The first is the arrival of a new colleague in work, kindly everyman Ray, who sees through Eleanor’s stony facade as they bond while helping a pensioner. In a plot that pitches just the right amount of action with character development, two things kickstart Eleanor’s journey. Broken into three sections outlined in the contents (a spoiler of sorts), the novel charts Eleanor’s journey from her traumatised past to a future where she might “have a life, not just an existence”. Working in the accounts department of a production company for the past nine years, Eleanor is the office oddball, a lonesome figure maligned by her colleagues for her quirks and inflexibility. The 30-year-old ekes out an existence that relies on rigid routine for survival. The novel has since sold in 27 territories to date and was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, the Bridport Prize and longlisted for BBC Radio 4's Opening Lines.įor Eleanor Oliphant, Honeyman’s unfortunate and hugely sympathetic protagonist, living is the stuff of nightmares.
While it was still a work in progress, she won the Scottish Book Trust's Next Chapter Award. Motivated by turning 40, the Scottish author wrote her debut novel Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine in snatched moments outside her full-time job. For aspiring writers out there, Gail Honeyman's route to publication is the stuff of dreams.
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