Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer

We meet 29-year-old Isaac Addy when he is standing on a bridge in the cold, deciding whether or not to jump off it. When he hears a strange scream from the nearby woods, he goes to investigate and finds a giant egg.

I don’t want to tell you anything else about the story itself. You really need to read it, because it’s beautiful. It’s sad, it’s laugh-out-loud funny, it’s very poignant. The idea of a grieving man on one sofa, a strange egg creature on the other, is both bizarre and emotional. Two lonely things supporting each other from a distance. I have never read anything quite like it. It is unique.

It definitely has a kind of fairytale element to it and it’s a book I think readers will remember, long after they have finished the final page. It has a kind of comforting presence to it – the book, the story, the characters. Some people describe a good novel as a “hug in a book” but this is more like a therapy session in a book, in the best possible way. If you have ever suffered grief, agoraphobia or depression, you will find things here that resonate with you.

Egg is adorable. I think I may have fallen in love with it a bit. I guess this is a book where it could be allegorical and you can see the egg as other things, maybe the personification of Isaac’s grief, but I’ll let you decide that when you read it. For me, I just took the egg at face value and loved it for what it was. A whole lot of egg and a whole lot of heart. And a side order of burnt baked beans.

As for this book. “Beep oh bah wom?” (Keep or pass on?) Definitely BEEP! This is the kind of book that could save the world – one soul at a time.

Perfection. 10 out of 10.

BLURB

THE INSTANT SATURDAY TIMES TOP 10 BESTSELLER

A DYMOCKS BOOK OF THE MONTH

A PANDORA SYKES BOOK CLUB PICK

‘Truly one of the most beautiful stories you’ll ever read’ Joanna Cannon

‘Mad, sad and funny’ Patrick Gale

Heartbreaking and heart-stealing, this bestselling modern-day fable is an unforgettable novel about sorrow, joy, friendship and love.

When Isaac Addy walks into the woods on the worst day of his life and finds something extraordinary there, he already knows he’s going to take it home.

A grieving Isaac and his curious new friend are unlikely companions. They don’t even speak the same language. But their chance encounter will transform Isaac’s life in ways he cannot yet imagine.

And maybe he will finally be able to tell the truth.

Sometimes, to get out of the woods, you have to go into them. Isaac and the Egg is one of the most hopeful, honest and wildly imaginative novels you will ever read.

—

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT EGG BOOK…

‘I read it in one breath… true and tragic and funny and hopeful and big – big enough somehow to contain all of our stories and all of our lives inside it’ JOANNA GLEN

‘I laughed, I cried, I sat quietly and thought about what I’d read… a future classic’ CLARE MACKINTOSH

‘This book is just magic’ KATE SAWYER

‘A tender, funny and surprising meditation on grief and hope . . . like nothing I’ve ever read before’ STYLIST

‘Fresh, original and beautifully written’ RUTH HOGAN

‘An utter sparkler of a novel… highly imaginative, extremely funny and profoundly empathetic’ SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

‘Will stay with me for a long time’ MARK WATSON

‘Heart-wrenching yet oddly soothing, this is utterly beautiful’ PRIMA ‘Book of the Month’

‘Sublime’ BRYONY GORDON

‘An extraordinary story . . . brimming with magic and – perhaps most importantly hope’ GLAMOUR

‘Wonderfully playful… exquisitely written’ i NEWS

‘A mesmerising debut, capturing everything that’s funny and sad about real life’ DAVID WHITEHOUSE

‘Moving and clever… Although it starts with a death and darkness, it’s a story of hope and embracing newness’ JUSTIN MYERS, THE GUYLINER

‘Clever and imaginative’ WOMAN & HOME

‘Quirky and raw’ GRAZIA

‘Measured, comic and moving… A sad, funny and original novel about grief, loss and embracing change’ DAILY MAIL

‘One of the most eagerly awaited books of the year . . . an incredibly moving and at times heartbreaking – and sometimes funny – book’ HELLO!

‘A strange but beautiful tale about grief, which can make you laugh and cry all on the same page’ IRISH EXAMINER

‘A bold, beautiful undertaking’ POORNA BELL

‘Bizarre, beautiful and like nothing else I’ve ever read’ ANNIE LORD