This is a great book for a cozy weekend at home where you're happy to just sit and read for hours. Joanna Cannon graduated from Leicester Medical School and worked as a hospital doctor, before specialising in psychiatry. Fortunately, Florence has as her companion her best friend from childhood onward, Elsie, who helps her solve these mysteries and always knows what to say to make her feel better. I think I can say this, if you liked Eleanor you'll like this. The second is that she always knows what to say to make me feel better. Something went wrong. 84-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. Personally, I think anyone who finds it depressing has missed the point. From the acclaimed, bestselling author of. Cannon is a psychiatrist and has an 'interest in people on the fringes of society.' I think it actually just made everything more sad. ${cardName} not available for the seller that you chose. "A novel set in England about eighty-four-year-old Florence, a resident in a nursing home, who has fallen in her apartment, leading her to think about her childhood friend and the secrets of their past that are about to come to light"--"A novel set in England about eighty-four-year-old Florence, a resident in a nursing home, who has fallen in her Seller Inventory # bk000819694Xxvz189zvxnew, Book Description Condition: New. At the very last page, Florence says that she has done nothing remarkable yet, she says "I have led a quite extraordinary life". The author says that the point of the book for her is that every person we meet has an impact on our lives. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. She has made the characters endearing and it is filled with tenderness. While readers are likely to guess the mysterious "third thing" about Elsie early on, and the book's shocks depend on some unlikely coincidences, Cannon makes her protagonist sympathetic and touches lightly on how easy it is to make false assumptions about the elderly. How do you think ordinary versus extraordinary is measured?9. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. Welcome back. MADE IN GERMANY, it said on the back, and so I bought it, because I thought it might remind her of home. Elsie was still living at home with her mother and sister during the fire. Seller Inventory # M000819694X_11, Book Description Paperback. Florence is terrified; she believes he has come back for her but can't explain why. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. From heart-pounding thrillers to poignant memoirs and everything in between, check out what's new this month. The reader intuits the answer, which, when it surfaces in the final chapter, is powerful and profound. The bestselling author of the ""remarkablemasterfully constructed, pitch-perfect"" (Booklist, starred review) debut The Trouble with Goats and Sheep delivers a suspenseful and emotionally satisfying novel about a lifelong friendship, a devastating secret, and the small acts of kindness that bring people together. As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is included with a Kindle Unlimited membership. Lying prone in the front room, Florence wonders if a terrible secret from her past is about to come to light . Condition: new. The first thing is that she's my best friend. The enhancements that you chose aren't available for this seller. There are three things you should know about Elsie.The. And the third thing.might take a little bit more explaining. Who was the one person who died in the fire? The reader was Paula Wilcox and she was wonderful. new. Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web. Their scorching, sensual affair ended in, One of our best contemporary writers explores the tension between science and religion and reveals how our concept of mind determines how we understand and value human nature and human civilization, In this award-winning collection, the bestselling author of Gilead offers us other ways of thinking about history, religion, and society. Poignant, funny and delightful. Her novels, The Trouble With Goats and Sheep and Three Things About Elsie, were both Sunday Times bestsellers and Richard and Judy picks. They will lift me up and carry me down the outside steps, and as they do, I will look out over the town, at the liquid ink of the night and the lights that shine from other peoples lives, and it will seem as though Im flying. The cover gives the impression of a much lighter book than it actually is and I thought worked against it. Its amazing what falls behind furniture when your back is turned. they'll ask when they find me. . I have an 84 year old mother in a retirement home so the book hit various emotional triggers and felt very relevant to me, resulting in me struggling to find the comedy. THREE THINGS ABOUT ELSIE is the second novel for British psychiatrist-turned-author Joanna Cannon, following THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP. Don't miss our ebook deals starting at $0.99! Joanna Cannon is a psychiatrist with a degree from Leicester Medical School. 'Whatever for?' There are three things you should know about Elsie. Sue Townsend meets Kate Atkinson meets Nina Stibbe' MARIAN KEYES 'Powerful and profound' Guardian 'Another sure-fire hit' Daily Mail 'Funny, melancholy, acutely observant' Sunday Express 84-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. This reading group guide for Three Things About Elsie includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. : She took a bad tumble, fell and, unable to . There is a special kind of silence when you live alone. Firstly the writing is a joy to read - it is lyrical and almost poetical. How does this idea of the bonds between humanity play out throughout the novel?6. When a new resident arrives Florence is convinced it's someone she used to know, but how can it be when he died more than sixty years ago? The first thing is that she's my best friend. They seemed very close, and she was not close to anyone else that way. The first thing is that she's my best friend. The cover gives the impression of a much lighter book than it actually is and I thought worked against it. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 September 2018. Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2022. The bestselling author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep delivers a suspenseful and emotionally satisfying novel "infused with warmth and humor" (People) about a lifelong friendship, a devastating secret, and the small acts of kindness that bring people together. Never ask. It's an outside the box crime fiction story about old people running circles around the people that look down on them. Delivery cost, delivery date and order total (including tax) shown at checkout. then grabbed it off the shelf to show it to me. Florence is in her 80's and living in sheltered housing, sheltered from what she asks? Interesting story set in a nursing home with characters nearing the end of life. The first thing is that she's my best friend. The first thing is that she's my best friend. Joanna Cannons novel THE THREE THINGS ABOUT ELSIE is a deeply touching story about a lifelong friendship composed of many layers. I know that more than anybody. And like Peck, Cannon is a practising doctor, and knows what she is talking aboutI have reservations about the construction of this novel: it can be clunky, slow-paced, sententious and sentimentalFlorences character is lovely: sweet, sharp and argumentative, she brims with quips and retortsWhat is the third thing about Elsie advertised by the title? She always knew "As we walked, I turned to her and said, 'Thank you.' The Sunday Times Bestseller 'Lovely, lovely, lovely Sue Townsend meets Kate Atkinson meets Nina Stibbe' MARIAN KEYES 'Powerful and profound' Guardian 'Another sure-fire hit' Daily Mail 'Funny, melancholy, acutely observant' Sunday Express 'Cann If you couldn't give two hoots about Eleanor and are just looking for a recommended read from me can I push this book over the table to you? Synopsis The bestselling author of the "remarkablemasterfully constructed, pitch-perfect" (Booklist, starred review) debut The Trouble with Goats and Sheep delivers a suspenseful and emotionally satisfying novel about a lifelong friendship, a devastating secret, and the small acts of kindness that bring people together.There are three things you should know about Elsie. She is the author of, Now available as a three-volume paperback boxed set, E L Jamess, Choose Expedited Shipping at checkout for delivery by, Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser, Freed: Fifty Shades Freed as Told by Christian, Fifty Shades Freed (Movie Tie-In) (Fifty Shades Trilogy #3), Darker: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian, Fifty Shades Trilogy: Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker, Fifty Shades Freed 3-volume Boxed Set, Absence of Mind: The Dispelling of Inwardness from the Modern Myth of the Self, The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought, " data-ean="9780312425326" data-title="The Death of Adam: Essays on Modern Thought">See Details, Mother Country: Britain, the Welfare State and Nuclear Pollution. Im guessing Florence just made up a back story for her in her own head. Supporting players Elsie and Jack were also brilliantly drawn. It was a memory I'd lost, and you found it and gave it back to me again.' Try refreshing the page. The new occupant of the flat has a name that doesn't fit who Florence knows him to be, Ronnie. As she waits to be rescued, she considers the charming new resident who looks exactly like a man she once knew - a man who died sixty years ago. delivers a suspenseful and emotionally satisfying novel about a lifelong friendship, a devastating secret, and the small acts of kindness that bring people together. At the heart of this novel also, is Florences relationship with her best friend Elsie who she talks to throughout the novel. [She was quoting what Clara (who's in Greenbank) had said about her (Clara's) husband finding the body in 1953, which had been mostly eaten by the fish and which everyone presumed to be Ronnie Butler's. Joanna Cannons first two novels, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep and Three Things about Elsie, were both Sunday Times bestsellers and Richard and Judy picks. Theyre all headphones and aerosol cans. This months best new work includes the second book of the Half-Drowned King Viking fantasy trilogy, a portrait of a Midwest town in decline, a debut roman clef by an Iraq veteran currently imprisoned for bank robbery, and a historical about the Black Plague. Whether rescuing "Calvinism" and its creator Jean Cauvin from, A New York Times Book Review Editors Choice A New York Times Bestseller Pulitzer PrizeWinning Author of Gilead, Marilynne Robinson has built a sterling reputation as not only a major, WITH A TWO-PART INTERVIEW BETWEEN MARILYNNE ROBINSON AND PRESIDENT OBAMA THAT FIRST APPEARED IN THE NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKSThe incomparable Marilynne Robinson has delivered an impassioned critique, At the time when Robinson wrote this book, the largest known source of radioactive contamination of the world's environment was a government-owned nuclear plant called Sellafield, not far from, Joanna Cannon is a psychiatrist with a degree from Leicester Medical School. She interpreted Cannon's characters and story very well. Their humaneness belied the 'Nurse Ratchet' mindset I was afraid I would find.I chose to listen to Three Things About Elsie. Why do you think this is significant?4. The first thing is that shes my best friend. Fred was Cora's husband, the fishmonger from Wales. 2023 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved. , Simon & Schuster Audio and Blackstone Audio; Unabridged edition (August 7, 2018), Language Please try again. It is a story that takes place in a nursing home. It's perhaps my age and the gently eroding acuity of my mental faculties but the whole theme depressed me utterly. Why does she say that? Are you all right, Florence? Breathes with suspense, providing along the way piercing, poetic descriptions, countless tiny mysteries, and breathtaking little reveals a rich portrait of old age and friendship stretched over a fascinating frame. Kirkus (starred review), A tender and charismatic look into life in a nursing home. Three and a half stars really, but it didn't feel right to round up. Bless her. Welcome back. Who was Elsie's "Albert" and how did she die so young? The second is that she always knows what to say to make me feel better. The second is that she always knows what to say to make me feel better. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. To learn more about how and for what purposes Amazon uses personal information (such as Amazon Store order history), please visit our Privacy Notice. , ISBN-10 Search for all books with this author and title. And the third thing might take a bit more explaining. The themes are so profound. Her hands will be warm and kind, and her fingers will wrap around mine. Florence's dog was called Seth. Three Things About Elsie book. No harm done, because theyre still in the packet. Some of the characters who seem one dimensional on the surface, are oh so much more. You find it so easily in other people, why do you struggle so much to find it in yourself? (page 334). I'm fairly certain that this is what the author meant to be the third thing about Elsie - that she was the love of Florence's life (remember Florence never married or had a family), not that she died in the fire. Going on from Gail's post - why did Florence refer to the fishmonger as "my Fred" please? The first thing is that shes my best friend. Paperback. Why or why not?11. This includes using first- and third-party cookies, which store or access standard device information such as a unique identifier. full terms and conditions and this month's choices, June eBook Deals: 12 New Reads for an Eclectic Digital Library, Galentines Day Reads: 10 Books to Read with Besties, Rediscovered Reviews: 9 Books That Surprised and Delighted Us. The premise of the book so unlike I have ever read. The story unfolds like unravelling a tangled ball of string, and has everything to keep the reader enthralled; humour, love, friendship, tragedy, mystery, suspense, and all the lovely brave and complicated characters. Much like I think every book we read does. She lives in Englands Peak District with her family and her dog. Seller Inventory # newport000819694X, Three Things About Elsie: A Richard and Judy Book Club Pick 2018. What do you think makes Florence ultimately realize that she has lived an extraordinary life, in the end?Enhance Your Book Club1. Shell forget about her telephone as soon as she realizes. Read 2,093 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Copyright 2023 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Joanna Cannon graduated from Leicester Medical School and worked as a hospital doctor, before specialising in psychiatry. Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. We hope that these ideas will enrich your conversation and increase your enjoyment of the book.Introduction Eighty-four-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. : The main enjoyment of the narrative lies in the little gems of wisdom gained from decades of living. I smiled. Its why we get on so well. What is an extraordinary life? or ask your favorite author a question with From the author of THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP, this book will teach you many things, but here are three of them:1) The fine threads of humanity will connect us all forever.2) There is so very much more to anyone than the worst thing they have ever done.3) Even the smallest life can leave the loudest echo. When a new resident arrives Florence is convinced it's someone she used to know, but how can it be when he died more than sixty years ago? Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Reviewed in the United States on August 20, 2018. I also noticed that simons mom met her dad on a bus because some one gave up their seat for her as she hurt her ankle and earlier in the book it said flo and Elsie met because one of them gave up their seat for a girl who hurt her ankle. Soon have you there, Flo. References to this work on external resources. Is it dementia? Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help. Plus, receive recommendations and exclusive offers on all of your favorite books and authors from Simon & Schuster. might take a little bit more explaining. Compassionate, thoughtful and tender, it is a novel exploring the pain of nostalgia and personal truths so painful we hide them even from ourselves HANNAH BECKERMAN, Observer, A tale of ordinary lives and buried secrets a well-written, entertaining, effortless read with some arresting insights Mail on Sunday, Charming, wise and profoundly human. After viewing product detail pages, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Her writing benefits greatly from these interests. The chapters flip flop between her lying there fantasizing about who will come to her aid and remembering incidents from the last several days and the distant past. This is not my usual type of book,but I read a review of it and thought I'd give it a go. Condition: new. Three Things About Elsie is a moving, powerful, heartbreaking, heartwarming listen. As Florence lies waiting for someone to discover her after a fall, her mind Florence, Elsie, and Jack, live in sheltered accommodation. she died in the fire and Florence conjures her back to life as an imaginary friend in old age. 1 Sunday Times bestseller (Canon Clement Mystery). The past seems to be catching up with the present. This book left me satiated and comfortable. Taylor Jenkins Reid. Are you all right, Florence? We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Florence teaches us that there is so very much more to a person than they sometimes can articulate. Sorry, there was a problem saving your cookie preferences. you are first led to believe that it was elsie's mother. Seller Inventory # Holz_New_000819694X, Book Description Paperback. It doesnt matter if you guess the third thing about Elsie before the end, or if you think some of the coincidences arent believable. I do have to say I cried each time Flo imagined what her rescue would be like and who would come. They both think of Florence's memory as spotty, though, and Elsie often challenges her to practice calling up facts from their shared past. Sue Townsend meets Kate Atkinson meets Nina Stibbe' MARIAN KEYES `Powerful and profound' Guardian `Another sure-fire hit' Daily Mail `Funny, melancholy, acutely observant' Sunday Express Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Elsies house was quiet too, so she went to hunt down Ronnie, Ronnie meanwhile was planning to murder itinerant musician Gabriel Honeyman/Price and steal his identity, Florence followed Ronnie and pushed him into the water, In fact he swam to the bank, waited for Gabriel Price, stole his ID and shoved him into the river, Months later when a body washed up, it was assumed to be Ronnie, Florence got back to Elsies house to find it was on fire, The fireman (who turned out to be Handy Simons father) saved the entire family save for Elsie, who died, Only at the end of the book, 60 years later, did Florence realise Ronnie had set the house on fire trying to kill her as the witness to his running over Beryl. The first thing is that she's my best friend. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. I really enjoyed it and felt I knew the central character Florence. It hangs around, waiting for you to find it. "And so begins the story of a life, a friendship and a secret told by eighty-four-year-old Florence. One morning Florence sees a skip outside one of the flats as one of the former residents is removed from existence in the complex and the world. I expect she was in a rush. It's one part murder mystery, and one part a journey along with a lady's descent into senility. Finished in a few days. The three take matters into their own hands when a new resident arrives, and Florence recognises him from her past. Let them get on with it, Elsie says. Maddeningly, she communicates less efficiently with authorities than with the reader, and they aren't inclined to believe her anyway. I smiled. do you know who fred was? Condition: new. The second is that she always knows what to say to make me feel better. Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2021. The pieces of elastic wont stay behind my ears, and therell be such a fuss made. Readers may come for the mystery, but theyll stay to spend time with Florence. Readers may come for the mystery, but they'll stay to spend time with Florence. what was extraordinary about her life? And for lighter, contemporary reads, enjoy a sorority-set drama, a [], Breathes with suspense, providing along the way piercing, poetic descriptions, countless tiny mysteries, and breathtaking little reveals a rich portrait of old age and friendship stretched over a fascinating frame. Kirkus (starred review)A tender and charismatic look into life in a nursing home. Three Things About Elsie book. Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help. And the third thingmight take a bit more explaining.Eighty-four-year-old Florence has fallen in her flat at Cherry Tree Home for the Elderly. This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and (if not signed in) for advertising. Warning: May contain spoilers. Elsie is Florence's best friend from childhood, and Jack is a newer friend at the retirement home. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 21, 2018. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 May 2019. 464. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. Refresh and try again. Get a FREE ebook by joining our mailing list today! Got through it but not a favourite. As she waits to be rescued, she thinks about her friend Elsie and wonders if a terrible secret from their past is about to come to light. Seller Inventory # 9780008196943, More information about this seller The two begin a campaign to alert the staff that Florence is speaking the truth and doesnt need a higher level of care. Does it make her a less reliable narrator? . As I continued reading though I settled down into knowing that and thinking that actually I'm probably thinking a bit like Florence. She lives in the Peak District with her dog, Lewis. I am left though with a couple of nagging questions. Lying prone in the front room, Florence wonders if a terrible secret from her past is about to come to light . Instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV episodes with Prime Video, A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates, Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists, Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access. His arrival has stirred distant memories she and Elsie thought they'd laid to rest. Her new novel, A Tidy Ending, was published in April 2022. I really loved all the characters in this book from Florence to Jack to the baddy Ronnie to the management at the sheltered accommodation, particularly Handy Simon who reads like a well thought out Autistic character. You try to cover it up with all sorts of other noises, but its always there, at the end of everything else, expecting you. Condition: New. Her novels, The Trouble With Goats and Sheep and Three Things About Elsie, were both Sunday Times bestsellers and Richard and Judy picks. Theyll strap me into a chair, one of those with a seat belt on it, and theyll put a blue blanket over me, and the German girl will make a big point about making sure its straight. The first thing is that she's my best friend. Condition: new. It truly is written with a sprinkle of magic. Joanna Cannon graduated from Leicester Medical School and worked as a hospital doctor, before specialising in psychiatry. Her best friend, Elsie, does everything with her including eating and going to doctors appointments. Occasionally, you see the same one twice. paperback. With Three Thing About Elsie, author Joanna Cannon presents her characters and their stories with caring and kindness, as well as an eye for noticing those who often seem invisible. , Item Weight The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. Why or why not?5. Language: ENG. book. ${cardName} unavailable for quantities greater than ${maxQuantity}. It's about friendship, growing older, the foibles of memory and a life well lived. Buy Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon from Waterstones today! Lots that is great but together doesn't work as well as it should, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 November 2018. No one believes her initially except for Elsie. The Man Who Died Twice. I also noticed that simons mom met her dad on a bus because some one gave up their seat for her as she hurt her ankle and earlier in the book it said. You may recall my review of one of my favorite books of 2017 titled The Trouble with Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon which centered on a small cul-de-sac in England and the mystery of a missing child. The unreliable narrator of Cannon's amusing and heartbreaking novel (following The Trouble with Goats and Sheep) spends most of the story lying in a heap on the floor of her apartment at the Cherry Tree "sheltered accommodation" for the elderly, reviewing her life. 15/06/2020 20:28, Elsie's Albert is Al bowlly , as in the book Elsie said she wanted to tell him about the danger and take shelter rather than read the book, they danced to Al Bowlly at the town Hall. Her most recent novel Three Things About Elsie was published in 2018 and was a top ten hardback bestseller and her first novel The Trouble with Goats and Sheep was a top ten bestseller in both hardback and paperback and was a Richard and Judy pick She lives in the Peak District with her family and her dog. Readable but rambling at times. And I will feel as light as air. You need to believe in something without looking for proof. Richard Osman. Try again. From the author of THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP, this book will teach you many things, but here are three of them: Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. The Sunday Times Bestseller `Lovely, lovely, lovely. If the charming new resident is who he claims to be, why does he look exactly like a man who died sixty years ago? There are three things you should know about Elsie. More than half of all suicides in 2021 - 26,328 out of 48,183, or 55% - also involved a gun, the highest percentage since 2001. And the third thingmight take a bit more explaining. Error rating book. Buy with confidence! I was very surprised. One of the prettiest covers of the year for me and one I saw lots of people talking about a few months ago, so much so that clearly I had bought it and then it just sat there, in the colourful book stack, on my bookshelves. This book is a perfect reminder that we are all human and we all face the same ending. The characters are drawn with such empathy and humour. As she waits to be rescued, she considers the charming new resident who looks exactly like a man she once knew - a man who died sixty years ago. Click and Collect from your local Waterstones or get FREE UK delivery on orders over 25. Lots that is great but together doesn't work as well as it should, Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2018. Its not a happy ever after romcom (although there is lots of com). Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. Shipping: His arrival has stirred distant memories she and Elsie thought they'd laid to rest. Click Customise Cookies to decline these cookies, make more detailed choices, or learn more. Elderly, fragile Flo has taken a fall in her room at a nursing home. pp. Paperback Added to basket. While I was discussing this book with a patron she asked, "Have you read her newest book?" Cannon effortlessly captures the homes slow routines, along with the ways that staff and residents coexist but often know little about each other .