’Meredith, Alone’ is the debut novel by Claire Alexander.

Meredith Maggs hasn’t left her house in 1,214 days. But she insists she isn’t alone. She has her cat, Fred. Her friend Sadie visits when she can. There’s her online support group, StrengthInNumbers. She has her jigsaws, favourite recipes, her beloved Emily Dickinson, the internet, the Tesco delivery man and her treacherous memories for company. But something’s about to change. First, new friends Tom and Celeste burst into her life. Then an estranged sister she hasn’t spoken to in years.
Suddenly her carefully curated home is no longer a safe place to hide. Whether Meredith likes it or not, the world is coming to her door.

This book is one of the most beautiful debuts I’ve read and will certainly be featuring in my top 10 books of 2022.

The story is seen through the narrative of Meredith who after a terrible incident doesn’t leave the house. With home deliveries and the ability to work from home, she’s content with her life with her best friend Sadie and her ginger cat Fred. But one day Tom McDermott from Holding Hands befriending charity enters her life and between him and her online friend Celeste, she starts to think of life beyond her front door. But to step beyond her threshold, Meredith has to face up to her past and make amends.

The story is written in the past and present tense. The past present features Meredith as a child with her older sister Fiona who live with their mother. A cold and hard faced character who’s bitter after since the girls’ father left. She’s a complex woman and it was unsettling in parts as she had such a split personality and the girls were always on eggshells as they never knew what mood she’d be in. The past tense to the story really sets the scene to how Meredith came to staying indoors.

The story is set in Glasgow, a city I’ve visited and the author has beautifully described the streets and landscape of the city painting a vivid description. Her writing is stunning in parts and so picturesque from the four walls of Meredith’s house to the anxiety of confronting her fears. Other supporting characters such as Sadie, who’s Meredith’s best friend is a bright and vibrant character who adds a splash of colour to Meredith’s small world, whilst Meredith herself is an admirable woman, who finds comfort in jigsaws and cooking. Her life has been far from perfect, but she’s a strong, empowering woman and I fell in love with her witty personality from the first page.

This book is an absolutely gorgeous and heartwarming story that was impossible to put down. With short chapters, it was a delight to consume and with complex, relatable and fun characters, ‘Meredith, Alone’ is an inspirational story of resilience, new beginnings and friendship.

You can buy ‘Meredith, Alone’ from Amazon and is available to buy from good bookshops.

Meredith, Alone is a touching and introspective novel that explores the complexities of grief and loneliness. The story follows Meredith, an elderly woman who has recently lost her husband and is struggling to come to terms with her new reality. Alexander's writing is insightful and compassionate, and she does an excellent job of conveying the depth of Meredith's emotions and the challenges she faces as she navigates her grief.

The novel is also notable for its nuanced portrayal of aging and the ways in which our relationships and priorities can shift as we grow older. Through Meredith's interactions with her adult children and her memories of her past, Alexander paints a rich and multifaceted portrait of a woman who has lived a full and complicated life.

Some readers may find the novel slow-paced and introspective, with relatively little action or plot development. The book's focus on Meredith's internal struggles means that it may not be the best fit for readers who prefer fast-paced, plot-driven narratives.

Overall, Meredith, Alone is a well-crafted and emotionally resonant novel that will appeal to readers who appreciate introspective character studies and thoughtful explorations of grief and aging. While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, those who are willing to take the time to immerse themselves in Meredith's world will find a deeply affecting and rewarding reading experience.

This is a personal growth drama about dealing with trauma and the mental health issues that can spring from it.

Meredith has been trapped in her flat for years due to panic attacks brought on by a traumatic event in her past. Except that trapped sometimes feels like the wrong word for what is going on… she is drawn in, recovering, staying safe in her place of comfort. And as readers, we follow the story from the point where she begins to be ready to take some small steps back into the world, and witness her journey as she confronts her past and pushes herself through the present into a wider, brighter future.

Much of the story comes through non-chronological flashbacks that link to relevant events in the ‘current day’ plot, and some of the events are potentially triggering to some readers – parental abuse, rape, domestic abuse – but all is explored in a sensitive and ‘safe’ way.

This is a lovely, if not always easy, read and Meredith is very relatable, but I did find myself less emotionally involved than I had expected to be considering the subject matter and the quality of the writing. I wonder if perhaps that was because we only meet Meredith after she’s already begun the process of recovery, rather than getting to know her first?

Regardless of that, though, this is a heart-warming story that offers hope and encouragement to any readers struggling with their own mental health challenges.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

With thanks to the publishers and the author, Claire Alexander for the review copy.

Meredith hasn't left her home in a very long time..

I really enjoyed this book, and found myself hooked from page one. It's a book about friendship, cats and hoarding. Claire alexander has written a great book

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC copy.

According to Meredith she is not alone. She has her cat Fred, her lifelong friend Sadie, her jigsaws and her chat support group so what does it matter if she hasn't left house for 1,214 days. Life is simple and her routine keeps her busy. Until one day the outside world comes knocking. New found friends Tom and Celeste as well as her sister with whom their relationship broke down years ago.

Can Meredith cope when her safe world is exposed, and can the traumas of her past be healed?

I really loved this. It was funny, touching, sad and had me feeling all the 'feels'. Out of all the relationships Meredith forms I especially like the one with neighbour Jacob. I would highly recommend for a feel good read.

This book took me quite a while to get into as the beginning third moves rather slowly. It's been compared to Eleanor Oliphant and sadly I didn't enjoy this one as much as Eleanor's story.

It took me a while to get to it, but once I did I was not disappointed. This one took me for a ride I enjoyed the whole way through. Would recommend to fellow readers!

Meredith Alone by Claire Alexander, a NetGalley read. I won’t go into much detail about this book because I really don’t want to ruin it for anyone. Although this is a slow and tough read, it’s none the less a must read. By taking your time in reading this book and finding the read tough you are doing the writer justice because what she writes needs your full attention. The book is about Meredith, who very clearly from the beginning we know has mental health problems but it’s the extent of those problems and the cause of those problems which is shocking and at times hard to read. At the beginning Meredith is living in her own little world, her world being her house that she shares with her cat. The amazing thing about this book is that a huge percentage of it is based in Meredith’s home, such a simple setting with such a complex, complicated and sad, real story around it , with flash backs to her childhood. There is at no point in this book that I found it boring, it gripped me throughout and held my attention for so many reasons, it was so incredibly relatable, it was sad and sometimes beyond sad, it was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. This story explores mental health openly and without judgment, as though the author knows what she’s talking about. I think the author is incredibly brave writing about such a current and tough subject yet she get it so right, at no point did I think that the author had no idea what she was talking about it that it didn’t feel real. Meredith is the hero in this story, she’s stronger that she could possibly know, she’s brave, she’s courageous, strong, kind and open minded and honest, you can’t help but fall in love with this character. Mental health has come on so much over the year, we now have so many more resources and we talk about it more now, this book being testament to that. At times I forgot I was reading a work of fiction because the talent this writer has made it feel like you were reading about someone real. This book is one I won’t forget reading, it’s incredibly powerful and emotive. I’ve not read anything by this author before and can’t wait to see what comes next. This is definitely a wow book but be prepared for the tough subjects ahead. I will definitely recommending to everyone.

A great feel good story with a slow drip drip feed of reasons why Meredith has not left her home in 3.5 years. She works from home with a cat for company, food deliveries, has friends that visit and a therapist all within the confines of four walls. However she just needs to take the huge step through the front door into the rest of her life.

A beautifully written, engaging book covering a subject prominent in peoples minds after the events of the past few years. Sensitively dealt with, the author touches on the reasons behind Meredith’s current situation and her strength in moving forward.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Currently struggling with mental health issues, especially around feeling isolated and struggling to connect with others, this book feels a bit close to the bone but I can see how it might be used to help others understand how agoraphobia and mental health feels for the person. Quite pleasantly surprised how different from "Emily Oliphant" this was, and enjoyed this far more.

In Claire Alexander's debut fiction, our protagonist Meredith Maggs was in isolation long before the rest of the world was forced indoors. For more than 1200 days Meredith hasn't left the house and in the course of the book we begin to find out the why, and if there's any hope of breaking her isolation. With excellent characterisation and an intriguing plot. Alexander deftly brings us into Meredith's world and it's a joy to spend time in her company (even when her actions may go against your own instincts). An excellent book, and I can't wait to find out what is next for Alexander.

What a wonderful, affirming novel.

Meredith has not been outside her front door in years. She wasn't always like this - she used to go out and work in the sun and socialise, but something happened... We learn Meredith's early years were not pleasant. She wasn't always treated well and while she was close with her sister Fiona, Fiona is not here now.

Despite her agoraphobia, she does get to meet new people and Meredith's life will change as a result of these new relationships.

Before reading this, I saw that it had been compared to Eleanor Oliphant, which I loved.

Meredith Alone tells the story of Meredith Maggs who has not left the house in a long time. I just really struggled to warm to the characters, and therefore failed to enjoy the book.

I'm dubious about books that say... read this if you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant. It's a big book to live up to! But I'm pleased to say that this is truly a fantastic book in its own right, but great for fans of Gail Honeyman too. I read it in just a few nights and found it hard to put it down. It's just beautiful - and difficult topics are covered but despite that, it's still beauiful. I really think that there could be more - book two anyone?!

Like so many people before me, I’ve compared this book relentlessly to Eleanor Oliphant. This is so much more. Meredith is a complex character, who I grew to love and adore. I was so invested in wanting the very best for her, she really deserved it. My heart breaks for her but she pulls on in an attempt to conquer all.

Meredith Maggs hasn't left her home for 1,214 days. Despite this she has a busy life, working from home, a close relationship with her best friend Sadie and growing friendships with Tom a befriender and Celeste who she meets on an online forum. Meredith is estranged from her mum and sister and as the novel progresses and between 2019 and the past, we get insights and an understanding of Meredith's traumatic childhood and her ultimate estrangement from her family.
This is a beautifully written and moving book. I could really relate to Meredith who has been through so much trauma and remains a strong and resourceful character. The author covers the subjects of trauma and mental health with such compassion and sensitivity while writing with a light touch. Ultimately this was a joyous and hopeful read that I adored. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.
4.5 stars.

Meredith, Alone - Claire Alexander

Fantastic book!!

A book that me on an emotional rollercoaster of tears of laughter and sadness. A really touching read.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK

I love this book. Meredith is an absolute gem.
I cannot believe this is a debut book. I have been addicted and completely loved everything about this one.

This book could so easily have been very depressing considering the traumatic issues it tackled. However, Meredith was a lovely character facing her difficulties with courage. It was written very realistically and light heartedly which is no easy task. Thoroughly enjoyed it .

Excellent interesting read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access this book in exchange for my honest feedback.