Absolutely wonderful book and will bear re-reading in a year or two. Funny, profound and moving. Brilliantly written, very real characters and an intriguing mystery too.

Filed under ‘beautiful things that made my heart hurt’: this book.

I loved it, by the way. Let’s make that clear from the start because sometimes I read my stuff back after the fact and sort of think ‘wow, that review does not make it seem like I loved that as much as I did’ which is unfortunate, really. Anyhow. I really really liked this book. Also, sometimes I worry that my saying a book left me feeling a little ouchy might be misinterpreted as my not liking it.

This book made my heart hurt and I liked it a whole lot.




I was a huge fan of The Trouble With Goats and Sheep when I read it last year – a recommendation from my friend Natalie - and so was really excited when I heard Joanna Cannon had written something else and it had some kind of link with Battenburg cake. I love Battenburg cake (I think everybody does, am I right?). I was excited about it, and I read it last week and you know, it is so worth a read this book. It’s lovely. If you like stories about the enduring power of friendship, and you like a good mystery and you like books that remind you about things that are really important, then this book is so worth a read.

Three Things About Elsie is kind of the opposite of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep; the story here is that of Florence (which as a small by the by is my Granny’s name so guess who I was picturing in my head the whole way through). She’s in her 80’s and she has fallen in her sheltered accommodation and is waiting for somebody to come and find her. She’s so certain that they will, and that they’ll be kind, and as she waits she reflects on the things that have been happening in the run up to her fall, the new resident who looks exactly like somebody from a past Florence thought she’d left behind her (he died years ago yet Florence knows it’s him so why will nobody believe her) and her best friend, Elsie, who is perhaps the only person left – certainly the only person at Cherry Tree – who understands her, who can help her grasp the threads of memory that she feels slipping through her fingers and who doesn’t think Florence needs shipping off to Greenbank – the home for people who aren’t well enough to live relatively independently at Cherry Tree.
It’s an incredibly moving story but it’s told so beautifully. Also, I am just such a fan of Joanna Cannon’s writing style; I felt it in Goats and Sheep, the way she got right into the head of her 10 year old Grace and made you think and feel, the way her stories and her characters got under your skin and made you believe in them, made you feel like you were witnessing something that mattered and she’s done the same here. Cannon is a perceptive writer and it’s those moments of subtle perception that really make her work stand out for me: the book is littered with them, and they’re like a beautiful sucker punch that make you ache for the Florence’s of this world.

There is a special kind of silence when you live alone. It hangs around, waiting for you to find it. You try to cover it up with all sorts of other noises, but it’s always there, at the end of everything else, expecting you.
Three Things About Elsie is a delicate story, cleverly woven and slow to unfold, so so poignant but sometimes making you laugh out loud, and sometimes it hurts watching Florence try to make sense of what’s going on around her, of trying to make people listen, of feeling like she is losing her voice when she still has so much to say.

There’s a twist which I worked out pretty early on, not that that took anything away from the story, at all and whilst some of the stuff surrounding the mysterious new resident / figure from Florence’s past did seem a little improbable I still found myself buying into the whole thing. Mostly though, this book made me feel things. It was personal, I could relate to it, dementia is a thing most people have personal experience of I think and this book got me right in the feels and it made me think and it made my heart hurt. It broke my heart, it made me really believe that there is so much more to everybody than the worst thing they have ever done and it made me smile; I loved it.

I really wasn't sure about this book to start with. It felt very similar to both Elizabeth is Missing and The 100-year-old man who climbed out of the window and disappeared, both of which I liked at the time of reading but didn't love. However, from about a third of the way in I was hooked. I loved the mystery and the adventures and by the final few pages I had a little tear in my eye.
The book had a real air of reminding us who people were before they got old and not forgetting that underneath the exterior they're the same person they were as a teenager.

This was one of those books that you finish and then want to start again right away. It’s full of lots of details that bear a second look, I definitely missed some things! I loved the fact that it’s about old people, there aren’t enough good books about the elderly! I really worry about what I can say without spoiling the book, so I will limit my comments to: I loved the central characters, I loved watching the story unfold, and the book made me hungry for battenberg!

Unusual, interesting, thought provoking and heartbreaking in places. A masterpiece

A beautifully written and thought provoking book which has left an indelible mark on me. So simple, yet so effective. The book just got better and better the more that I read it. I would highly recommend you to read it. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

Having loved Joanna Cannon’s debut novel, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, I couldn’t wait to read Three Things About Elsie. And Cannon has done it again – created a cast of original characters who sweep the story along.

Lifelong friends, Florence and Elsie, are whiling away their days in a sheltered housing complex, doing their best to ward off boredom by railing against the expectation that they enjoy the activities offered in the common lounge. We feel Florence’s fear as her health declines, her anxiety when memories dance and weave like swallows, hard to pin down.

However, life takes an unexpected turn when a new resident arrives, a ghost from their past, who throws all they thought they knew to the wind, creating a mystery waiting to be solved. To make matters worse, Florence suffers a fall and whilst waiting to be discovered, worries that secrets from her past are about to be revealed.

The way Cannon portrays Florence, who is suffering from early stage dementia, is both astutely and sympathetically observed; Florence’s dry wit both realistic and a joy.

I can’t finish a review of Three Things About Elsie and not mention how much I love the pretty cover. A nod to when a mountain of Battenburg cake appeared puzzlingly in one of Florence’s cupboards.

Perfect for fans of Emma Healey’s Elizabeth is Missing or Catherine Miller’s The Gin Shack on the Beach, Three Things About Elsie is a reminder that everyone has a story to tell.

I really enjoyed this book despite guessing part of the twist within the first few chapters.

It's a lovely gentle read and I grew to feel very attached to Florence.

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked up this book, as I hadn’t read the blurb, or any of the press or social media posts about it…it was a conscious decision to go into it blind.

Florence is living in sheltered accommodation and as the story progresses, herself and her friend Elsie unravel a mystery that went back years concerning an old acquaintance, Ronnie Butler. Ronnie has now appeared as a new resident at the sheltered, and it has baffled both Florence and Elsie, because Ronnie died sixty years ago, although he is now living under the pseudonym of Gabriel Price.

I hate to say it but this book didn’t do anything for me, and if I’m completely honest, I was bored by it. I guessed quite early on the twist, and was then waiting to hear the Three Things About Elsie. It felt that it could quite easily have been a short story, but was padded out to make a novel.

I hate it when I don’t enjoy a book, because I know that writing a novel takes blood, sweat and tears for the author, and I also know that it is an individual preference.

This simply wasn’t for me, but I know (and hope) that many many people enjoy it.

The writing styles and characterisations are wonderful in this book but due to personal circumstances the character of Florence is just too close to the bone at the moment and I had to stop reading. I will go back to the book and it deserves all the praise and success going.

Lovely Lovely book! Elsie is Florence's best friend since they were children and she helps Florence to remember things. Florence is 84 and lives in Cherry Tree Home for the elderly. A man arrives at the home whom Florence recognises as someone who she thought died a long time ago. This is a sentimental, sad and funny book all in one - beautifully written with gorgeous descriptions and lovable characters. Brilliant ending and I did shed a few tears whilst reading this. Her previous book The trouble with Goats and Sheep was one of my favourite books of last year and this one so far is a favourite !

This author’s first book, The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, caught my attention with its intriguing title. This time, Three Things About Elsie lured me in with its tasty Battenberg cake cover. It makes me think of my childhood, of saving the marzipan until last, of not having a gluten intolerance. I knew I just had to read this book too, and not just because I wanted to eat the cover.

For me, Three Things About Elsie felt like a combination of Joanna Cannon’s first book, with the mystery and style it was written in, and Elizabeth is Missing, by Emma Healey, which I absolutely adored.

I enjoyed the overall story and mystery, and the great mix of interesting characters. But what I loved most about this story was the strong and everlasting friendship between Florence and Elsie. Although emotional in places, I found this story to be mostly funny and endearing.

This is definitely a book I recommend if you enjoy character led stories that will touch your heart.

Unfortunately could not get past a few chapters with this novel. There was an evident disconnect with the authorial voice right from the very start and I found myself having to dart back for character references as she lost me from time to time.

Definitely not one I will be recommending to others.

I really enjoyed this book. It was sad, funny, poignant and beautifully written. For some reason I am drawn to books about elderly people, the quirkier the better, and was delighted to receive a copy of this book as an arc from Netgalley.
Poor Florence is in the early stages of dementia and has had a fall at her sheltered housing. She has been living in fear over the past couple of weeks as she believes someone from her past has come back to terrorise her. The reader isn't quite sure how reliable her memories and perceptions are due to her confusion, but as the story unfolds, past events are slowly revealed.
I was surprised by the ending, I really didn't expect it. This was a great read, I loved it. it was funny at times, poignant and desperately sad. I need to read the author's first book now! Would highly recommend this book.

I am probably going to be in the minority but I just could not get into this story, no particular reason just did not grab me enough to want to read more of it.

In this story - that is going to break your heart, btw - our main character Elsie is a 84 years old who lives at Cherry Tree (beautiful name, even though there are no cherry tries there), a sheltered accommodation. She spends her days with her friends Elsie, whom she knows for many, many years, and Jack. Florence is lovely and you just can't help but fell in love with her a little. There is still spirit to her and she's not an easiest resident of the home, she requires answers to her questions and is not easily satisfied. She just wants to live - I loved her no - nonsense approach. When a new resident arrives, Gabriel Price, she starts to believe she knows him but under a different name - is she right, and is in danger now? Or did she forget? Together with Florence, Elsie and Jack we set out on an incredible journey of looking for the truth, journey full of secrets, lies, abuse and mysteries, but also full of antics the three get up to.

"Three Things About Elsie" is a very special story about some very special characters that will stay in your heart for long. I actually immediately fell in love with Florence and Elsie, it was so easy to imagine them both sitting at the window and gossiping about all the other residents. They were jumping out of the pages of this book and they felt so true to life. Also, the background characters, such as Miss Ambrose or Handy Simon were incredibly well developed and had their own voices and stories that were so very touching, and really, they made the story feel more whole - I really hope you know what I mean here. So we don't only get Florence's point of view but also we get to know her life through other characters' eyes. Elsie's character is also incredibly likeable. She's Florence's best friend and it is Elsie who knows how Florence ticks best and how to make her feel better. Her words are the most memorable to Florence and she always asks what Elsie would do or say. It is Elsie who helps her, who finds all the positive things and who helps her to navigate through the minefield of losing memory. Their friendship was so beautiful and pure.

This story offered some curves that I really didn't expect. I was reading a lovely, touching story about Florence, Elsie and Jack and then the author has thrown some so unexpected twists and the story went in totally different direction to the one I was expecting - which is just brilliant, I love to be surprised - and in the end it turned out to be a little of mystery, a little of memories, with very realistic characters. I also never could say what is real, is Florence right or is it really her dementia speaking, and the final reveals just took my breath away.

Joanna Cannon is a very, very talented author. I haven't read her debut novel yet, it is still on my kindle, but her turns of phrases, the way she constructs the dialogues, the vividness of descriptions, the bringing the characters to life and the complex storyline speak for themselves. This book, "Three Things About Elsie", is this kind of a story that is getting better with every page turned and it leaves you thinking and reflecting on what you've just read. It is a funny and sad, sentimental and it just tugs at the heart - strings. The author writes in such a gentle way, her words are full of sympathy, heart and understanding. They make us laugh and cry and think and reflect. And I can't not mention it but the cover of the book is absolutely gorgeous, and it is also the perfect reflection of the story - you'll see for yourself when you read the book.

Joanna Cannon explores friendship in her book, people that we hold dear, and indicates how important they are to us, and how important it is to not to lose our trust. Altogether, it was a beautiful, sensitive book, full of many poignant moments. And I didn't guess the third thing about Elsie. It took me totally by surprise and made me cry like a crocodile. Highly, highly recommended!

I have not read The Trouble with Goats and Sheep and so the author Joanna Canon was new to me. Three Things about Elsie centres around Florence and Elsie, two life long friends in sheltered accommodation.. A new resident reminds Florence of someone she knew 60 years ago. who was believed to have drowned. Could it be him? If so, his presence is seen as a threat, given events in the past. Florence is fairly convinced but her memory is patchy and at times confused. Elsie, as ever, is the reassuring one.
This is a sensitive look at the world of the elderly where shades of dementia are around. It paints a realistic picture of both residents and carers, about how they relate to one another and the differing interpretations of events etc. Not necessarily a book to 'enjoy' but well crafted and thought provoking. It may affect the way you view the elderly and how best to respond to their preconceptions (and needs)..

Interesting book from a different point of view. Thanks for letting me have an advance copy.

This is a lovely book about Florence, 84 yrs old and living in sheltered accommodation. She doesn’t enjoy taking part it any arranged activities within the home and likes to keep herself to herself. It is an easy, quick read but one which is also deep and poignant. I loved the way the book combined a mystery with a story about real human experience and meaning.
I enjoyed the way her friend Elsie was included in the narration and the way the mystery of the new resident was told along side the story of the characters within the book.
A beautifully written book about human nature, memory, old age and of being alone.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I so wanted to love this book as much as The Trouble with Goats and Sheep but sadly I didn’t, not quite. A major barrier for me was the character of Elsie - I think it was quite obvious what her ‘secret’ was and the fact that it was never directly referred to, even by the other characters a bit further into the story, I found incredibly irritating! So there was that. I also missed the incredible sense of time and place from Goats and Sheep which was rarely apparent here. It was nicely written with a good sprinkling of touching moments but these too could be a little heavy-handed sometimes. There was some lovely gentle humour but I think the darker aspect could have been explored more fruitfully and I think I would have much preferred this as a time slip novel as I did find the main narrator’s voice and the care home setting a little limiting and the narrator’s memories didn’t go far enough to create that real-world feeling. That said, I remain a Joanna Cannon fan and eagerly await her next novel