★★★★
84-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. As she waits to be rescued, Florence wonders if a terrible secret from her past is about to come to light; and, if the charming new resident is who he claims to be, why does he look exactly like a man who died sixty years ago?
I cannot begin to tell you how long I’ve waited to read this book. Needless to say it’s been a long time. I thought this was going to be a five star read for me, but as it turns out I have a few complaints.
It’s true that I didn’t love this book, but I did adore it. From the characters to the plot this was an incredibly charming and thrilling read and I enjoyed almost every second of it.
Three Things About Elsie is a sweet, tender and heartfelt little book. It’s about friendship, forgiveness and loss. The real charm of the novel is the relationship between the two main characters Florence and Elsie. They’ve been friends for years and they’ve been there for one another through thick and thin from the beginning to the end. Florence is protective of Elsie and has supported her through all the trying times in their friendship. Now it’s Elsie’s turn to ground and protect Florence as she’s in jeopardy of being sent away to a more restrictive assisted living accommodation.
The plot of the novel hinges on the fact that Florence has dementia, making her a vulnerable character that can be easily discredited. This alone creates a lot of tension and anxiety throughout the novel as Florence desperately tries convincing staff of her potentially dangerous neighbor who she is convinced is out to get her. Worried that Florence may get hurt, Elsie helps her uncover the mysteries of a night in the car park, this man and the man he is pretending to be.
Like I said, I didn’t love this book. The existential dread that is so blatant towards the end really ruined this book for me. It’s not just that it was blatant, trite or even just plain lazy, but it’s that it prevented me from having to deal with those emotions on my own as they presented themselves. I didn’t even get a chance to feel surprised by them, let alone contemplate the significance of them. I felt up until this point I shared in every emotion with Florence. That was the novel’s strength and to see it wasted towards the end was upsetting.
Three Things About Elsie is still an enjoyable and cozy read, no doubt. I would highly recommend you give it read and see for yourself.
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