I loved Eudora Honeycutt!!!! This book reminded me so much of A Man Called Over and maybe Eleanor Oliphant. Eudora has had a bit of a rough life and has gone through some not very nice things. She's loved and she's lost and she's sacrificed much to take care of her mom. She is alone now and 85 and she wants to die on her own terms. She is working to be able to do that and into her life enters 10 year old Rose. Rose has moved in next door to Eudora with her parents and sister on the way. Rose has been bullied at her last school and has trouble making friends. You never know when a bright day of sunshine is going to walk into your life and change it.
The friendship that grows between Eudora and Rose is so precious and so beautiful. I love that Rose's whole family takes Eudora under their wing. Rose and Eudora bring another elderly man and neighbor, Stanley, into their circle as well. It was just so beautifully written and poignant and lovely.

In describing my initial reading of this book to a friend, it was hard not to compare it to another book about a cranky Scandinavian widow. But as the pages went by, the other book disappeared and I became absorbed into Eudora’s life and totally forgot the other book. At the onset, her life might look drab and ordinary (probably like many lives), but her history and companions and the joy of simple things prove otherwise. The characters were richly drawn, including warts and all. The book has been finished for several days but Eudora and her life continue to entertain in my thoughts. Highly recommended read.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It was a quick and easy read, it was fun and funny yet still bringing up a very serious and important topic.- is it up to the individual to decide when they are ready to die? Are we every really ready to?
I would definitely recommend checking this one out!
Thanks to NetGalley and Book Club Girls for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

I just adored this wonderful book about coming to terms with death and with what life has to offer. Eudora Honeysett is 85 and wants to end her life with dignity on her terms. But meeting her 10 year old neighbor Rose and forming a friendship with her neighbor, Stanley, makes her rethink her decision. The book is told in present day but there are short recollections of Eudora's life over the years from her childhood through adulthood that help you to understand how she got to where she is today. It is beautifully written with wonderfully quirky and interesting characters. It reminded me a lot of A Man Called Ove. Thanks to NetGalley and Book Club Girls for the digital ARC.

Thank you for this digital advanced copy of this book provided by Net Galley and Harper & Collins in exchange for my honest review.
Eudora Honeysett is 85 years old and lives alone. She is set in her routines, used to being alone and keeping her feelings and life private. Eudora is checking out information on assisted dying through a clinic in Switzerland. Eudora is tired of living her old age, feeling her body aches and noticing some difficulties with everyday tasks she desires to have some control on how she is to die. She wants to have the choice to die with her own terms. She goes through the process to be evaluated for a planned and assisted death.

Then Eudora has new neighbors move in and she meets 10 year old Rose. Rose is full of life, speaks her mind and likes to dress with lots of color and bling. Rose Instantly likes Eudora and Rose is a force that Eudora cannot get away from. The relationship between Rose and Eudora becomes very special and along with another friendship with a grieving neighbor.

In this story we learn about Eudora's past with some memories and flashbacks which helps explain her life. We learn about how Eudora grew up caring for family members and some sad things that happened with her family. Eudora made choices that involved her family that would forever shape her life.

This reminded me a little of "A Man Called Ove" at the beginning but as it progressed it was uniquely different from it. At times, this story made me smile and it was endearing especially how Rose interacted with Eudora. I miss the dynamics of Rose and Eudora already. I enjoyed the wisdom of the aged and the spontaneity of the young together. I would say it is a light read but it kept drawing me back to it therefore, it deserves a 5 star rating from me.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and Book Club Girls. What a beautifully written story about life. Things didn’t go well for Eudora but with the help of a precocious 10 year old girl an and older gentleman neighbor who is still missing his deceased wife, Eudora finds joy and friendship.

This was a quick, easy read and I enjoyed how the author gave us glimpses of Eudora's life over the years. I felt the characters came to life through the pages and LOVED the innocence of the little girl and wished she and her family lived next door to me. Definitely a FIVE STAR read!,, Thanks to Net Galley, Book Club Girls and Annie Lyons for an advanced readers e-copy of this book.

The publishers description of this novel as a cross between <i>Me Before You</i> and <i>Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine</i> hit the nail on the head.

Eudora has been alive for 85 years. And she is ready to die by her own terms in Switzerland. She has prepared the paperwork and has set the wheels in motion.

Her plans take a turn when 10 year old Rose moves in next door and Eudora realizes that she has been alive for 85 years but she hasn’t really lived.

Bring your tissues.

4.5 stars!! What a lovely, charming, brilliant book! It has such a lovely ending. I'm not going to go too much into the plot - you can read that summary anywhere.

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.

I loved the character of Eudora Honeysett. She's had a long, and mostly good, but solo life. When 10 year old Rose enters her life, everything changes. Their relationship is charming.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves books about what it means to live and love, and yes, even what encompasses a "good death."

Eudora is sad, lonely and is ready to end her life until she meets her new, 10 year old neighbor, Rose. Rose and her other elderly neighbor, Stanley, slowly show her how to make the most of her life again. As the three unlikely friends spend time together, laugh and grow closer, Eudora reflects on her past and whether to listen to her doctor when she says "life is precious and as long as we have a reason to continue we should follow that path."

This book was difficult to put down! The alternating chapters between past and present gives the reader a peak into why Eudora feels the way she does about life. The way Eudora and Rose's friendship blossoms is heartwarming and real. Five stars!! Thanks to NetGalley, Book Club Girls and Annie Lyons for an advanced readers e-copy of this book.

This was a very moving story. It dealt with a tough topic, but there were tons of moments of humor, especially observational humor. Eudora's backstory was a bit melodramatic, but one could get a sense of how she came to be the way she was. The secondary characters were delightful.

Eighty-five-year-old Eudora Honeysett uses her taciturn expression and formal, acerbic speaking style as a suit of armor, meant to repel any advances. She has learned that making herself vulnerable to other people only leads to disappointment and heartbreak. And so here she is, living in her lifelong home, with no friends or family, and nothing but her daily routine of crosswords and swimming—and a grumpy cat—to get her up in the morning.

Despite exercising nearly every day, Eudora can feel her body failing. She is horrified by the idea of a long, undignified institutional end. She is ready to go and ready to take action to achieve her goal.

But the new Trewidney family next door, especially 10-year-old daughter, Rose, are impervious to Eudora’s armor. Every day she is dragged into more and more activities by Rose and her neighbor Stanley, a widower also pulled into Rose’s web.

This dual-narrative novel alternates between flashbacks to the events of Eudora’s life that so crushed her spirit and made her close herself off from others, and the present-day story of how Rose makes Eudora shed her armor, bit by bit.

The way things are in our world right now, it would be easy to roll my eyes cynically at this novel. But I’m finding during this pandemic that so many neighbors and members of the community are reaching out to care for others. That’s what we see in this novel, and I can’t be cynical about that. This is an entertaining and heart-warming novel that should appeal to readers of Frederik Backman.

I just adored this book. Obviously it is about the life of Eudora. But the main focus is on the end of her life and friendship. The main characters were well developed and just fit together so well. It gives one a lot to think about. The book is well written and I was really sad when it ended.

Eudora is 85 years old and is done with life. She wants to leave this world on her terms. She makes an appointment at a clinic in Switzerland and just waiting for approval. Then, 10 year old Rose and her family moves in next door. Rose has made Eudora her new BFF. Rose also makes friends with Stanley, an older gentleman who just lost his wife. The 3 make an unlikely group of friends but it works so well. Rose shows Eudora love and that life is still worth living. Will Eudora go through with her clinic appointment or will she realize she still wants to live? If I could give this book 100 stars I would. I loved the characters in this fantastic book! Eudora has lived a life with many hardships but she is so wonderful with her friends Rose and Stanley. Rose is the sweetest, full of life little girl and cares deeply for her friends and family. Stanley is a sad lonely man brought back to life with the help of Eudora and Rose. I felt like I was with Eudora, Rose,and Stanley on their adventures. I loved this incredible book with my entire heart and soul! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I loved this book! You couldn’t help but root for Eudora as she progresses through the story. I could especially relate to her, since my mother is her age and experiencing the same indignities of getting old. I enjoyed getting to know Rose and Stanley and their friendship with Eudora. The book had me laughing and crying. It’s a very sweet story.

Annie Lyons perfectly balances the emotional roller coaster of heartbreaking and heartwarming in The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett. Eudora is 85, alone and ready to be done with life - on her own terms. But as she begins the process of applying for assisted suicide a bundle of energetic, rainbow sunshine enters her life in the form of her new ten year old neighbor, Rose. Along with fellow oldie Stanley, Eudora begins to experience life and interactions that bring joy to her life just as she's ready to end it. The story alternates back and forth between a Eudora in current times that could probably be described by most, including the reader, as cranky, curmudgeonly and short-tempered, and Eudora growing up. And Eudora went through so much with her family that's it hard to blame her for who she is at the end of her life, giving new perspective on older generations. My heart breaks for her that her promise to her father was so important that she sacrificed so much personally throughout her life to try and fulfill it. But it's certainly joyful to see what Rose, Stanley and their families bring to Eudora to make her wonder if life is still in fact worth living.

Olive Kittridge meets Elinor Oliphant. Predictable but you grow to love the characters. Would be good for a discussion about death and dying.

This was an easy read with a sweet story. There were some sad moments and also some funny moments that made me laugh. The storyline was somewhat predictable and overall it was just mediocre for me.

The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett is a heartwarming tale of a 10 year old girl who draws two lonely, broken people in their twilight years into her orbit, brightening their lives and giving them a reason for living.

The book starts out with Eudora contacting a Swiss center for assisted suicide as she begins her crusade to persuade them to accept her application to end her life. Shortly afterwards, Rose, a 10 year old who has just moved in next door, knocks insistently on Eudora’s door and inserts herself into Eudora’s life. Rose then proceeds to befriend Stanley, a widower with two small dogs, and soon the trio begins a series of adventures, which draws the two elderly people into the outside world. Alternating with the present are snippets from Eudora’s childhood and adulthood, which slowly unveils the reason she has become closed off to life and love.

Although this theme of the curmudgeonly elder restored by a young child has been done before, this novel has its own unique charm. The characters are well drawn and lovable, making the reader care about their fates. Moreover, it is one of those novels that make you think about the characters long after you have put down the book.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader’s ebook copy of The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons. Eudora Honeysett, 85 years old, feels that she has experienced everything she can about life and is ready to take charge of her death. But, with the arrival of 10 year old spunky, talkative Rose who moves in next door and an unfortunate run in with her neighbor Stanley, Eudora finds herself surrounded by new friends. She reluctantly realizes that happiness comes from unexpected sources and that maybe there’s more life left to live. A funny, moving, and heartwarming story that you will recommend time and time again.

One of the sweetest novels I've read this year. A story of an 95 year old lonely woman finding family in the best of places.