Publisher's Weekly Review
Alexander's satisfying debut follows a woman who hasn't left her home for over three years. Meredith Maggs, nearing her 40th birthday, is content to live within the confines of her Glasgow flat, working as a freelance writer, solving jigsaw puzzles, and spending time with her best friend, Sadie, who helps with such errands as taking Meredith's cat to the vet. Meredith finds company in an online mental health support group, where she meets Celeste, a kindred soul who loves cats as much as Meredith does. Also keeping her company is Tom McDermott, a volunteer from the Holding Hands charity whose objective is to offer "friendship and support to anyone who needs it." She insists on not needing charity, but Tom turns out to be a caring companion with whom Meredith enjoys sharing biscuits and poetry. He gently prods into her past, seeking the reason she stopped going outside and stirring up memories of her difficult childhood. The measured pace keeps the plot moving even as most of the action takes place within Meredith's flat, and the endearing characters offer a sensitive portrayal of what it means to live with mental health issues. The result is a quiet slice-of-life story with heart to spare. (Nov.)
Booklist Review
Meredith Maggs hasn't left her house in Glasgow for 1,214 days. She has her cat, Fred, to keep her company. She works from home and has groceries delivered, and her best friend, Sadie, visits with news of the outside world. Meredith even meets new people, Tom, a charity caregiver who is hired to check up on her, and Celeste, from her online support group. Though Meredith starts to let new people in, she still can't leave. The novel alternates between Meredith in 2018 and her childhood with her cruel mother and supportive older sister, Fiona. Present-day Meredith hasn't spoken to her sister in years, but one day Fee calls to say she is leaving her husband, and then Celeste invites her to her thirtieth birthday party. Suddenly Meredith has reasons to leave the house, but can she? Alexander's debut is warm, funny, and emotional. Serious themes of sexual assault are handled with care, counterbalanced by Meredith's winning narration, and readers will root for her as she makes slow progress from her lonely life.
Library Journal Review
DEBUT Meredith Maggs hasn't left her Glasgow home in 1,214 days. She's not under quarantine; she's not bedridden. She has plenty to do: she works remotely, writes full-time, keeps herself and her house in tip-top shape, enjoys the companionship of her vocal cat, Fred, and especially likes working tricky jigsaw puzzles. Her best friend Sadie comes to visit with her two children, and Meredith relies on her grocery deliveryman to be punctual. Readers meet Meredith when a new visitor enters her life --Tom, from the Holding Hands befriending charity. Through Tom's visits, Alexander slowly reveals why Meredith has retreated from the outside world. Meredith makes a friend from an online support group, and these relationships help her to confront her stasis. When she's ready, she has a troubled family dynamic and trauma to handle. VERDICT In a world contending with the mental health fallout from COVID, Meredith is immediately relatable. Executed with care, humor, and grace, this novel pokes at the bubble of solitude to show each of us that suffering has a sense of community and with that, the prospect of optimism.--Julie Kane
