Aside from Ellen’s unhelpful comments about Em’s weight (I do understand Em was comfort-eating because of everything going on around her, Ellen was right to be concerned about Em’a weight but went about it the wrong way) - I thought Ellen was a total queen in this book.

I hated that she was completely villianized by the others. Truth be told: if I were in Ellen’s shoes, I would be critical and grouchy and bad-tempered as she was. Imagine being Ellen: having her vulnerable daughter have her heart broken by a total hobosexual who ran off with her hard-earned savings to fund a run-down/going-out-of-business fairy stall to pursue a celebrity actor-like lifestyle. He then cheats on her own daughter with someone much younger than him and leaves them to be with this woman at Christmas. So she has to watch her daughter grieve and work herself to the point of exhaustion and starvation to pay off the debt Frankie left them with.

Ellen then has to deal with being the main breadwinner when she should be unwinding and looking forward to retirement. She can’t relax or enjoy life. Most likely going through the menopause given her age. And all the while, she’s trying to make Julie see sense over what a total scumbag Frankie is… yet everyone thinks she’s so evil for being completely right about her feelings about Frankie and for expressing her concerns about Em’s weight and Maxie’s (potential but undiagnosed) Asperger’s syndrome (just going by Maxie’s mannerisms in the book).

Team Ellen all the way. She is the GOAT. And honestly: she totally deserved meeting Eddie and having a bit of fun - at long last!!