I absolutely devoured this book. Yes, I'm already a fan of a female protagonist and yes I am probably the target audience (30+ and childless) but that can't take away from how excellently Gannon has portrayed the complexities of being a childless woman through choice.
Let's talk setting - LONDON - broad minded city right? Well Gannon shows us that no matter how inclusive we are as a city/region/country, there's always room for improvement. She says exactly what women are thinking - It is not appropriate conversation to ask when a woman is thinking of having a baby, and stop saying they'll change their mind if they say they don't want them.
Gannon writes with ease of the tight knit friendship group, promises of yearly girls' holidays, monthly meet ups falling flat and how complicated it can get when one friend 'goes rogue' and not only admits what she wants, but goes and bloody gets it.
"But still it's the easiest thing in the world to compare yourself to others - especially your best friends and their velvet hallway sofas."
Perhaps I am like I said an obvious fan of this story, parts felt like they were lifted right out of my life but that's how well 'Olive' is written - you're almost included in the narrative. Feeling every tear that rolls down the four women's faces, every tinge of jealousy each one feels over the course of the story you understand and legitimise. The dynamics of female friendships (in a group of four no less) is an intricate affair and Gannon hits the nail on the head when she writes
"It had felt so simple when we'd first laid down the rules in our twenties."
We all start with the best intentions and then life gets in the way, and the choices we make draw us closer to some and further from others. Olive's relationship with Dorothy was a beautiful highlight of her character's development. It showed her selfish tendencies away from her current friendship woes. She thought she was the one doing the 'good deed' and helping a neighbour in need when really she was the one being coached out of her sadness little by little, by the selflessness of another.
The nuanced comedic moments like ordering an extra portion from a takeaway for your breakfast the following morning, wearing a baby on board badge to get a better seat on a bus or considering how hot one looks at a funeral was the icing on the expensive coffee shop cake. I look forward to catching up with Gannon's previous writing and raving about 'Olive' to all my friends! It's out on the 23rd July and available to preorder now :)
Thank you to NetGalley UK for the preview copy, it has made my week!
Thank you for reading!
