Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Elanor and Park is a book about two misfits who get drawn to each other despite their inhibitions. It is about two teenagers who come together and find love amidst ridicule, bullying, troubled broken homes and mixed race families.

It is simple, engaging and touching to say the least. Set in Omaha, Nebraska from 1986 to 1987 it follows the lives and love of two youngsters Elenor and Park who find their first love in each other. Different from the rest of the kids in their school, each is a unique individual with likes, wants and desires of an average teenager.

It has a beautifully and simply told narrative and makes for a relaxing read.

It is a book for young adults and I am sure that people that age will relate to and definitely love the book. Many might even identify with the protagonists.

Elenor with her fiery red hair, curvy body, and men's clothing and Park with his mixed race upbringing in a family that consists of a Korean mom and an Army vet dad, his love for the colour black and his obsession with music and comic books. 

If I were a teenager today, I might have rated this as the best book ever, but I am not and hence all I can do is smile at it indulgently and sigh at all the memories of my teenage days.

I would not rate it as a ‘Must read’; but I’d definitely recommend it to those who love a simple love story.

Ahh be still my beating heart...be still!!

Rainbow Rowell