I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this as an audio book and thought the narrator, Nicolette McKenzie, had Rose's character off to a tee.
Eudora has been let down a lot in her life, and has reached the conclusion that she has no reason to continue living. She contacts an assisted dying clinic in Switzerland to begin the process.
Things begin to change when Eudora's new neighbours arrive. They moved up from Cornwall and Rose, who is ten years old, becomes very fond of Eudora. Her unexciting life begins to change. Will she re-evaluate her decision to go to Switzerland?
A delightful story which considers many important issues including death, old age, friendship, and kindness. All of these are dealt with in a cleverly entertaining and thought provoking way.
Thank you to Annie Lyons, Net Galley and One more chapter for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sometimes a book comes along that is just the perfect read. Like your favourite Sunday dinner, it’s delicious and it leaves you with that full belly feeling. That is what Annie Lyons has done with Eudora Honeysett.

The premise is that Eudora is in her late years and apart from Montgomery the cat she is alone in life. Eudora has all her facilities and she would like to facilitate her own ending. Not in any horrific manner but at a clinic in Switzerland that deals with such matters. It may sound a bit morbid to some but it’s just how she wants it to be.

Now Eudora Honeysett is not your friendly happy type of lady. She is fiercely independent and private. At times cantankerous and rude to people. Keep in mind she is 83 and as we get to know her life’s story everything clicks into place about how Eudora Honeysett came to be the woman she is.

I loved seeing Eudora through the years in the flashback chapters. Annie Lyons really kept the story relatable with no fairytale-like nonsense. Along the way, we meet a whole cast of characters that come into Eudora’s life. Just when she wants to leave it, people start to really care about her well being.

In the book, we meet a character who is a death doula. As much the same as some people have when giving birth but obviously, that is a life doula. I love the idea of a death doula, I think it’s something I would like to do if I changed careers. I am fascinated by the idea of helping people as they leave us and to make it as peaceful and serene as possible. Although I do think being as emotional as I am all that death and ending would upset me so I will keep my career change on the back burner.

The book would make for a wonderful tv show, it would be perfect for the cold winter nights. I can see it playing out over three nights or weekly on a Sunday evening. It’s just got such an important message about life and the people we meet and the chances we have.

Eudora Honeysett is another heart stay character for my collection. If you love stories with amazing characters and interesting plots that aren’t just feel-good fiction. But that tackle hard topics in a gentle yet honest way then please get yourself a copy of Eudora Honeysett. Make yourself a hot cuppa, slip a cosy blanket on your lap and get yourself acquainted with Miss Honeysett. But I will warn you that you won’t want the book to end and you will experience a whole range of emotions whilst reading. Do let me know how your visit with Eudora Honeysett goes. I would love to know.

Wow! I’ve really struggles to bring myself to write this review for several reasons; my review will not do it justice in any way, and I have no idea where to begin.

Once in a while, a book comes along that knock me off my feet. It has the ability to both break my heart and repair it again, to make me fall in love with the characters and to spend weeks not being able to move on. This is one of those books and I urge you to read it. I flitted between the audio and digital version of this novel and can highly recommend either.

Eudora is done! She’s 85 and she’s had enough. A feisty lady, Eudora becomes set on the idea of ending her life her own way and with dignity. The date is in the calendar, there’s nobody to tell and she’s all set to go. But then new neighbours move in and Eudora becomes unwillingly caught up in the lives of others. But is it enough?

It took me a few chapters to get used to the narration. The present is told in the present tense and the past in the past which I often a little different than my usual genres however I soon became used to it and the more I read, the more natural it became. Told from a third person perspective but focussed on Eudora, the story has two timelines. We see the present world through Eudora’s eyes and also relive the past from her childhood into her older age.

Annie Lyons cleverly presents a character who is not completely likable and has an air of aloofness about her in the beginning. Eudora presents as a difficult old lady and the reader isn’t instantly drawn to her. Slowly revealing her past timeline in small pieces takes the reader on a journey of discovery and it becomes clear why Eudora is the way she is in later life. From these glimpses into her past, it wasn’t long before I began to develop empathy and more understanding around her. She is one of the most well developed characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading about.

One of the main themes of the novel is relationships and their impact on others. It would have been easy for Eudora to have found a romantic interest for a happy ending however I don’t feel that would have done this story justice. Lyons builds a world of differing relationships around Eudora and these are all thought provoking and moving in their own ways. Rose just brings abundant youthfulness, wise thoughts and a relentless drive to make a connection with Eudora whilst Stan offers friendship and understanding but also really needs a friend too.

Annie Lyons tackles death with sensitivity but honesty throughout this novel and it’s refreshing. It should and needs to be talked about and I love the idea that’s introduced by the doula – a good death.

Finally, I couldn’t finish the review without mentioning the narration. The vocal performance was perfectly matched to Eudora’s prim and proper manners but also reflected rose’s exuberance beautifully too. A range of accents, tones and timbre of voice added depth to the characters and made the audio a dream to listen to.

This is a devastating, heart-warming beautiful novel of friendship and enjoying life to it’s full, no matter how old you are. I’m so grateful that I got to read it.

Eudora Honeysett is getting tired of life. If She can choose how to live her own life, why can’t she choose how to die her own death?
Eudora Honeysett is done – with all of it. Having seen first-hand what a prolonged illness can create, the eighty-five-year-old has no intention of leaving things to chance. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland she takes her life into her own hands.
But then ten-year-old Rose arrives in a riot of colour on her doorstep. Now, as precocious Rose takes Eudora on adventures she’d never imagined she reflects on the trying times of her past and soon finds herself wondering – is she ready for death when she’s only just experienced what it’s like to truly live?


Being offered this book was a real gift, because now I’ve discovered a new author I love. I can go back and read her other work and wonder why I’ve never come across Annie Lyons before. Thanks to Harper Collins and One More Chapter for bringing this writer and a beautiful character like Eudora to my attention. Eudora is 85 and lives alone in Cornwall with her cat Montgomery. She has sent what a lengthy illness and old age can do and doesn’t want a prolonged end to her life. Very decisively, she makes a call to Switzerland so she can organise an end to life on her terms, quickly, painlessly and without fuss. She’s quite sure no one will miss her. Her family are gone and the only people she knows are passing acquaintances, not friends.

Then a new family move in next door, with a little girl called Rosa. When the family introduce themselves to Eudora, she is mesmerised by this bright, bubbly little girl. She is like a whirlwind of love and fairy dust. Eudora has never had children so this is her first experience of spending time with one. Every experience they have together is brand new and Rosa has all the wonder and enthusiasm that has been missing from Eudora’s life. When she looks at life through Rosa’s eyes it becomes new, shiny and filled with hope. As they embark on adventures together, Rosa’s attitude to life starts to rub off on Eudora. She is enjoying life for the first time, trying new things and meeting new people. One of these new friends is Stanley and Eudora experiences making a new friend, with all the excitement and joy that brings. When the call comes from Switzerland will she be ready?

I think this book is an important lesson - to keep trying new experiences in life, no matter what your age and ability. Never assume you’ve done all the learning you’re going to do. When we throw ourselves into life, we get so much back. Eudora had backed away from life, possibly due to her past experiences, and as a consequence every day was the same isolated and limited existence. Together Rosa and Eudora throw the doors wide open and welcome life in. As a reader we bring our own experiences to books and I seem to be reading a lot of books lately that touch on my own experience. I have a life limiting condition called multiple sclerosis, and when well enough, I work as a counsellor with people who have this condition and other disabilities. The ‘Switzerland option’ comes up a lot and many years ago someone I knew in my personal life did this. He threw a huge party for his final birthday, then flew to Dignitas and ended his life; MND was limiting him more each day and he was at the point where he was unable to swallow. When your life is limited, small pleasures can be so important. For him, the ability to enjoy and experience food was too much to lose. My own husband sometimes wished he’d taken this option towards the end of his life, but when we talked about those moments we had experienced together right up to the end, he agreed that he was glad not to have missed them.

It’s vital to continue to live, try new things and meet new people because all of those things enrich our lives. For me, I’m living something similar to Eudora’s experience. I found out many years ago that I would find it difficult to have children. After a third miscarriage, I made the decision that I couldn’t keep putting myself through this for the sake of my mental health. I have always felt that children are a gift, not a right, so I accepted that my life would follow a different path. When I met my partner after six years of living alone, I was aware he had two girls but got to know them very slowly. I didn’t want them to feel their relationship to their Dad had changed, or that I was trying to be their Mum, because they have a perfectly good one already. I was around but made sure they had plenty of alone time with Dad too. I was so worried about my effect on them that I underestimated the change they’d bring to my life. One afternoon when we’d all been living together a while, our fourteen year old cake rushing in from a day out shouting for me and panicking; she’d spilled chocolate ice-cream down her white crop top and would I be able to get the stain out. I realised I was the ‘fixer’ of things, that she trusted me to be able to fix this for her. My partner found me in the downstairs bathroom crying into the Vanish stain remover! It was the moment I knew I was accepted and I was part of this family. They both bring such joy and fun into my life, and the experience of parenting I never expected to have and I love it, even though it’s not always easy.

I guess what I’m trying to say, is the book’s message really resonated with me. That we never really know when our life is over or when something new is going to come along and change everything. To make us see the mundane everyday in a totally different way. That’s what this novel does, and what makes it so uplifting. In a year that’s increasingly beginning to feel like Groundhog Day, this novel manages to lift the spirits and bring hope - quite an amazing feat when the central subject is death! This is the right time for a novel like this, if ever we needed an uplifting, joyous tale like this, it is now. This shows what an incredible writer Annie Lyons is, because she has taken a deep, difficult subject and yet left the reader feeling hopeful for the future. Eudora is such a great character, developing from a curmudgeonly old lady to someone full of life and love. I enjoyed the flashbacks to her past where we see how she came to be a lonely, isolated woman who doesn’t want to live. She goes on a huge journey emotionally, and the dual timeline shows us this - one journey leading to hopelessness and the current journey towards joy and re-engaging with all that life has to offer.

The portrayal of Rosa was brilliant, because of her innocence, especially where it is highlighted against Eudora’s character. Rosa doesn’t see age or grumpiness. Eudora, and Stanley from down the road, are simply two friends she can play with and create and create adventures for. She doesn’t see their potential limitations and I think that says something about the way we treat older people - is it society’s tendency to avoid ageing? Do we see their lives as over and assume they have nothing to contribute? Is it when society stops seeing them as worthwhile, that they become isolated and dissatisfied with life? We need to stop seeing ages, and other potential differences, and instead see people with so much to offer us. This is one of those books that has arrived without hype or fanfare, but has bloggers shouting from the rooftops. This book is emotionally intelligent, has multi-layered and well written characters, with a storyline that will draw you in and enrich your life. If you need a lockdown lift or the impetus to start living again then this wonderful book is for you.
Featured on my blog on publication day

Eudora’s story took me by surprise, captured my heart and still hasn’t left my thoughts. I was very lucky to have received an early copy of this wonderful read from the lovely people over at @onemorechapterhc
The story focuses on Eudora, about her past, present and what her future holds for her. Living alone, well.. not completely alone with cat Montgomery. Eudora has had enough of life, at 85 she’s ready and finished with the world and wants to go out on her own terms. But suddenly new neighbours arrive next door and 10 year old Rose bursts on the scene and into Eudora’s home bringing with her a multitude of colour!
I have so much love for this book, I warmed to all the characters immediately and I still often think about them now. I would love to have a Rose in my life, I think everyone should have a Rose! I love that the story flicks back to Eudora’s past of when she was a little girl during the war following her through to adult life. Eudora’s life story made me feel really emotional right up until the very end. A book doesn’t often make me cry but this one really made me blub! Definitely one of my top five books of 2020, you won’t regret reading this!

So many of the reviews that I saw for this novel were quite praiseworthy so I read it with very high hopes and expectations. It did not disappoint. This is a novel that engages the reader through its characters and its story lines. I think that readers who enjoyed novels like The Little Paris Bookshop or The Lido will want to read this one…as will many others.

Miss Honeysett is a prim woman who is 85 years old. She believes that the time has come to take control of the end of her life. This leads her to contact a Dignitas like clinic and submit an application. Will her request be granted? Will Eudora want it to be?

Readers learn that Eudora faced a number of tragedies and disappointments over the course of her her life. Most chapters in the novel include a flashback to a key moment for Eudora. No spoilers so I do not want to write more.

In the present, Eudora meets the irrepressible Rose. The two have a relationship that evolves over the course of the book as Rose awaits becoming a big sister.

Another important character is Stanley. His friendship with Eudora and Rose is impacted by some memory issues. What will happen to each of them?

At times acerbic, at times touching this is a novel that I most definitely recommend. Give it a try.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title. All opinions are my own.

A lovely, moving yet beautiful story. I loved Eudora. This was a read that captured my heart and wouldn’t let go!

I loved this. Eudora is such a great character and the connections she makes with her neighbours and new friends is just lovely. A really heratwarming read.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and author.
This was such a wonderful story, Eudora is 85 years old and a recluse. She has set a plan in motion to leave this earth on her terms.
One day new neighbours move in along with their spunky 10 year old daughter.
She had a difficult time at the beginning but somehow life changes for the better.
Dual timeline where we see her earlier life as well as the reasons why her life turned the way it did.
This story makes her smile, cry. Heartwarming story of life, family and love.
I loved this story to the very end.
Highly recommend. 4 stars.

I absolutely loved this book. It covers grief friendship and so much more. The relationship between the characters were delightful. Some parts made me laugh others made me cry.

Well by now everyone should know how much I love a story with an older character in and even more so when it has a multigenerational friendship as well and this story for me was just perfect.
Eurdora is lonely, she no longer wants to live, she has reached the ripe old age of 85 and has had enough. Told in alternating chapters between past and present we learn about her past as well as see how she interacts with the world around her.
I watched an interview with the author who said she had read 'With The End In Mind' by Dr Kathryn Mannix and you can tell from the sensitive way she tackles a subject such as death and assisted end of life.
This was a wonderful read interspersed with enough humour from Eudoras interactions with Rose and Stanley that is makes for a joyful read despite the darker subject.
Highly recommend this one folks.

Outwardly, this book seems like a great choice for the childless community due to the tenacious and world-weary protagonist who is childless 'by chance' - she never married or had children and as the story unfolds through present-tense shenanigans and past-tense flashbacks we learn that Eudora experienced a number of setbacks which led to her current lonely life.

However, I will offer a word of caution. This book has a loveable, childless protagonist at its heart. She forms an unlikely friendship with her new neighbour, 10-year-old Rose, whose mother is pregnant. There is a significant pronatalist agenda throughout the book with 'married with kids' being the gold standard which Eudora never achieved.

I like Eudora. She is portrayed as rather bitter, the product of a life where things never quite went right. I read this book with the childless community in mind and while I was able to relate to much of Eudora's outlook on life, I found it disappointing that the childless character was typecast as bitter, lonely, regretful and harsh. That's not a denial that there are women like this out there, but it does play up to the old tropes that never to have borne a child or gotten married is to have failed as a woman.

During World Childless Week this September, I watched a webinar where the discussion turned to intergenerational relationships and if not for this I might have disregarded this book due to the idea that having a child in one's life is the only thing that can give it meaning. However, the webinar highlighted to me the importance of these friendships and this book is a great example of their benefit.

The writing and story are excellent and I was fully enthralled by it from the beginning. There is a superb cast of loveable characters and it is an emotional, heartwarming and important novel.

Absolutely brilliant, the best book I've read in quite a while.
Beautifully written, delightful story and different from run of the mill fiction.
Look forward to the authors next novel.

WOW. What an amazing book. Loved it.
Eudora is at the end of her life and wants to die her way.
Then along comes new neighbour Rose.
Eurora didn’t expect a 10 year old to make such a difference in her life. She’s gone from the grumpy old lady, to one who thinks twice about what she really wants.
Highly recommended.
Author Annie Lyons has given me such an enjoyable read. I didn’t want it to end.
This has to be the best book I’ve read in the last few months.
Thankyou Annie.

Eudora Honeysett Is Quite Well, Thank You

"This is her decision. The ending to her story."

Gloriously uplifting, this was a balm for my soul. It wrapped itself around me like a warm hug and was exactly the read I needed.

The characters in this book are truly special. I instantly loved Eudora. Fiercely slightly cantankerous, she has a strength that is evident from the start. She prefers her own company and keeps interaction with others to the bare minimum, despairing of the selfishness of modern society. But behind her spiky facade, there's a warmth to her that she can't conceal. She was a fabulous character that I fell completely in love with and will stay in my heart forever.

"She isn't used to having such a force of nature in her life. This little girl is like a grenade full of joie de vive and Eudora has no idea why she has been chosen as a friend."

The trio of Eudora, Stanley and Rose was sheer perfection. I loved how Stanley and Rose brought out Eudora's softer side and how they complemented each other, creating a truly special friendship. And I think everyone could use a Rose in their life.

"The older she gets, the more redundant she feels. It's as if her life is a long corridor lined with different doors leading to activities past and present. In her youth, she could enter through any number of these doors... Now, most of the doors are marked with strict 'no entry' signs... It's not the end of the world but it's a shrunken world, which makes her feel a lot less useful."

But this is more than a cosy read. There's a depth to this book that the author expertly weaves in amongst the tenderness, joy, humour and heartache. She touches on the harsh truths of aging and how our society treats the older generation, highlighting in particular their isolation and pain. But it is her exploration of the subject of death, and in particular if a person should have the right to choose how and when they die, that is the most powerful part of this story.

"If I can have the choice of how I live my own life, why can't I choose how to die my own death?"

The author tackles this emotive and controversial subject with honesty, sensitivity and humour, helping the reader to see why someone might want to choose to die without being terminally ill or depressed. She also touches on our fear of death as a society, and questions if thinking any life is better than none at all, showing us how it really feels to be isolated, infirm, living with pain or dementia and asks if those people should be part of the conversation rather than just legislators.

This is one of those books that will take you through every emotion, but I dare you to try and read it without a smile on your face. Joyous, heartwarming, poignant and thought-provoking, this spectacular novel is a contender for my book of the year. I can't recommend it highly enough. Just have tissue at the ready and be prepared to fall in love.

What a lovely story, I really didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. A wonderfully uplifting story with an amazing cast of unique characters especially Rose, who is an inspiring little girl. A story of loneliness, friendship, grief, family and love. Funny in places, sad and did make me cry in places. Poignant and thought provoking, I think Eudora will stay with me for a long time.

A joy of a book to read both heartwarming and heartbreaking, I highly recommend this book. I can't wait for the next one from Annie Lyons.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Eudora is an 85 year old lady who is suffering the common aliments of old age and has decided she has had enough and wants to leave this world on her terms then the ever inquisitive Rose moves in next door and Eudora's life begins to change. Flicking between the present day situations Rose gets her involved in and insights into her past really help understand Eudora's character and why she behaved in certain ways.

This book tackles some serious issues such as loneliness, grief and friendship, in the most unlikely of places. The dynamic between the elderly woman and the young girl was a pleasure to read, it made me laugh, cry and have hope for the future.

Fans of a man called Ove will definitely enjoy this one!

Thank you to One More Chapter for my copy and spot on the fantastic readalong of this one, I will definitely be recommending it to friends.

It's been a while since I really enjoyed reading a book so much. It was well written, and very well crafted. I could see myself doing or saying in some of the things said or done by Eudora's, and yet we weren't really alike. I liked the way the narrative went from the present to the past and let us discover Eudora's life so the reader could understand why Eudora acted as she did. there were times when her life had been so sad, yet she never made us feel that we should pity her.
As time went by, she gradually made friends with Rose, her young neighbour and Stanley, a widower who was another neighbour. I enjoyed seeing her change from someone who kept to herself to someone who did her best to help Rose and Stanley.
There was also a great deal of sympathy in the way the author has written about Eudora wanting to visit the clinic in Switzerland when she felt she no longer wanted to live. The clinic's personnel were also very sympathetically portrayed and one always wondered whether Eudora would be accepted as a client in the clinic.
The story is very cleverly woven and I couldn't put it down till I came to the end.
I would certainly recommend the book.

What a beautifully,poignant moving book! Eudora Honeysett is quite well thank you tackles the very real problem of social isolation and loneliness that so many elderly people experience every day,but this is particularly more prevalent and widespread in recent times due to covid 19 and lockdown.Isolation and loneliness can lead to depression, loss of self worth and ultimately making decisions to end life, such a pity when the elderly can offer so much to society and have such a wealth of experience to draw upon!In this book we meet the adorable Eudora an 85 year old lady who lives alone has no family and leads a solitary existence until new neighbours move in and their 10 year old daughter,rose befriends Eudora! Rose is a breath of fresh air and truly illustrates how well inter generational friendships can have such a mutual benefit on both sides! Friendships, new experiences,love, laughter and tears are all here in this poignant, unputdownable, uplifting, heartwarming book! A must read book!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

*gifted* thanks to @onemorechapterhc for an advanced copy of this book!

Fans of Eleanor Oliphant, The Lido and A man called Ove, will love this one ❤️

Synopsis: Eudora is fed up of life. She believes in choosing how to end your life, and she doesn’t want hers to lack dignity. She decides her own fate. And then a little firecracker in the form of her neighbour Rose comes along - a 10 year old girl, she is a far age away from Eudora’s 85 years, but they may just become the most unlikely of friends...

I loved taking part in this readalong. I was a little late to finish compared to others, as it’s a busy month but my fellow readers advised that I should cherish it, and I really did. It’s a book that I didn’t want to end, and I loved being a part of every page of Eudora’s journey.

I cried and cried at the end, but what a beautiful ending 🥺

Honestly, I love all the fictional books about the older generation at the moment. But I do expect them to be predictable. And this one was to an extent, but the last quarter of the book wasn’t what I expected at all...