Goodness me, what a book this is. It tells the story of Olive, who lives with her father and grandfather after the loss of her mum. She seems to be the only person who can see a big grey elephant following her dad around as he struggles with his grief and she sets out to chase it away.
I cannot lie, I was a little leaky-eyed at times reading this. It’s such a beautiful and sensitively-written story about the power of love, kindness and connection. It highlights the importance of communication and having the strength to share your feelings. As you read through this you realise that it’s not just about Olive’s father’s grief, it’s about the impact on the entire family, and while I don’t want to give any spoilers away there’s a little scene at the end which drives that point home perfectly. I was struck particularly by the relationship between Olive and her grandfather, which can be summed up in one quote: “Grandad rubs out the grey parts of my day and fills them with colour” ?.
I’m so pleased that this book has finally been published in the UK. Such a big-hearted, empathic story, it will definitely stay with me for some time.
