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A review by wordsofclover
The Switch by Beth O'Leary
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Lena Cotton isn't having a great time - she's just suffered a panic attack in work and has been granted a two-month sabbatical to get it together and finally face up to her grief after losing her sister to cancer. Lena's grandmother Eileen is also in a rut, especially romantically now her cheating husband left her for a younger dancer. The two decide to switch lives with Eileen taking on London's internet dating scene for the over 70's, and Lena coming home to Yorkshire to reconnect with her mother and help out on the neighbourhood committee - how hard can that be?
This was a charming, fun and often emotional novel that I really enjoyed and utterly charmed me by the end. I've read two other Beth O'Leary books and this one is definitely my favourite so far.
I think I actually liked Eileen's chapters best as I loved seeing an older character (she's a very sprightly 79) living her best life in London, and taking on dating, new projects and even battling her granddaughter's yuck boyfriend. I think this book did such a great job at showcasing how society often fails older people in so many ways and how there should be so many more facilities and events for people of a certain age who may be lonely to socialise. I also appreciated that the book showed through Eileen that you're never too old to find love again, or just enjoy a bit of a good time with a fling.
On the other hand, Lena's chapters and her time with the neighbourhood committee felt like it was something straight from The Vicar of Dibley in the best ways, and I came to really love the myriad of characters from Betsy, Basil and Penelope, not to mention Roland and his mobility scooter. The way Lena processed her grief, and allowed herself to heal and also understand and make up with her mother following the dark times of her sister's illness and death were done really well and I often found myself close to tears as I listened to the book. I think the subject of grief was done sensitively and showcased that while losing someone never gets any easier, you learn to live with it everyday and remember that person in lots of different ways and that includes speaking about them freely and easily instead of bottling everything up.
Overall, this was just a lovely read and I really enjoyed my time with it. I think I'll be getting a copy of this book for my gran too as she might just love it as well!
This was a charming, fun and often emotional novel that I really enjoyed and utterly charmed me by the end. I've read two other Beth O'Leary books and this one is definitely my favourite so far.
I think I actually liked Eileen's chapters best as I loved seeing an older character (she's a very sprightly 79) living her best life in London, and taking on dating, new projects and even battling her granddaughter's yuck boyfriend. I think this book did such a great job at showcasing how society often fails older people in so many ways and how there should be so many more facilities and events for people of a certain age who may be lonely to socialise. I also appreciated that the book showed through Eileen that you're never too old to find love again, or just enjoy a bit of a good time with a fling.
On the other hand, Lena's chapters and her time with the neighbourhood committee felt like it was something straight from The Vicar of Dibley in the best ways, and I came to really love the myriad of characters from Betsy, Basil and Penelope, not to mention Roland and his mobility scooter. The way Lena processed her grief, and allowed herself to heal and also understand and make up with her mother following the dark times of her sister's illness and death were done really well and I often found myself close to tears as I listened to the book. I think the subject of grief was done sensitively and showcased that while losing someone never gets any easier, you learn to live with it everyday and remember that person in lots of different ways and that includes speaking about them freely and easily instead of bottling everything up.
Overall, this was just a lovely read and I really enjoyed my time with it. I think I'll be getting a copy of this book for my gran too as she might just love it as well!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Domestic abuse