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Warm, thought-provoking and clever, Olive is the debut novel from the bestselling author of Ctrl Alt Delete and The Multi-hyphen Method. Revolving around the eponymous, sympathetic, thirty-something protagonist, this is a story of modern womanhood, expectations and the courage it takes – still – to divert from female stereotypes created by men.
The debut novel from the Sunday Times bestselling author, Emma Gannon.
Independent.
Adrift.
Anxious
Loyal.
Kind.
Knows her own mind.
Olive is many things, and it’s ok that she’s still figuring it all out, navigating her world without a compass. But life comes with expectations, there are choices to be made, boxes to tick and – sometimes – stereotypes to fulfil. And when her best friends’ lives start to branch away towards marriage and motherhood, leaving the path they’ve always followed together, Olive starts to question her choices – because life according to Olive looks a little bit different.
Moving, memorable and a mirror for every woman at a crossroads, Olive has a little bit of all of us. Told with great warmth and nostalgia, this is a modern tale about the obstacle course of adulthood, milestone decisions and the ‘taboo’ about choosing not to have children.
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780008382728
Number of pages: 416
Weight: 520 g
Dimensions: 222 x 141 x 37 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
'This tale of four young women trying to sort out the dilemmas of motherhood ... will bring relief and recognition to many. It's a lovely book - thoughtful, searching, funny, and (most importantly) honest' - Elizabeth Gilbert
'Funny in parts, painful in others, thoughtful throughout, it explores many dilemmas, with characters who feel utterly real' - Sophie Kinsella
'It'll give a voice to countless women . . . a profound issue wrapped inside an accessible, highly engaging novel' - Marian Keyes
'It's warm and charming and yet VERY brave in its honesty about having children and how that impacts female friendships. I suspect a lot of women will feel relieved and seen when they read it' - Holly Bourne
'Important themes explored by a true champion of women' - Nina Stibbe
'So fresh and funny and utterly distinctive . . . I loved it' - Emma Jane Unsworth
'A delicate, heartbreaking and delicious story that will bring a pang of delightful recognition to every woman who reads it' - Scarlett Curtis
'Honest, relatable, and incredibly real, Olive is going to resonate with an entire generation of young women' - Louise O'Neill
'In Gannon's capable hands, women are not so much divided along their disparate lines - but united' - Pandora Sykes
'Cuts rights to the heart of conversations around women and the stereotypes we either adhere to - or reject' - Cosmopolitan
'I raced through this brilliant, brilliant book, feeling more thoroughly seen than I have in years. Olive's story is big and bright and beautiful, and holds up a much-needed mirror to society' - Lucy Vine
'Incredibly warm and loveable, you won't be able to put Olive down' - Bustle
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“We all have choices....”
Olive is a wonderful character in this debut novel by Emma Gannon. She is in her mid-thirties, surrounded by loving friends. Independent, kind and loyal with a generous heart. The only thing that separates her from... More
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I expect this novel to become the 'new Bridget Jones' and it hits all the right buttons and is cleverly written by an author who is an established writer and therefore has spotted her potential reading... More
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