Eleanor & Park: A Novel

Rainbow Rowell's "Eleanor & Park" is a poignant tale that resonates deeply with readers of all ages. Set against the backdrop of 1980s Omaha, Nebraska, this novel beautifully captures the complexities of adolescence, first love, and the challenges of navigating life's uncertainties.

From the moment I opened the book, I was drawn into the world of Eleanor and Park - two misfit teenagers whose unlikely bond transcends social boundaries and societal expectations. Rowell's writing is both raw and tender, immersing the reader in the characters' innermost thoughts and emotions as they grapple with family issues, peer pressure, and the exhilarating highs and devastating lows of young love.

What sets "Eleanor & Park" apart is its authenticity. Rowell doesn't shy away from addressing difficult topics such as bullying, domestic violence, and body image issues, yet she infuses the narrative with moments of humor, hope, and genuine human connection. The characters feel incredibly real, flawed yet undeniably relatable, and their journey is both heartwarming and heart-wrenching in equal measure.

As someone who grew up during the same time period depicted in the novel, I found myself nodding along to the references to mixtapes, comic books, and cassette players, which added an extra layer of nostalgia and familiarity to the story. However, "Eleanor & Park" is far more than just a nostalgic trip down memory lane - it's a timeless coming-of-age tale that transcends generational boundaries and speaks to the universal experiences of love, loss, and self-discovery.

In conclusion, "Eleanor & Park" is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant novel that will stay with me long after I've turned the final page. Whether you're a teenager navigating the tumultuous waters of adolescence or an adult reflecting on the innocence and intensity of first love, this book is sure to capture your heart and leave a lasting impression. Highly recommended for anyone in search of a captivating and unforgettable read.

I have an eight month old baby who still gets up every three hours to nurse. Because I also suffered insomnia during my pregnancy, I have not had a full night of uninterrupted sleep since before last Christmas. Needless to say, in my life, sleep is precious. This book is so freaking good, I traded a whole night's sleep to savor it.

I read the first few chapters about a week ago, and then life got away from me. Last night when I got up to feed my son the first of his many nocturnal snacks (the feeding I call "elevensies"), I picked up where I'd left off... and then I couldn't stop. The baby went back to sleep. I did not. I finished reading a little after 3:00 AM. Two hours after that, when O got up for his third and final feeding of the night, I was still awake, processing this beautiful book, still blown away by what I'd read.

Eleanor & Park is the story of two sixteen-year-olds who fall in love while riding the school bus. It's set in Omaha, Nebraska in 1986. Eleanor is a chubby redhead who dresses like a freak, not so much because of her own quirky fashion sense, but because her family doesn't have any money. She has a terrible home life: she the oldest of five children sharing a single bedroom in a tiny house, where there's never anything to eat but beans, no privacy, and all the kids and their mom walk on egg shells, trying not to set off their violent, abusive, alcoholic stepfather. As if life at home were not bad enough, she's also subject to relentless bullying at school. Park is good looking, popular, and from a much more stable home, but as the only Asian kid at school, he feels like an outsider, too. They fall in love over comic books and mix tapes.

There were so many things I loved about this book. Much as I hate to say it, often in books where the hero is portrayed as gorgeous and the heroine is, well, not, it can be hard to see what he sees in her. Most books employing this trope solve that problem by either giving the heroine a makeover or by portraying her as having a warped self-image, so that the reader understands she's a lot more attractive than she thinks she is. On the one hand, the heroine is unattractive but she's fixable, or on the other, she's not unattractive, but she's too dumb or damaged to realize it. Both options have always struck me as annoying and antifeminist. Eleanor & Park doesn't take either path. Eleanor doesn't conform to traditional standards of beauty, and she dresses "like a sad hobo clown." Park's mom gives her a makeover, but neither she nor Park thinks it makes her look any better than she does in her own, unpainted skin.

Park loves her anyway, and Rainbow Rowell tells the story well enough that it isn't at all a mystery why. Park says she reads poetry "like it was a living thing. Like something she was letting out. You couldn't look away from her as long as she was talking." (p. 38) He thinks holding her hand is "like holding a butterfly. Or a heartbeat. Like holding something complete, and completely alive." (p. 71) He notes: "Eleanor was right: She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something." (p. 164) Quite simply, Eleanor gives Park All The Feels.

I love the intensity of their relationship. I read another review that compared it to Insta-love, but I disagree. First, they don't fall in love instantly. For the first several months of their acquaintance, they don't even talk to each other. Park worries about what associating with the weird New Girl will do to his popularity. Eleanor thinks of him as "that stupid Asian kid." But when they do fall in love, they fall hard. I remember back twenty years to my own high school romance, and I fell just as hard, just as fast, without nearly as much need to be rescued from my loneliness as either Eleanor or Park have. Such is the nature of teenage love, I suspect.

My biggest complaint about the book is that their relationship is a bit one-sided. -Not in level of attraction or depth of feeling or reliance on the other -- in all of these things, they are well matched -- but Eleanor doesn't seem to give quite as much to the relationship. She doesn't have nearly as much faith in Park and in their future as Park has, and while I totally understand why--(her own mother gave her away for a year for arguing with her stepfather, so of course she might have trust issues)--it made me sad. Park rescues Eleanor in an obvious, literal sense, and she is grateful, but I don't think Eleanor realized that she rescued Park just as much, or that he might need her just as much, for less obvious reasons. Consequently, the ending really disappointed me, even though it felt organic to the story and believable and true, and maybe even necessary.

My Book Club just read this for the month of July. I'm not sure what it is about these YA books that they are captivating me so, but I am absolutely thrilled about it. There is nothing simple or boring about coming of age, is there? The things that made having children so much fun...everything is new, through their eyes. You get to play with Spirograph and Play-Doh. Dr. Suess rhymes fill your mind. There are play days at the park, swinging and sliding and blowing bubbles. My children are now grown. Their own coming of age days have come and gone. As I'm reading these wonderful new YA books, I am remembering my own "coming of age days". When you get to this age, it may be that the nostalgia is the rule of the day: where simple pleasure can be found in just reminiscing about the good old days (and the bad old ones, too). I was reminded of so many people and places, while reading Eleanor and Park. This story is set in 1986, just a few years past my high school years. Eleanor is a new student in town. She has suffered an unimaginable injustice prior to returning to her family. It is not a return to any loving arms of family. Eleanor is not a brilliant student or a gifted musician. Nor does she have any athletic talent. She is an average girl who has experienced some family trials that are far from average. The tribulations of our heroine are not unheard of, however, unfortunately. Eleanor has learned to be very guarded in her relationships. She has learned to distrust sentiments of loyalty and to expect actions of betrayal. The very saddest part, for me, was that she could even imagine that her experience was something she deserved. Or...maybe her belief that she wasn't worth more. Eleanor has absolutely no expectations of love. She does not trust protestations of love. Very sad. Our hero is Park. Park is also just an average boy. His family has lived in this town (Omaha) for many generations. Therefore, he is somewhat of a fixture, albeit a very quiet one, in the community. He has grown up with most of the kids at school. Park's family is very close and loving. His parents' relationship is a true love story. Even though Park has enjoyed a rather anonymous life, his experience with love has been a very healthy and happy one. Park expects love to be something wonderful. That being said, he is very self-conscious. He doesn't have a very healthy self-esteem. So...we have these two, Eleanor and Park, who come from completely different backgrounds. Eleanor wants to remain invisible and survive. Park yearns to find acceptance and connection. They are both awkward around their peers. They are not unlike their peers in that they are trying to figure out who they truly are. Who are they, aside from their experiences? What do they want to do? to be? What don't they want to be? Obviously, they connect...that's our story! What is truly magical about the story is how these two kids grow and change their perceptions about themselves and the people in their lives. As Eleanor learns to trust Park, she begins to open up again. She makes a couple of very entertaining friends along the way. She survives some nasty, but typical teenage mean behavior. Through Eleanor's eyes, Park receives the gift of having his own eyes opened to the reality of how fortunate he is in the family department. Park has had the luxury of having his parents be disappointed in some things he has done; but, at the end of the day, that disappointment does nothing to diminish the love that they have for him. Eleanor shows him just how precious that is. Also, Park learns the tremendous value of his own loving heart. I don't think he began to realize just how big was his capacity to love! I would say that the cautionary aspect of this tale for readers of all ages is that, while you imagine that you can even begin to imagine what is the story of the people you encounter at school or work or anywhere really...really you CAN'T. It is a mistake to presume to understand who people are without interacting with them. Judging others because they are different from you is a disservice as much to yourself as it is to them. If you insist on walking a super-narrow road, you should expect to have very limited vision. As to the end, I have nothing to say. There is an end, but I want more. Okay, I said something! I want to point out that there is absolutely NOTHING objectionable or obscene within this book. It is a wonderful and real account of the time period and the stage of life. I loved this book! Now I will have to check out more from Rainbow Rowell!