The Switch

Beth O'Leary has written another charming and lovable book. Although I did not enjoy this one as much as her debut, The Flatshare, it was quite an enjoyable read. The premise of the book is that a grandmother (Eileen) and her granddaughter (Leena) decide to trade lives for two months because they are both in need of a change that will hopefully put their lives back on track after the loss of a loved one. The switch turns out to be beneficial to both of them, and they learn new things about themselves and how they view the people in their lives.

I love the character of Eileen, the grandmother. She is so full of life and ready for adventure. She brings a sense of community to her granddaughter's apartment block that was desperately lacking. She is a sweet character whom everyone loves. Leena, the younger character, is less charming than her grandmother, but I liked her too. She has some moments when I found her to be very naive and overly trusting, especially in terms of her boyfriend. However, she learns a lot about herself during the switch, and I like how her character grows.

The small town charm and sense of community that is portrayed in this book is refreshing and very appropriate in our current climate. It made me wish for more of it my own life.

I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. It is sweet and uplifting. Just the kind of read needed when real life is a bit chaotic.