the idea and reality of death, not to mention the severe impact guilt can have on a person, is so important. Lyons weaves Eudora's past and present storylines so well and absolutely can craft a good story. However, I think creating characters is where her talent really shines. Each character felt compelling and real and important and I felt so attached to them and their trials and triumphs. I wanted to know them in real life!

I highly recommend this book, especially if you enjoy contemporary fiction. While I admit, I spent a decent amount of time weeping while reading this book, there are many funny and joyful moments. It was lovely.

Eudora is an elderly woman with no family or friends. She is very practical about things and is making plans for the future. Her life is just fine. All this changes when a new family moves next door. Suddenly, Eudora’s life looks very different and full. This was a very touching book. I love Eudora’s cranky-at-times character, and Rose is simply irresistible! This was a wonderful read!

Even though I had a feeling of predictability from the start with this book, it turns out to be, nevertheless, an absolute delight and nowhere near as predictable as I suspected.

Eudora is a bit of a grump, an 85 year old woman who is done with this life. She wants nothing more to do with it, and is taking steps toward that. But new neighbors have other ideas, and it is a joy to read. An easy, relatively short read, well worth the time.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher and Book Club Girls for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book. Eudora is in her mid 80’s rather grumpy and quite done with life. She has decided that she is ready to die on her own terms and has discovered an organization in Switzerland which allows people to do just that. But as she waits to be approved by the organization, a new family moves in next door and into Eudora’s life dances their ten year old daughter Rose. Rose is full of life and is immediately drawn to Eudora. Eudora is not immediately drawn to Rose. But soon Rose has wiggled in and Eudora is drawn out into new adventures.

Eudora is a lonely character and through flashbacks we discover the events that have shaped her. Rose is a unique character who finds it easier to relate to Eudora than children her own age. I truly enjoyed their relationship. The story of an elderly woman wanting to end her life seems dark but the author handles the story beautifully. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book with well developed characters that you will ultimately enjoy.

Life is precious and as long as we have a reason to continue, we should follow that path.

Hi. Do you like to cry? I mean ugly cry. The kind of cry when you’re wailing uncontrollably but no sound is coming out because it’s THAT HARD. Oh, you do? Pick this up then. Okay, but seriously, this was a beautiful book. It was written so well and gave me every emotion, including hope. I believe this is one that will be on the big screen, and will pull at your heartstrings.

The book goes back and forth between present day Eudora and younger Eudora (1940s-2005) It shows flashbacks of the war, her mother, her sister Stella, romances, friendships, all of it. I wanted to be wrong about some of her flashbacks, but sadly my guesses were all correct. I wasn’t even 10ish pages in and I stared crying. It was a flashback, Hitler was in charge and Eudoras father had to go away (to war) and whew, tears. I absolutely loved these little historical portions written in. It truly helped the reader see exactly how and what shaped Eudora into the person she is present day.

As each page went back, I enjoyed Eudora more and more. She did seem like a bitter, closed in elderly woman, and the more she hung out with Stanley and Rose, the more she lived on the page. She is sharp tongued and really had some great one liners. (I truly imagined her being played as Maggie Smith, and it made Eudora truly come to life). Rose was truly the star of the show. The young and old friendship is one of my favorites, and Rose was so eccentric.

During this entire book, you realize Eudora never really had a chance to live.. I mean really truly live. She put everyone above her own happiness. She held on to regret for too long with situations that were not her fault. She finally starts to live just as she contemplated death, and it is a beautiful thing. It was a beautiful reminder to live while we can.

Thank you William Morrow & NetGalley for this beautiful story. The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is out September 8th.

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett was achingly, heartwarming. I felt for Eudora, who had a hard life, which was chronicled as flashbacks throughout the book

No one knows what lies ahead. The best to hope for is to choose to be surrounded by love and to help maintain the faith among friends that somehow, through that love, all shall indeed be well.

A fun, sweet, quirky, and memorable read

Thanks to the Book Club Girl Early Read Program and Harper Collins for the opportunity to experience the life of Eudora Honeysett!

It’s a sweet story (and just what I needed in these days of COVID-19 and tropical storms) and reminded me of a female version of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, one of my favorite books.

Eudora is in her 80’s and has had enough of life. We learn about her life from alternating chapters that go back to her childhood, where she had to deal with a widowed mother and spoiled/demonic younger sister. She’s been through a lot and has come to the decision to end it all through a program in Switzerland. But, then...two special people come into her life and throw a wrench into her plans.

Rose, a 10 year old girl moves into the house next door with her parents and immediately attaches herself to the older woman. And then there’s Stanley, a recent widower who mostly needs a friend or two.

Parts of the book were predictable but this was overweighed by moments of poignancy and laugh out loud writing. Overall, a 4 star read for me and my recommendation to get to know Eudora when the book comes out in September, 2020.

4.5 stars

I received a complimentary Kindle copy of this book from William Morrow through a Book Club Girl Early Read giveaway on Facebook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Annie Lyons, William Morrow, Book Club Girl Early Read giveaway, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

Okay, this is going to be a weird comment. This is the BEST book about DEATH that I have ever read!! But it was so much more. Eudora is an amazing character and her life is explained in flashbacks that help you understand why she IS who she is.

This book was about death, but it is about love, friendships, and family. Also, about how the choices we make affect our future. I loved the author's writing style - I could totally picture Eudora in my living room with a cup of tea and a biscuit. She was that REAL to me.

I loved the character development, story, and just about everything about this book. Even though you would think that the topic of death would be horrible and heavy - it was absolutely beautiful and made me so much lighter. It is exactly what I needed during this time of pandemic!!

HIGHLY recommend! This could be THE book of this "different" summer!!