The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett: A Novel
Written by Annie Lyons
Narrated by Nicolette McKenzie
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
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""One adorably British odd couple . . . Charming."" — People
“An exquisitely poignant tale of life, friendship and facing death . . . heart-breaking yet ultimately uplifting . . Everyone should read this book.” — Ruth Hogan, author of Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel
Infused with the emotional power of Me Before You and the irresistible charm of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and Be Frank with Me, 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.
It's never too late to start living.
Eudora Honeysett is done with this noisy, moronic world—all of it. She has witnessed the indignities and suffering of old age and has lived a full life. At eighty-five, she isn’t going to leave things to chance. Her end will be on her terms. With one call to a clinic in Switzerland, a plan is set in motion.
Then she meets ten-year-old Rose Trewidney, a whirling, pint-sized rainbow of sparkling cheer. All Eudora wants is to be left alone to set her affairs in order. Instead, she finds herself embarking on a series of adventures with the irrepressible Rose and their affable neighbor, the recently widowed Stanley—afternoon tea, shopping sprees, trips to the beach, birthday celebrations, pizza parties.
While the trio of unlikely BFFs grow closer and anxiously await the arrival of Rose’s new baby sister, Eudora is reminded of her own childhood—of losing her father during World War II and the devastating impact it had on her entire family. In reflecting on her past, Eudora realizes she must come to terms with what lies ahead.
But now that her joy for life has been rekindled, how can she possibly say goodbye?
Annie Lyons
After a career in bookselling and publishing, Annie Lyons published numerous books in the U.K. and The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett in the U.S. When not working on her novels, she teaches creative writing. She lives in south-east London with her husband and two children.
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Reviews for The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett
535 ratings41 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a lovely, heartwarming, and delightful book. The characters are relatable and the relationships are amazing. The story is uplifting and full of humor, with a great message about the importance of kindness. The audio performance is wonderful and brings the characters to life. Overall, this book is a refreshing and entertaining read that will leave readers feeling joyful and wanting more.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sweet, sad, and lovely.
It is definitely predictable, especially the second that Rose steps into the story.
Still... I had all the feelings seeing Eudora through her process. Memories of love, of pain, treason, and lost dreams. How she accepts and heals, and this alloslws her to let in new live and new happiness. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What a delightful breath of fresh air. I love Eudora! I work with the elderly and I see my residents in Eudora and it just gives me such delight to see how much life she has left! Bless Rose for showing her this.
Such a powerful story - one we should all read. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5So delightful! I love this story and the narration is perfect! It has a depth and heart. Exactly what I needed.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I passed this up a few times. I knew the main them was about dying in old age. I just didn't feel up to it. But I saw so many recommendations for it that I finally decided to grab the audiobook on Libby. I enjoyed the characters immensely. I enjoyed the story. It is very life-affirming.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a terrific book from start to finish. I cannot wait to read more from Annie Lyons.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Perfect! Nothing over the top - just enough to bring you into their story!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book will stay with me for a long time. Beautifully written, witty, warm and thought provoking. 5 stars and then some.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Audio voices wonderful!
Uplifting story for all ages.
Dialogue is especially delightful - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow, just wow. What an I redo my heartwarming story with so much humor. I loved it but wished it would have gone on a couple more hours. Oh, and the narrator was amazing and talented.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Absolutely wonderful - it has a great message and the reader made the characters come to life. I highly recommend this book!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I enjoyed the storyline , the ending I wanted more from ! Although a good read !!
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5That was so delightful! Made me teary in some parts ? the relationships in the book are amazing
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Just a lovely, warm book full of memorable characters, especially Rose. I put off listening to the last few chapters because I didn’t want to leave their world. Need a nice winter read? This is your treat.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/54.3 Stars!
This is almost the same as A Man Called Ove. But still great!
The main character has experienced a different tragic past.
I enjoyed it! - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The narrator brought it to life. Eudora is such a gem, Rose the star and everyone else the amazing friends and community we all need in our lives. With a lesson on how the simplest of ways to show up for people can be life saving.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5So sweet and calming. Respectful and honest. 4.5 rounded up. Lovely characters and an amazing narrator. Took me out of my slump.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This was a sweet story with a satisfying, full circle ending. It managed not to be overly sentimental or manipulative and was similar to A Man Called Ove in some ways. Narration spot on.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I don’t read this genre often. I’m glad I decided to read this one. A simple, yet absolutely beautiful, heart touching story. These are the kind of books I call ‘comfort books’. I felt joy reading this book. Much needed joy.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I absolutely loved this book
The characters are all fabulous and relatable. I laughed and cried and will diffidently will be listening to more books by Annie Lyons - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Such a good book! I fell in love with Eudora and Rose! Loved the narrator's voice too.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What a lovely, cute, fairytale-like book. Eleanor Oliphant at 85!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Got me right in the feels. The audio book was so well done, great job on the voices
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Surprisingly delightful. A good read for an elder dealing with similar life experience. It’s a hopeful story.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Such an incredible heart warming book. As soon as i started, I was hooked. I ended up finishing this book in one day!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I loved this book so much. Before I was even halfway through, I bought it for my mom.
Great story, and all the characters are wonderfully written. My only advice, have some tissues ready. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wonderful, life-affirming story and audiobook. Beautifully performed by the narrator. Highly recommend.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Totally totally loved it with all its humour and wit. A very refreshing read and entertaining
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Loved this easy read, feel good book, that speaks to the importance of kindness.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A lovely story and a brilliant audio performance! I loved it!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5What a delightful read this novel turned out to be. It reminded me a little of the novel "A Man Called Ove" by Fredrik Backman, with the same warmth and humour. "The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett "was filled with wonderful characters including Montgomery, the cat.While I adored Eudora, it was ten-year-old Rose who stole my heart with her crazy fashion sense, her exuberance for life and her ageless wisdom. The relationship that grew between Eudora and Rose was just perfection and I often found myself laughing at the things the two of them said, especially Rose. However, by the last page, I was in tears.Set mainly in the present, at the end of every chapter there were flashbacks allowing the reader to watch Eurdora grow from child to adult and discover the events that shaped her. Her family life was not a pleasant one and her mother and sister were horribly needy and, unfortunately, Eudora believed it was her duty to put their needs before her own. I wanted to slap them both for the way they shackled Eudora. My heart ached for her."The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett" was a gem and definitely my favourite novel for 2022.