Being Ines: …if only life could be as simple as eating cakes and drinking rum by Eva Lauder

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Ines leads a wonderful life. She lives in London, one of the most vibrant capitals of the world. She owns a beautiful flat in a prestigious area. She has a successful career. She has great friends and her boyfriend looks like a swimwear model. Everything seems perfect, except that it’s not…

It was exciting – with a pang of nostalgia – to dive into Ines’s life, treading the familiar streets of London with her and reminiscing on my own experience of being a part of a busy office. Some characters felt oddly familiar. I giggled, visualising only too vividly colleagues’ banter, misplaced comments, and suspicious stares the ones who prefer to keep their distance from ‘groups’ get from the tightly-knit ‘cliques.’

It was sad – with a tinge of recognition – to read about Ines’s struggle to accept that her boyfriend, although drop-dead gorgeous, is a despicable sleazebag.

And finally, it was utterly heartbreaking to follow Ines along the path towards the diagnosis that can easily break even the most resilient person.

“Being Ines” by Eva Lauder is a story written with heart and optimism. It showcases life as it is, with days when we lose hope and when it blossoms in our souls like a flower in spring – often thanks to the kindness of people around us. After reading this book, my conviction that spreading kindness is the most important rule to live by has grown even stronger.



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Being Ines: …if only life could be as simple as eating cakes and drinking rum