Everything is Beautiful is a big-hearted, engaging debut that bursts with life. It’s hard to believe this is Eleanor Ray’s first novel when she writes such sensitive, compassionate prose, weaving together a charming story about a woman unable to let go of the past. It will inevitably be compared to similar stories about eccentric oddballs such as Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, but Everything is Beautiful has the added intrigue of a mystery that will make you want to devour it in one sitting.
Eleanor Ray
Amy Ashton’s life has been passing her by ever since the disappearance of her boyfriend Tim and best friend Chantel eleven years ago. Everyone has long since decided that the two must have run away together, a betrayal that Amy can’t bring herself to accept. Her life has been in stasis ever since, her home becoming a shrine to the past. She collects treasures that remind her of a happier time, an assortment of wine bottles, ceramic birds, ashtrays, lighters, mugs and vases, safe in the knowledge that she will look after them and they will never leave her. One day, a chance discovery sparks hope in Amy that what happened eleven years ago might not be as clear-cut as everyone thought. With the help of her new next-door neighbour Richard and his two young boys, Amy is determined to get to the truth no matter what.
I loved this book. The mystery of what happened to Tim and Chantel is an integral part and driver of the plot, as is the sweet friendship that develops between Amy and the boys next door, but the real joy is in witnessing Amy take charge of her life. In a house so packed with things that it barely has room for her, much less anybody else, Amy realises she needs to make room before she can let anyone in. I loved her journey of self-discovery and cheered for her victories, everything from making a meal in one of the many slow-cookers she has hoarded but never used, to successfully throwing away some old wine bottles. This book shows the importance of little victories, of letting people in, of opening yourself up to the future and letting go of the past.
Readers will surely be drawn in by Amy’s journey, and captivated by the mystery that had me voraciously turning pages. A charming, funny and ultimately hopeful book, Everything is Beautiful will pair well with a rainy day, a cosy blanket and a cup of tea.
—Everything is Beautiful by Eleanor Ray (Hachette Australia) is out now.
Everything Is Beautiful
When Amy Ashton's world fell apart eleven years ago, she started a collection.
Just a few keepsakes of happier times: some honeysuckle to remind herself of the boy she loved, a chipped china bird, an old terracotta pot . . . Things that others might throw away, but to Amy, represent a life that could have been. Now her house is overflowing with the objects she loves - soon there'll be no room for Amy at all. But when a family move in next door, a chance discovery unearths a mystery, and Amy's carefully curated life begins to unravel...
Comments
February 9, 2021 at 7:44 pm
Sounds like a great read! Popping it on my wish list!
February 9, 2021 at 7:59 pm
Wow the review has made me want to read this book, sounds wonderful.