Olive - by Emma Gannon (Paperback)

About the Book

Olive is many things. Independent. Driven. Loyal. and a little bit adrift. She's ok with still figuring it all out, navigating her world without a compass. But life comes with expectations, there are choices to be made, boxes to tick and--sometimes--stereotypes to fulfil. And when her best friends' lives start to branch away towards marriage and motherhood, leaving the path they've always followed together, Olive starts to question her choices--because life according to Olive looks a little bit different. Moving, memorable and a mirror for every woman at a crossroads, Olive has a little bit of all of us. Told with great warmth and nostalgia, this is a modern tale about the obstacle course of adulthood, milestone decisions and the 'taboo' about choosing not to have children. -- Adapted from page [4] cover.

Book Synopsis

The debut novel about the life-changing choices we make about careers, love, friendship, and motherhood from bestselling UK author Emma Gannon.

Olive is many things. Independent. Driven. Loyal. And a little bit adrift.

She's okay with still figuring it all out, navigating her world without a compass. But life comes with expectations and big choices to be made. So when her best friends' lives branch away towards marriage and motherhood, leaving the path they've always followed together, she starts to question her choices--because life according to Olive looks a little bit different.

Moving, memorable, and a mirror for anyone at a crossroads, OLIVE has a little bit of all of us. Told with humor and great warmth, this is a modern tale about the obstacle course of adulthood and the challenges of having--and deciding not to have--children.

Review Quotes

"if you're in your late twenties or early thirties, this is an amazing read. I felt so seen. 10/10 I highly recommend. - Tinx, bestselling author of The Shift (Tinx, TikTok)

"Olive is a delicate, heart-breaking and delicious story that will bring a pang of delightful recognition to every woman who reads it."
(Scarlett Curtis, author of It's Not OK to Feel Blue)

"An unflinchingly honest and thoughtful piece of fiction . . . In Gannon's capable hands, women are not so much divided along their disparate lines--but united." (Pandora Sykes, author of How Do We Know We're Doing It Right)

"Emma Gannon's novel raises important questions about women's lives--important themes explored by a true cham­pion of women" (Nina Stibbe, author of Reasons to be Cheerful and Love, Nina)

"Fresh, funny and utterly distinctive, and so loving and insightful about friendships and the way we grow and change within them." (Emma Jane Unsworth, author of Animals)

"Honest, relatable and incredibly real, Olive is going to resonate with an entire generation of young women." (Louise O'Neill, author of The Surface Breaks and Asking For It)

"Incredibly warm and loveable, you won't be able to put Olive down." (Bustle)

"It'll give a voice to countless women . . . a profound issue wrapped inside an accessible, highly engaging novel." (Marian Keyes, bestselling author of Grown Ups)

"This tale of four young women trying to sort out the dilemmas of motherhood ... will bring relief and recognition to many. It's a lovely bookâ -thoughtful, searching, funny, and (most importantly) honest." (Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Big Magic and Eat, Pray, Love)

About the Author

Emma Gannon is an author, speaker, columnist, and the host of the multi-million downloaded podcast Ctrl Alt Delete. She has been published everywhere from the Guardian to Glamour (UK) and is the author of The Multi-Hyphen Life and Sabotage. This is her debut novel. She currently lives in London with her partner.