Emily Henry’s ‘Great Big Beautiful Life’ turned me into a fan
Video: Josh Radnor talks how Sundance would have fit in Cincinnati
Josh Radnor understands why Sundance is moving to Boulder, but thinks Cincinnati would’ve greeted the festival with open arms.
Caution: This article contains spoilers for Emily Henry’s latest novel, “Great Big Beautiful Life.”
In full disclosure, “Great Big Beautiful Life” was the very first Emily Henry book I had ever read (shocking, I know), and I can assure you it won’t be the last.
I’ve been aware of Henry, the successful author from Cincinnati, for a few years now, thanks to my friends’ raving social media posts about her previous novels, especially “Funny Story.”
I’m now kicking myself for not trusting their reviews sooner.
The 33-year-old No. 1 New York Times best-selling author has been on a rom-com roll, with five of her most recent novels set to be adapted for the big and small screens. It would not surprise me if her latest book, which debuted Tuesday, April 22, also received an on-screen adaptation.
‘Great Big Beautiful Life’ takes readers on a page-turning journey
Since I was a little girl, books have been my safe haven − a way to escape reality and fully engulf myself in worlds more appealing than my own. It’s no wonder I ended up a journalist. I was also quite validated reading “Great Big Beautiful Life,” given it revolves around two journalists.
I devoured Henry’s 416-page novel in two sittings. When I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about the characters, their stories, what was going to happen next and where the book would lead me.
I didn’t know what to expect since I had never read any of Henry’s previous work, but this is a true romance novel with an enemies-to-lovers trope (which I typically don’t like, but was a sucker for this one).
“Great Big Beautiful Life” follows journalists Alice Scott, who works for The Scratch, and Hayden Anderson, a Pulitzer-winning Rolling Stone writer, to a small coastal Georgia town called Little Crescent Island. There, the two compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of the reclusive heiress Margaret Ives, a mysterious woman who has more than a couple secrets up her sleeve.
Some aspects of the book will have readers thinking: “Who is who? Who did what to whom, and when?” as Margaret discusses her lineage, but that’s part of the book’s charm. The reader has to pay attention to the details and they must have a keen eye, just like Alice and Hayden need to during their friendly “competition” for Margaret’s book rights.
The characters, especially the women, are written in such an eloquent way that you can’t help but root for them. And while it’s a romance novel, it’s not a mushy-gushy love story (although I clocked Alice and Hayden’s romance in chapter 2). It’s also a heartbreaking tale of giving up your familiarity for the ones you love the most, even if it means losing everything, and continuing to navigate life after those losses.
Of course, I was excited to learn about Margaret and her labyrinth of secrets, but the chemistry between Alice and Hayden fueled me. Alice’s bubbly personality paired with the stoic and staunch Hayden was comically amusing.
I was emotionally invested.
I won’t lie. Things do get steamy between Alice and Hayden, and while I think the enemies-to-lovers trope can be a bit cheesy, Henry wrote their romance in such a slow-burning, tension-filled way that I couldn’t stop reading and was genuinely looking forward to their dialogue.
Henry did an excellent job of splitting the book up between Margaret’s past and the present, with the plot flowing effortlessly. Aside from having a hunch on Alice and Hayden’s love story, there was one other twist (out of a few) I correctly predicted. But it was so far-fetched I thought, “There’s no way this could be true,” and it was … in a way (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you finish the book).
Emily Henry’s latest book reminded me to cherish my ‘Great Big Beautiful Life’
Only a handful of books have truly stuck with me: Hanya Yanagihara’s “A Little Life,” Donna Tartt’s “The Secret History,” and Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar,” to name a few. Today, I’m officially adding “Great Big Beautiful Life” to my exclusive list.
Maybe I’m biased because I am a journalist like Alice and Hayden, but the character arcs, settings, emotions, the historical background and the twists and turns that pulled at my heartstrings − it all makes me wish I could reread this book for the first time.
The readers see Alice, Hayden and Margaret grow into better people throughout the journey. They cherish their surroundings and all of life’s little things, which I believe is important. We can get so caught up in the mundanity of life we forget we’re all living for the first time.
As humans, we often find ourselves reflecting on all of life’s “what ifs” (or at least I do). If anything is certain, Henry’s book reminded me to live fast, truthfully, authentically and to the fullest extent. It also taught me it is never too late to learn from someone (even if they are a stubborn old woman).
Thanks to “Great Big Beautiful Life,” I will look at the following things in a new light:
- Cutting flowers.
- Kind and unsuspecting strangers.
- Beach sunsets.
- Mosaic art.
- Small island towns.
- Newspapers.
- Hollywood.
- Love and life.
I feel more grounded and optimistic after reading “Great Big Beautiful Life,” so it has my stamp of approval with a 4.5-star rating out of 5. I would give it a full 5-star rating if I hadn’t predicted two plot twists, but it is a romance novel after all.
If you’re like I was and you haven’t yet read a book by Emily Henry yet, take my word for it: Just buy the book. It’s that good.
Source link
