Genre Fiction
![Claire Alexander - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_claire_alexander.jpg)
Meredith, Alone
"The brilliant author of this brilliant book" will have you laughing and crying as Meredith, after spending three years inside her house, figures out how to rejoin the world one step at a time (Gillian McAllister, author of the Reese's Book Club Wrong Place Wrong Time).
She has a full-time remote job and her rescue cat Fred. Her best friend Sadie visits with her two children. There's her online support group, her jigsaw puzzles and favorite recipes, her beloved Emily Dickinson poems. Also keeping her company are treacherous memories of an unstable childhood and a traumatic event that had sent her reeling.
But something's about to change. First, two new friends burst into her life. Then her long-estranged sister gets in touch. Suddenly her carefully curated home is no longer a space to hide. Whether Meredith likes it or not, the world is coming to her door...
She has a full-time remote job and her rescue cat Fred. Her best friend Sadie visits with her two children. There's her online support group, her jigsaw puzzles and favorite recipes, her beloved Emily Dickinson poems. Also keeping her company are treacherous memories of an unstable childhood and a traumatic event that had sent her reeling.
But something's about to change. First, two new friends burst into her life. Then her long-estranged sister gets in touch. Suddenly her carefully curated home is no longer a space to hide. Whether Meredith likes it or not, the world is coming to her door...
Editorial Reviews
"I laughed, I cried, and I bowed down to the brilliant author of this brilliant book."―Gillian McAllister, New York Times bestselling author of Wrong Place Wrong Time
"A gorgeous, charming novel...Sweet, moving, funny and hopeful, with a courageous heroine who sweeps you up in her story."―Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne
"Executed with care, humor, and grace, this novel pokes at the bubble of solitude to show each of us that suffering has a sense of community and with that, the prospect of optimism."―Library Journal
"Alexander creates a winning heroine in Meredith and likable characters in her kind friends... An optimistic, feel-good novel."―Kirkus Reviews
"[A] satisfying debut. The endearing characters offer a sensitive portrayal of what it means to live with mental health issues… with heart to spare."
―Publishers Weekly
"I shed tears. Very, very touching, sad, sweet and hopeful."―New York Times bestselling author Marian Keyes
"A gorgeous, charming novel...Sweet, moving, funny and hopeful, with a courageous heroine who sweeps you up in her story."―Jennifer Saint, bestselling author of Ariadne
"Executed with care, humor, and grace, this novel pokes at the bubble of solitude to show each of us that suffering has a sense of community and with that, the prospect of optimism."―Library Journal
"Alexander creates a winning heroine in Meredith and likable characters in her kind friends... An optimistic, feel-good novel."―Kirkus Reviews
"[A] satisfying debut. The endearing characters offer a sensitive portrayal of what it means to live with mental health issues… with heart to spare."
―Publishers Weekly
"I shed tears. Very, very touching, sad, sweet and hopeful."―New York Times bestselling author Marian Keyes
Readers Top Reviews
Michelle S
Ad/gifted copy from @netgalley I adored reading this book. I can't comment on the portrayal of some of the issues as I don't necessarily have experience, but it seemed to be treated sensitively to me. I liked how there were 2 timelines, but that the timeline in the past also jumped about between Meredith's childhood, her teenage years and more recent adult years. I felt this helped to keep me curious as to why Meredith is in the position she is in. I love Meredith and had fun reading what she got up to in a day; especially all of the baking. The descriptions made me hungry at times and I baked Cheese scones this morning to say goodbye to Meredith . I also really appreciated reading about a woman turning 40. I love reading about people over 40 because it's just less common. I think Claire Alexander's creation of the characters is wonderful, they all felt realistic and I feel like I'm missing Meredith already. I think there's so much to enjoy in this book, the characters, the observations on what make people do what they do, the Kevingrove and the Dali. Despite some difficult topics I feel like this will be a comfort reread for me in the future.
Irene Mitchell
I liked the main character Meredith. I could feel her pain and shared in her joys. Gave me better understanding of her mental condition.Glad she got a lot of support and will let other readers with a similar condition know that Help is out there. I enjoyed reading about her relationships with her sister, her friends and her cat. What a horrible mother she had. I was sorry when I finished the book as I felt the characters had become my friends. Look forward to reading more by this author.
Hutchie
I wonder if I hadn’t been through a number of lockdowns and the unexpected time spent alone, would I have been so tuned to Meredith’s plight. I hope so. I felt wholly connected to her with no similarity between us at all. Between reading, I thought about her progress and was happy for her when she felt she had moved forward but didn’t feel the urge for her to do so. I could understand why she was comfortable in her own world. It was a lovely read and made me think .. lots☺️ Good stuff!!
Jeanette Everson
This was genuinely one of my favourite books of 2021. I read an advance copy. I loved this from the first pages and read it during 3 sleepless nights while my family had covid in the run-up to Christmas. I literally read from 20% on my kindle all the way to 80% in one long stint. It has so many layers, including some that should be very sad, but overall the storytelling is uplifting and enjoyable, and the characters real and believable. I am 100% this will be made into a film or series, and I can't wait to watch it. Congratulations to Claire on what I predict will be MASSIVE.
