I just didn’t love the tone and writing style of this book and sadly it didn’t work for me. I had hoped going by the blurb that it would be more uplifting, insightful and inspiring but it definitely wasn’t for me unfortunately!

I loved this book, it made me feel like I was on holiday with them all . I loved the past & present element of it, which isn't usually my cup of tea but was a fantastic read.

This is a heartfelt memoir.
The story alternates between past and present.
I did enjoy the book but I felt that something was missing

Really interesting read. I’d heard about this before and couldn’t wait to read it, and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. I will recommend it to my literary minded friends and family for sure.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

3☆ A Heartfelt Memoir

When I started reading Staunch I didn't realise it was a memoir, it reads more of a women’s fiction.

Eleanor has been persuaded to join her Nan Dot and Her Great Aunts Rose and Ann on a trip back home to India, to reconnect and discover her family history.

The story alternates between past and present, and tells a painful story of how Eleanor's Nan and Family came to Britain after fleeing from India.  It also tells Eleanor's story of her failed relationships and strained relationship with her Father and her personal growth as she struggles through life.

I did enjoy reading this book but I found myself enjoying the past story much more than the present day.
It would of been nice if the two connected more through the families actual journey to India. As for me it didn't feel like they was in India.
I just felt it was missing something.

Staunch is a Poignant and Compelling Story of self discovery, self love, reconnecting and learning to be more Staunch. ( the word Staunch gets used a lot, so if you are like me and didn't know what it meant, by the end of the book if you will most definitely grasp it!)

Didn't review in time for release, premise sounds really good will be picking up a physical copy and come back to review soon.

Devoured this book in one sitting, it was so well written and I found myself relating and nodding along in recognition. Can't wait to read more by the author.

A warm and uplifting book, it was a great read I just wish There was more on India where the book was set.

A story that flits back across the decades. A troubled young lady who's recovering from a relationship, travels to India with her nan and two aunts. These ladies were Anglo-Indians but were forced to repatriate back to England in 1947..
The story tells of their life in India and the dramatic change once they arrive here.
Ells enjoys exploring India and discovering herself.
A light read that's a great story of relationships, family support and discovery.

This was such a refreshing read and thoroughly enjoyable. I started it not knowing what to expect as a book classified as spiritual is not really my thing but personally I wouldn't say it was spiritual but instead a funny heart warming read. I also had to check I was actually reading a memoir as it reads very much like fiction which works well.
Its very easy to get through in a couple of sittings and great escapism for the current times we are in.
thank you netgalley for this copy

Loved this! Such an honest and true and funny account of Eleanors life and trip to India.
It's been a long time since I read a book due to covid 19 and this one didn't disappoint!

I don’t often read memoirs but was surprised at how easy this was to read.

Each chapter is a different time period in the author’s life, but this isn’t confusing to follow.

The memoir mainly details the author’s holiday to India with her grandmother and two great aunts. Some parts are quite amusing and I found I could picture them there.
It also mentions difficult events in her past and how she has dealt with them.
It isn’t a typical memoir that details her entire life story and this is probably why it’s so readable. I found I could relate to some parts and it isn’t too ‘woe is me’ or heavy going.

One of my favourite quotes was: ‘...you should get on with it as best you can. Some things will still always be there, underneath. Always’

The relationship between the author and her family is lovely, especially the relationship with her grandmother. You get a real sense of everyone’s personality and character and it’s clear she’s so grateful to have them in her life, supporting her.

However, I found that the word ‘staunch’ was used a bit too often. I know it’s the title of the book and holds a lot of meaning for her, but I thought the overuse diluted the meaning and it became irritating.

Overall, I read this quite quickly and enjoyed it. It’s different to my usual read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thanks to HQ Harper Collins and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book for review.

This book came into my life at the perfect timing, I've never read anything quite like Staunch before. Starting off the book I did not realise that it was a memoir, it almost felt like fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was hard not to devour in just one sitting.
I was completely captivated by the narrative of this book and it nearly felt like I was catching up with an old friend, I really liked the chatty style writing and the humour. I just found the story so interesting, there was some great family history and I love learning new things from reading and this book gave me just that.
What I liked more about this book was the focus on female family relationships, I loved their closeness and the exploration of what it means to be a "staunch" woman. I really felt like I was experiencing the journey these women were on with them. What really struck me was that the relationship between the author and her Nan is exactly what I would have wanted with my Nana if she was still alive, I wish she was still around, she was to me the very definition of a staunch woman. I think a lot of women will definitely relate to Eleanor's story.
I think author was so brave in detailing her personal struggles throughout the book.Despite some of the serious hardships throughout the book, I found it very entertaining and life-affirming. My only small gripe was that in stages it was slightly receptive, but other than that I couldn't fault Staunch. Very well written and makes an engaging read, I missed Eleanor for a while after finishing Staunch.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy.

The storyline was ok I enjoyed this read on the whole. I did feel though that the word staunch was inserted at periodic and unnecessary intervals to emphasise the book title rather than a more subtle undercurrent laced throughout the book.
Having said that I loved the strong female characters and the trip that they embarked on mostly.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley Uk for an Arc in return for a fair review.

You know when you pick up a book at exactly the right time? That's what happened with me and this. Reading it during Lockdown may not what Eleanor Wood have envisioned when she wrote this beautiful book, but the current circumstances really do suit reading this book. Many of us have way more time on our hands for introspection and self-reflection. Personally, I've found myself replaying moments of my past for better and for worse. Reading about Eleanor's journey into forgiving herself for past feelings and actions has given me a form of permission to do the same. Her experiences of 21st century life, the heartbreaks and tragic moments, are interspersed with those of her Grandmother and great aunts for very poignant effect. We forget all-too easily that our pain may be unique in terms of the exact combination of factors and consequences, but that the very act of feeling pain is truly universal - that fact should unite us not divide us. We should never feel that someone is more just in how they feel. Those are lessons I took away from reading Staunch. It's beautiful written and truly hopeful.

This is not my usual sort of read, memoirs are new to me. Eleanor writes with wit, wisdom and refreshing honesty and the octogenarians she holidays with are simply fabulous.

I find memoirs difficult to rate as you're effectively making a judgement on someone's life, so I've give this a neutral rating. We all have our own story and Eleanor Wood told hers honestly and with palpable emotion. I loved that her three female relatives helped her come to terms with her life and I think she should write a book about them next!

I absolutely loved this memoir, and found myself relating to so much of what was written. On a holiday to Goa with her Nan, and Great-Aunts, Eleanor finds herself learning how to become staunch. She has the time to reflect on her life and the series of events that have led her to hit her rock bottom. Losing loved ones has made her question whether she will ever find joy again, whether she can ever open her heart to love again. Or even just be content by herself. Through the stories of the women in her family, who are inspiring and wonderfully warm, she learns that nobody goes through life without grief, tragedy, loss. But learning to move beyond the hardest of times with grace and wisdom, means that life can feel joyful again. A searingly honest account of a woman daring to face her demons, striving to feel comfortable in her own skin, and become, like the women she so admires - staunch,

I enjoyed the writing style of this book, its very quick to get into and starts like a cheery chatty novel, in fact, I had to check and remind myself it was a memoir. This is the story of when Eleanor went to Goa with her grandmother and three aunts, her grandmother (and aunts) were all born in India and left around the time of partition and this story is as much about them as about her own journey. The books moves between the past of her grandmother and aunts, how it was for them when they first arrived in the UK, how they lived their lives and Eleanor's own history including her long term relationship and the disastrous relationships she had after that finished. The title comes form how Eleanor realises that these elderly women are staunch, that their history has made them tough and strong, and her own journey to realising that she too can be staunch. The parts that focus on Nan, Rose and Ann I really enjoyed from their excitement to being in India again and to hearing about their pasts, I found these held my attention and reminded me of how life was so very different and how it has shaped these women.

With thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Staunch’ by Eleanor Wood in exchange for an honest review. It was published on 19 March.

From Publisher: “Eleanor finds herself in her late 30s on a beach in India with three old ladies, trying to ‘find herself’ and ‘discover her family history’ like some sad middle-class crisis cliché. How did she get here?”

This premise is a familiar one from women’s fiction and I had to remind myself more than once that this was a memoir. The three old ladies that Eleanor (Ellie) is travelling with are her grandmother and great-aunts.

Wood’s reflections move between the present day holiday in India and events in her life such as the breakup of her twelve year relationship with K, and two rebounds. It’s kind of real-life ‘Fleabag’ territory.

She also shares details of her family, who had lived in India since the nineteenth century and only returned to Britain in 1947, following Partition. The main reason for the trip is for her Nan and aunts to touch base with their roots one last time.

I don’t know if I would class it as a book about spirituality, though Ellie does write about her attempts to follow a healthy life style, including practicing yoga and meditation.

There was a fair amount that I could relate to in Ellie’s reminiscences, even though I am older than her. It proved very readable, quite funny in places, and insightful.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.