Meredith, Alone: The hopeful and uplifting debut you'll never forget

Description

All that stands between Meredith Maggs and the world is her own front door . . . Next summer's biggest debut novel Meredith Maggs hasn't left her house in 1,214 days. But she insists she isn't alone . . . She has her cat Fred. Her friend Sadie visits when she can. There's her online support group, StrengthInNumbers. She has her jigsaws, favourite recipes, her beloved Emily Dickinson, the internet, the Tesco delivery man and her treacherous memories for company. But something's about to change. Whether Meredith likes it or not, the world is coming to her door . . . Does she have the courage to overcome what's been keeping her inside all this time?

Claire Alexander lives with her young family on the west coast of Scotland. A freelance journalist, she has written about parenting, sobriety, mental health and wellbeing for publications including The Washington Post, The Independent, The Huffington Post and Glamour. When she's not writing or parenting, she's on her paddle board, thinking about her next book.

Gorgeous. I shed tears. Very, very touching, sweet and hopeful -- Marian Keyes Meredith, Alone is beautiful, moving and unexpectedly timely and this time next summer everyone is going to know Claire Alexander's name. It's such a pleasure to spend time in Meredith's world -- Daisy Buchanan Fans of Eleanor Oliphant will love this big-hearted book [...] Meredith is a wonderful character * Good Housekeeping * Absolutely gorgeous. If you like a book that makes you feel all the feels, this is the one to go for -- Miranda Dickinson, bestselling author of Take A Look At Me Now Beautiful . . . A story filled with love and hope, and well-crafted characters * Grazia * With a gorgeous cast of characters, this story tackles difficult subjects, and unfolds sensitively. Fans of Eleanor Oliphant [...] will devour it * Woman & Home * I laughed, I cried, and I bowed down to the brilliant author of this brilliant book -- Gillian McAllister, bestselling author of That Night This moving story tackles difficult subjects, but unfolds beautifully and sensitively * Woman's Weekly * Heartbreaking and glorious . . . [An] absolute joy of a novel * Heat 'Book of the Week' * A gorgeous, charming novel . . . Sweet, moving, funny and hopeful, with a courageous heroine who sweeps you up in her story -- Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne I loved Meredith, Alone so much! Touching and funny and sad and hopeful. I have a Meredith shaped hole in my life now I've finished it -- Jane Fallon, bestselling author of Worst Idea Ever Fans of Eleanor Oliphant will love this big-hearted book . . . Meredith is a wonderful character * Good Housekeeping * Thought provoking, relatable and hopeful. Ultimately this is a very human novel with a huge amount of heart * Culturefly, 'Books To Look Forward To' * Meredith is such a lovely character and will break your heart -- Julie Owen Moylan, author of That Green Eyed Girl A touching novel about family, friendship and being in the world, full of warmth * i * It's not sugar coated but it's not depressing either, with Alexander finding just the right balance to make this a thought provoking, relatable and uplifting book. With a wonderfully ordinary cast of characters, all of them just trying to do the best they can with the hands they've been dealt, Meredith, Alone celebrates friendship, connection, forgiveness and the healing power of love. Ultimately this is a very human novel with a huge amount of heart * Culturefly * A beautiful unfolding of a character I was not ready to let go of at the end of this book. Meredith's story is a raw and poignant reflection of what it means to rebuild a life after trauma -- Dr Julie Smith, bestselling author of Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before This affecting, absorbing debut about an agoraphobic sociophobe reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine * Daily Mail * You'll root for Meredith all the way * Daily Express * This story tackles difficult subjects, but unfolds beautifully and sensitively. Fans of Gail Honeyman's bestseller Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine will devour it * Woman * Absolute page-turner . . . I loved being in the company of Meredith -- Janice Forsyth * BBC Radio Scotland * Ultimately a book about hope and the power of friendship. A moving read which will leave you thinking about Meredith - even after you've turned the last page * Courier * Spirited, lovely, and full of hope * Sainsbury's Magazine * Hugely recommended * Fabulous * Utterly joyful * Sun * I love this book for so many reasons, but mostly for Meredith herself who is both flawed and loveable. Although Meredith Alone is totally unique, it also reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine in all the best ways -- Anna Bonet Heartbreaking but heart-warming * Sun * This has real resonance * Sunday Post * Meredith is a likeable heroine who you can't help but root for . . . This is a book about hope and the power of friendship * Sunday Life * Alexander's touching debut is beautifully written and . . . brims with hope and the possibility of happiness. Sensitive, relatable * Mail on Sunday * Set to be one of the biggest debuts of the summer . . . Fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine should be prepared to fall in love with Meredith, Alone * OX Magazine * Uplifting . . . there's a balance between darker themes and inspiring, uplifting ones: finding hope when (or where) you least expect it and learning to love yourself * Sunday Mail * For fans of Gail Honeywell's Eleanor Oliphant, Claire Alexander's debut novel is a moving story of finding inner strength and courage to overcome our deepest fears . . . Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, Alexander pulls at the heartstrings as we root for Meredith from the very beginning * The Upcoming * A novel that examines our most private spaces and what it means to be alone versus lonely, this charming, thought-provoking debut novel will be a big hit * Good Morning America * A touching contemporary fiction following one woman's journey back into the world * Popsugar * A timely and poignant book about trauma, loneliness, and stepping outside of our comfort zones - literally * BuzzFeed * 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 *