All the lonely people

Eleanot Oliphant is completely fine, by Gail Honeyman is an quirky and  heart wrenching story of a woman traumatized by a parental  disfunction and lack of love.  Whether Eleanor became so alienated from everyday life due to the tragic fire that killed her little sister caused by her mother or whether she may have had tendencies toward autism that were exacerbated by that event could be speculative. What could have helped her ? A more compassionate foster family? A more resilient nature?  After  having just read Educated, by Tara Westover , a strong sense of oneself and persistence to survive can overcome a horrible childhood, but certainly there is much needed in broken early lives to heal and persevere.  Eleanor had so little recognizable help.  The author expressed her dilemma and mindset  in many interesting ways.  From page 5, "There are days when I feel so lightly connected to the earth that the threads that tether me to the planet are gossamer thin, spun sugar.  A strong gust of wind could dislodge me completely, and I'd lift off and blow away, like one of the seeds in a dandelion clock."  Her honest, and quirky nature must have been exactly what drew Raymond to her. As well described by Claudia, in her review ,  " Eleanor was so lonely; she would observe other people's social interactions and try to analyze them and learn by example ("Oh, this is what friends do.") Raymond's own awkward social skills were minimal in comparison, and his dedication to her was what finally brought her to accept herself and realize that she could face the reality of her past, and learn to be comfortable with who she was and could become.  He was not the only kind person she encountered in the space of time the book takes place, and perhaps there were others earlier, but she may have not let them into her realm of existence.  We do need each other, and we need to recognize that as Maureen stated in our discussion ( I am paraphrasing )  - It only takes a few good people to make a difference in a person's life.

We enjoyed a dinner I intended to be comfort food  - homemade bread, tomato soup, and chicken pot pie, along with cheese and crackers, kale and greens salad, homemade sugar cookies, and a wonderful white wine .  It was a small gathering, but very congenial.  I look forward to next month's read, Barracoon, by Zora Neale Hurston.  We will be sharing at Chris Mallon's home on the first Thursday of April.