Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

When we meet Eleanor Oliphant, she is by no means completely fine, but moving through life quietly. She works in an office and lives by herself. In Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, Eleanor is reclusive, has no friends and is a creature of habit. One connection she does have is her weekly telephone calls from "Mummy."

Those phone calls always leave Eleanor depressed and feeling worthless. One day her office computer freezes and she seeks out the IT department for assistance.What she finds is Raymond, dressed in ill-fitting denim pants, a T-shirt with a cartoon character on it and green sneakers, not the sort that would interest the fastidious Eleanor.

Once her computer is repaired, she gets back to her internet search for her "new love", singer Johnnie Lomond, someone she has only seen in a photo and has fallen instantly in love with. Such is

Eleanor's life.

But when Raymond invites her to lunch, suddenly a crack appears in her regimented life. As they are returning from lunch, they witness an older man falling unconscious to the ground. Leaping into action Raymond calls for help and Eleanor keeps talking to the man. Before long Eleanor and Raymond are visiting Sammy in the hospital, meeting his family and spending lunch time together.

Eleanor's life has been so regimented, it is amazing to see her transformation. This book is a fascinating journey through a person's lonely life and how it can evolve with a little nudge from an unexpected source.