The Switch by Beth O'Leary
Published by Flatiron Books
Publication date: April 16, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit
Bookshop
When Leena and her grandmother Eileen both find themselves in desperate need of a change they come to an unusual decision in Beth O’Leary’s The Switch. Each move into the others’ home. For Leena this means leaving her London flat and two roommates and heading to a cottage an hour away. For Eileen, it’s leaving behind the quiet and peace of her tiny village and entering London’s fast pace, as well as having two roommates after years of living alone.
The idea is necessitated by a panic attack that derails a critical presentation the 20-something Leena is giving at work. She’s normally driven and hyper-focused, but has struggled since the death of her younger sister Carla after a protracted battle with cancer. Her boss mandates that she take paid leave for two months as she hasn’t used a single personal day in over a year. For Eileen, the problem is a bit of the opposite. Her husband Wade ran off with their dancing instructor and despite her close-knit circle of friends the small village offers nothing in the way of eligible men. She’s 79, but after decades of an unfulfilling marriage she wants to explore the world of dating and fun.
The women decide that only complete separation from their current lives will work so they also switch technology. Leena has to come to grips with her grandmother’s flip phone while Eileen is faced with a smartphone dating apps. O’Leary uses the dry British wit I love to play with the generational mishaps and misunderstandings in The Switch before unearthing the deeper issues facing both women. Leena has been estranged from her mother for over a year due to decisions made around Carla. Eileen has not only had to process her husband’s betrayal and the death of a granddaughter, but has also been the emotional caregiver for her grief-stricken daughter, Leena’s mother.
It’s these messy parts of life overlaid with humor that made The Switch exactly what I needed. I cared about the characters, even the difficult ones, and I wanted to know what happened next. Was there anything terribly surprising in the novel? No, but predictable and calming are welcome reading right now and the tidy ending made me happy.
Want more comfort reading? I also loved the author’s novel, The Flatshare.
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