Gail Honeyman gives the reader a glimpse into the lonely life of Eleanor Oliphant with her rituals, idiosyncrasies and viewing the world in stark details. While laugh-out-loud funny in places (Eleanor refuses to use acronyms) there is an underlying sadness in her relationship with her mother, who we assume is incarcerated, and Eleanor shows both outward and inner scars that result from a fire (arson). But she finds a friend in a co-worker who is her complete opposite with no social graces, but a kindness that is alien to Eleanor.
