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Addressed to Greta
‘Greta’s ears started to pop. She swallowed hard and looked out of her cabin window. The plane had just broken through a clump of clouds and below was an undulating patchwork of reds and greens. It was what she’d been expecting. The ruralness. Yet also different from the image she’d held in her head. The vastness. The intense terracotta colour. The relentless blue of the sky.’
Greta Jellings blushes and bumbles her way through her carefully ordered existence, forever constrained by what her mother would have said and done. No expectation, no disappointment was one of her mother’s mantras. It serves Greta well too.
It is the death of her dear friend Walter, and his unusual bequest, that finally forces Greta to escape the shackles of her safe life. Revealed in a series of letters, Walter has set Greta a challenge that leads her across the world, and so far outside her comfort zone, that she has no choice but to confront who she really is. It is in the foreignness of strangers that she finds the familiar, and in the expanse of the vista that she gains perspective.
'Addressed to Greta' is a captivating novel about a woman learning to express her true self. A story about finding the courage to be seen, and a testament to the transformative power of friendship.
Greta Jellings blushes and bumbles her way through her carefully ordered existence, forever constrained by what her mother would have said and done. No expectation, no disappointment was one of her mother’s mantras. It serves Greta well too.
It is the death of her dear friend Walter, and his unusual bequest, that finally forces Greta to escape the shackles of her safe life. Revealed in a series of letters, Walter has set Greta a challenge that leads her across the world, and so far outside her comfort zone, that she has no choice but to confront who she really is. It is in the foreignness of strangers that she finds the familiar, and in the expanse of the vista that she gains perspective.
'Addressed to Greta' is a captivating novel about a woman learning to express her true self. A story about finding the courage to be seen, and a testament to the transformative power of friendship.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 2, 2020
26 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Sussman
6 books118 followersAward-winning author Fiona Sussman was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and immigrated to New Zealand over thirty years ago. A former family doctor, she hung up her stethoscope in 2003 to pursue another long-held dream, to write.
Published internationally, she is the author of four novels and numerous critically- acclaimed short stories.
Her novel 'The Last Time We Spoke' won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel 2017 and was shortlisted for the NZ Heritage Prize 2016. An early draft won the Kobo/NZ Society of Authors Publishing Prize.
'Addressed to Greta' launched Bateman Books’ fiction list and went on to win the NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction 2021.
'The Doctor's Wife', her fourth novel (and first in the Bandara/Stark series), was released in October 2022. It was shortlisted for the NZBooklovers award for Best Adult Fiction 2023 and is a finalist for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Fiction.
'Hooked Up', Fiona's fifth novel (and second in the Bandara/Stark series), was released in September 2025.
To find out more about Fiona, go to her website:
www.fionasussman.co.nz
Published internationally, she is the author of four novels and numerous critically- acclaimed short stories.
Her novel 'The Last Time We Spoke' won the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Novel 2017 and was shortlisted for the NZ Heritage Prize 2016. An early draft won the Kobo/NZ Society of Authors Publishing Prize.
'Addressed to Greta' launched Bateman Books’ fiction list and went on to win the NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction 2021.
'The Doctor's Wife', her fourth novel (and first in the Bandara/Stark series), was released in October 2022. It was shortlisted for the NZBooklovers award for Best Adult Fiction 2023 and is a finalist for the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Crime Fiction.
'Hooked Up', Fiona's fifth novel (and second in the Bandara/Stark series), was released in September 2025.
To find out more about Fiona, go to her website:
www.fionasussman.co.nz
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
November 16, 2024
EXCERPT: Nora used to say there was a 'lid for every can', but Greta had long given up trying to find a soulmate. Right from schooldays she's known she was different. Not one of the popular kids who'd effortlessly acquired friends like charms on a bracelet, she'd been left to navigate the lonely periphery, spending most lunchtimes with Cyril Denopolous, (and sometimes Claudia Peplinski, when Claudia had a falling out with Sandy Rogers). Of course, rescuing Cyril's shorts from the girl's toilets had done little to help Greta's bid for inclusion into the cool club.
By all accounts, Greta lacked another crucial qualifying criterion - the ability to make small talk. It wasn't as if she didn't try. However, it was a vicious cycle; the harder she tried, the more contrived and silly her efforts sounded.
'It's really groovy hanging loose with you,' had dangled in space like a pair of ugly grey bloomers left out on the line for everyone to ridicule.
'Do you want to come over to my house? We could watch the video of Charles and Diana's wedding.' That the video was over a decade old and the couple no longer joined in blissful union had somehow eluded the teenage Greta.
'If you don't know what to say,' Nora once suggested, 'ask people about themselves. Show an interest in their world. People love to talk about themselves.'
Greta had tried that too, interrogating one fellow so enthusiastically about his new car that he'd asked if she was hoping to buy it off him.
Another problem, or so she'd been told, was her tendency to take people too literally. There was the time Nora connived to get Greta together with the hardware store assistant's sixteen-year-old son. He arrived on the doorstep one humid afternoon dressed in tight jeans, black pointy boots, and a leather jacket, and asked if Greta would like to go to Grease with him. She said no, because she thought he was asking her to go to the other side of the world with him.
Judy, Greta's therapist, had laughed uproariously when Greta shared this anecdote. 'Oh, Greta,' she'd said, once she regained her composure, 'you're so sweet.'
But Greta couldn't help it; that was just the way her mind worked. Of course the boy would not have asked her to go with him to Athens or Corfu! Greta could see how funny that was now, but obvious was obvious only in retrospect.
ABOUT 'ADDRESSED TO GRETA': Greta Jellings blushes and bumbles her way through her carefully ordered existence, forever constrained by what her mother would have said and done. No expectation, no disappointment was one of her mother’s mantras. It serves Greta well too.
It is the death of her dear friend Walter, and his unusual bequest, that finally forces Greta to escape the shackles of her safe life. Revealed in a series of letters, Walter has set Greta a challenge that leads her across the world, and so far outside her comfort zone, that she has no choice but to confront who she really is. It is in the foreignness of strangers that she finds the familiar, and in the expanse of the vista that she gains perspective.
MY THOUGHTS: Oh, Greta! I'm sure most of us can see a little of ourselves somewhere in you. Toe the line. Don't make waves. Accept your lot. But there has to be more to life, doesn't there? Greta doesn't think so. Not for her, anyway. If she's not exactly happy, then she's settled.
Then along comes Walter. Walter is a surprise to Greta. But not as big a surprise as he's going to be!
His death devastates her, but his bequest turns her world upside down and inside out.
It's impossible not to like Greta. She is awkward, and at times pathetic. My heart ached for her. I was frustrated with her, at times angry with her. But I loved watching her grow. It's not a smooth transition. She often puts her foot in her mouth and, at times, both feet. But along the way she learns some valuable life lessons. The question is - at the end, what is she going to do with them? Is she going to grab opportunities with both hands and go forward living her best life? Or is she going to retreat back into her safe space, doing what she knows?
I loved this read. This is my second book by Fiona Sussman, (The Doctor's Wife was the first) and I have loved both even though they are completely different. I now want to read her two previous titles, and I sincerely hope she is working on something new. I want more from this author!
#AddressedtoGreta @WaitomoDistrictLibrary
MEET THE AUTHOR: Growing up in a publisher’s home in South Africa meant that I fell in love with language and the written word at an early age. Our house was always filled with manuscripts, books and colourful authors. This was during the apartheid era and witnessing the brutal regime at work sensitised me to the issues of injustice and racial prejudice – experiences which would inform much of my early writing.
In 1989 I emigrated from South Africa to New Zealand, where I completed my medical degree and went on to work as a family doctor.
While I found practising medicine immensely satisfying, I still hankered after the literary world of my childhood. Finally, the call to write became too great. I hung up my stethoscope, returned to university to do a Master of Creative Writing and began to write in earnest.
Most of my days are spent writing, mentoring new writers and speaking at events. I have also been involved, alongside my husband, in establishing a charitable surgical service in Auckland to assist those who have fallen between the cracks in our health system. (Source: fionasussman.co.nz)
By all accounts, Greta lacked another crucial qualifying criterion - the ability to make small talk. It wasn't as if she didn't try. However, it was a vicious cycle; the harder she tried, the more contrived and silly her efforts sounded.
'It's really groovy hanging loose with you,' had dangled in space like a pair of ugly grey bloomers left out on the line for everyone to ridicule.
'Do you want to come over to my house? We could watch the video of Charles and Diana's wedding.' That the video was over a decade old and the couple no longer joined in blissful union had somehow eluded the teenage Greta.
'If you don't know what to say,' Nora once suggested, 'ask people about themselves. Show an interest in their world. People love to talk about themselves.'
Greta had tried that too, interrogating one fellow so enthusiastically about his new car that he'd asked if she was hoping to buy it off him.
Another problem, or so she'd been told, was her tendency to take people too literally. There was the time Nora connived to get Greta together with the hardware store assistant's sixteen-year-old son. He arrived on the doorstep one humid afternoon dressed in tight jeans, black pointy boots, and a leather jacket, and asked if Greta would like to go to Grease with him. She said no, because she thought he was asking her to go to the other side of the world with him.
Judy, Greta's therapist, had laughed uproariously when Greta shared this anecdote. 'Oh, Greta,' she'd said, once she regained her composure, 'you're so sweet.'
But Greta couldn't help it; that was just the way her mind worked. Of course the boy would not have asked her to go with him to Athens or Corfu! Greta could see how funny that was now, but obvious was obvious only in retrospect.
ABOUT 'ADDRESSED TO GRETA': Greta Jellings blushes and bumbles her way through her carefully ordered existence, forever constrained by what her mother would have said and done. No expectation, no disappointment was one of her mother’s mantras. It serves Greta well too.
It is the death of her dear friend Walter, and his unusual bequest, that finally forces Greta to escape the shackles of her safe life. Revealed in a series of letters, Walter has set Greta a challenge that leads her across the world, and so far outside her comfort zone, that she has no choice but to confront who she really is. It is in the foreignness of strangers that she finds the familiar, and in the expanse of the vista that she gains perspective.
MY THOUGHTS: Oh, Greta! I'm sure most of us can see a little of ourselves somewhere in you. Toe the line. Don't make waves. Accept your lot. But there has to be more to life, doesn't there? Greta doesn't think so. Not for her, anyway. If she's not exactly happy, then she's settled.
Then along comes Walter. Walter is a surprise to Greta. But not as big a surprise as he's going to be!
His death devastates her, but his bequest turns her world upside down and inside out.
It's impossible not to like Greta. She is awkward, and at times pathetic. My heart ached for her. I was frustrated with her, at times angry with her. But I loved watching her grow. It's not a smooth transition. She often puts her foot in her mouth and, at times, both feet. But along the way she learns some valuable life lessons. The question is - at the end, what is she going to do with them? Is she going to grab opportunities with both hands and go forward living her best life? Or is she going to retreat back into her safe space, doing what she knows?
I loved this read. This is my second book by Fiona Sussman, (The Doctor's Wife was the first) and I have loved both even though they are completely different. I now want to read her two previous titles, and I sincerely hope she is working on something new. I want more from this author!
#AddressedtoGreta @WaitomoDistrictLibrary
MEET THE AUTHOR: Growing up in a publisher’s home in South Africa meant that I fell in love with language and the written word at an early age. Our house was always filled with manuscripts, books and colourful authors. This was during the apartheid era and witnessing the brutal regime at work sensitised me to the issues of injustice and racial prejudice – experiences which would inform much of my early writing.
In 1989 I emigrated from South Africa to New Zealand, where I completed my medical degree and went on to work as a family doctor.
While I found practising medicine immensely satisfying, I still hankered after the literary world of my childhood. Finally, the call to write became too great. I hung up my stethoscope, returned to university to do a Master of Creative Writing and began to write in earnest.
Most of my days are spent writing, mentoring new writers and speaking at events. I have also been involved, alongside my husband, in establishing a charitable surgical service in Auckland to assist those who have fallen between the cracks in our health system. (Source: fionasussman.co.nz)
December 10, 2020
Just when I had my 2020 favourite reads all sorted, along came ‘Addressed to Greta...’
A book that raced right up to the top of the charts for me.
I am so sad it’s over. I wanted it to carry on forever.
The book is funny, it’s awkward, it’s pathetic, it’s loveable, it’s quirky, its sad, it’s descriptive, it’s everything I love about a book.
If you are an Eleanor Oliphant and Eat, Pray, Love fan, put them both together and you have ‘Addressed to Greta.’
In fact I know Eleanor and Greta could be the greatest of friends.
The story is about extremely awkward 39 year old Greta, living a life of routine, never deviating from what makes her comfortable lifestyle work for her.
When her dear friend Walter leaves something for her in his will, Greta’s world is turned upside down and inside out . ‘She wasn’t used to not having a plan. Or rather, not being in control of the plan. Perhaps that had been Walter’s intention, to force her to take one day at a time. You may as well live in the moment and deal with what each day brings.’
‘No one is watching, Grets. Try on a few different Gretas. Have some fun’
Come on a journey with Greta - she will make you laugh, she will make you cringe as she puts her foot into so many fabulous socially uncomfortable situations, but at the same time she will melt your heart, as you too fall in love with her loveable character.
Please choose to read this exquisite book, filled to the brim with invaluable life lessons.
Thank you Greta, I adored spending my days with you.
An utterly magnificent book, from start to finish.
I would love to send a copy of the book to Hollywood. Renee Zellweger (Bridgette Jones diary) would make a wonderful Greta.
This is Sussman’s 3rd book - loved them all.
All the great big stars in the sky from me.
A book that raced right up to the top of the charts for me.
I am so sad it’s over. I wanted it to carry on forever.
The book is funny, it’s awkward, it’s pathetic, it’s loveable, it’s quirky, its sad, it’s descriptive, it’s everything I love about a book.
If you are an Eleanor Oliphant and Eat, Pray, Love fan, put them both together and you have ‘Addressed to Greta.’
In fact I know Eleanor and Greta could be the greatest of friends.
The story is about extremely awkward 39 year old Greta, living a life of routine, never deviating from what makes her comfortable lifestyle work for her.
When her dear friend Walter leaves something for her in his will, Greta’s world is turned upside down and inside out . ‘She wasn’t used to not having a plan. Or rather, not being in control of the plan. Perhaps that had been Walter’s intention, to force her to take one day at a time. You may as well live in the moment and deal with what each day brings.’
‘No one is watching, Grets. Try on a few different Gretas. Have some fun’
Come on a journey with Greta - she will make you laugh, she will make you cringe as she puts her foot into so many fabulous socially uncomfortable situations, but at the same time she will melt your heart, as you too fall in love with her loveable character.
Please choose to read this exquisite book, filled to the brim with invaluable life lessons.
Thank you Greta, I adored spending my days with you.
An utterly magnificent book, from start to finish.
I would love to send a copy of the book to Hollywood. Renee Zellweger (Bridgette Jones diary) would make a wonderful Greta.
This is Sussman’s 3rd book - loved them all.
All the great big stars in the sky from me.
January 17, 2021
This was in my Christmas parcel. I chose it because I so enjoyed the last book I read by this author. It was as good as I'd hoped.
Greta is a wonderful character, her insecurities, her rules for living and her rules for living. Greta's Dad left when she was a little girl and she was raised by her bitter Mum Nora. Greta's life is safe and sedate and she and her chicken Marilyn Monroe lead the quiet life in the suburbs. She works in a spa and pool shop, having done so since she left school. But recently she has discovered that her friends are not as kind as she thought, that life's frustrations are becoming more annoying especially at work. Then, a bolt from the blue, Greta's friend has left her a gift in his will, a trip of unknown duration to unknown destinations. We'll travel with her, ruminate as she reflects on her life and share her quest for decent shoes for the larger sized woman.
There is so much more. The quirk is strong in this, the strength of Greta's beliefs will be challenged in so many ways as she travels the world. Her enduring love for her dear friend and his letters to her as she travels are just so delightful. This is feel good fiction at it's best. I finished this this morning wanting to 'be more Greta' to have a little bit more naïvety. Ahhhhh it's lovely.
Greta is a wonderful character, her insecurities, her rules for living and her rules for living. Greta's Dad left when she was a little girl and she was raised by her bitter Mum Nora. Greta's life is safe and sedate and she and her chicken Marilyn Monroe lead the quiet life in the suburbs. She works in a spa and pool shop, having done so since she left school. But recently she has discovered that her friends are not as kind as she thought, that life's frustrations are becoming more annoying especially at work. Then, a bolt from the blue, Greta's friend has left her a gift in his will, a trip of unknown duration to unknown destinations. We'll travel with her, ruminate as she reflects on her life and share her quest for decent shoes for the larger sized woman.
There is so much more. The quirk is strong in this, the strength of Greta's beliefs will be challenged in so many ways as she travels the world. Her enduring love for her dear friend and his letters to her as she travels are just so delightful. This is feel good fiction at it's best. I finished this this morning wanting to 'be more Greta' to have a little bit more naïvety. Ahhhhh it's lovely.
November 3, 2020
A truly uplifting read by a gifted storyteller. Greta is the most loveable of characters: it is impossible not to be mesmerised as Greta's journey unfolds; her relationships with others deepen and she fully embraces her true identity. This is a book that will stay with you a long time after you finish reading.
December 8, 2020
Does anybody still write letters? A rhetorical question of sorts, which makes the title Addressed to Greta rather intriguing. Even more so with a cover covered in enticing envelopes. And anything with travel in it, particularly at this pandemic time, is even more enticing. Armchair travel - who would have thought this is something we all do together this year.
Greta, bless her, has never travelled, never even been in an airplane, let alone have a passport. She is 39 years old, has worked for a pool supply shop in suburban Auckland for over 20 years, a family friend giving her the job when she was 17. Her delightful child spirit has been crushed completely over the years following the leaving of her father when she was just six years old. Poor Greta, in her 6 year old innocence sees his disappearance as her fault, and her mother, in her despair, rage and disappointment never seems to fix this. Now Greta has a safe life, mediocre, dull, few if any friends other than her pet chicken. She sees herself as unattractive with her nearly 6 ft large frame and size 43/11 feet. And then she meets Walter. She finds a friend, becomes a friend and blossoms. Until Walter dies. The light goes out again.
Until Greta is contacted by Walter's solicitor. Walter has left a most special and surprising gift for Greta. And before Greta knows what has hit her, she is on a plane, off to New York, with instructions left by Walter as to what to do, where to go, as well as another letter with the next destination. He gives her the gift of a life, a life she never thought she would or could ever have. During the course of the weeks away she gets to know herself finally after all these years, coming to terms with her childhood, and where things went so terribly wrong. She is challenged at every turn by people, places, events; awed by the world around her and what it offers, the kindness those she meets show her. Her return to NZ is as a totally different person, but does she have the courage to keep on reinventing her life?
This novel really is a journey, and we are in it from the beginning. Endearing, funny, smart, brave, friendly - she has it all. Even her size 11 feet prove to be a bonus. As a fellow size 11 footer, I relate a 1000 percent to this - recent years have finally seen shops for women with large feet - pretty, feminine, elegant and stylish shoes. I told the women in the shop I go to - Willow Shoes - to get hold of this book, have a read and a laugh. And I hope author Fiona Sussman follows them up on it!
Greta, bless her, has never travelled, never even been in an airplane, let alone have a passport. She is 39 years old, has worked for a pool supply shop in suburban Auckland for over 20 years, a family friend giving her the job when she was 17. Her delightful child spirit has been crushed completely over the years following the leaving of her father when she was just six years old. Poor Greta, in her 6 year old innocence sees his disappearance as her fault, and her mother, in her despair, rage and disappointment never seems to fix this. Now Greta has a safe life, mediocre, dull, few if any friends other than her pet chicken. She sees herself as unattractive with her nearly 6 ft large frame and size 43/11 feet. And then she meets Walter. She finds a friend, becomes a friend and blossoms. Until Walter dies. The light goes out again.
Until Greta is contacted by Walter's solicitor. Walter has left a most special and surprising gift for Greta. And before Greta knows what has hit her, she is on a plane, off to New York, with instructions left by Walter as to what to do, where to go, as well as another letter with the next destination. He gives her the gift of a life, a life she never thought she would or could ever have. During the course of the weeks away she gets to know herself finally after all these years, coming to terms with her childhood, and where things went so terribly wrong. She is challenged at every turn by people, places, events; awed by the world around her and what it offers, the kindness those she meets show her. Her return to NZ is as a totally different person, but does she have the courage to keep on reinventing her life?
This novel really is a journey, and we are in it from the beginning. Endearing, funny, smart, brave, friendly - she has it all. Even her size 11 feet prove to be a bonus. As a fellow size 11 footer, I relate a 1000 percent to this - recent years have finally seen shops for women with large feet - pretty, feminine, elegant and stylish shoes. I told the women in the shop I go to - Willow Shoes - to get hold of this book, have a read and a laugh. And I hope author Fiona Sussman follows them up on it!
October 21, 2021
Yikes...despite the great reviews, this one wasn't for me. DNF @ 30%
November 19, 2020
There are big questions asked in Addressed to Greta: What is it about man’s intolerance to difference? Why do we so quickly jump into judgement of others? But it is not ‘weighty’, it is a funny, charming, and often sad, read.
There is a little bit of all of us in Greta. Maybe in her tendency to talk too much, or her nervousness about meeting people. It could be in her knowing that she looks shifty to security cameras and in front of officials. Or perhaps it is in her concerns about her body size (“Mirrors were such a disappointment”), her fearfulness, or how her head is full of the admonishing voice of Nora, her dead mother. Or is it in “Her inability to act in synchrony with her heart”?
When a dear friend of Greta’s dies, he leaves her a mystery trip, one of indeterminate length, where each destination will be revealed on the eve of the next leg of the journey. Even though for Greta “Spontaneous arrangements were just too stressful,” she takes off. And in Addressed to Greta we travel along with her. We take her first flight with her, we are embarrassed for her, astounded by her, and eventually come to agree with the flight attendant on that first flight, that “The world needs people like you.”
The most treasured message I took away from Addressed to Greta was how important it is to not squander the privilege of choice. As Greta would blurt, “Gee whiz!”, read this book, I think you will love it as much as I did.
There is a little bit of all of us in Greta. Maybe in her tendency to talk too much, or her nervousness about meeting people. It could be in her knowing that she looks shifty to security cameras and in front of officials. Or perhaps it is in her concerns about her body size (“Mirrors were such a disappointment”), her fearfulness, or how her head is full of the admonishing voice of Nora, her dead mother. Or is it in “Her inability to act in synchrony with her heart”?
When a dear friend of Greta’s dies, he leaves her a mystery trip, one of indeterminate length, where each destination will be revealed on the eve of the next leg of the journey. Even though for Greta “Spontaneous arrangements were just too stressful,” she takes off. And in Addressed to Greta we travel along with her. We take her first flight with her, we are embarrassed for her, astounded by her, and eventually come to agree with the flight attendant on that first flight, that “The world needs people like you.”
The most treasured message I took away from Addressed to Greta was how important it is to not squander the privilege of choice. As Greta would blurt, “Gee whiz!”, read this book, I think you will love it as much as I did.
December 28, 2020
I've been saving this one for the holidays and I'm so glad I did—Addressed to Greta is the perfect summer read. No least when we can't travel. I relished my time spent touring the world with Greta during her Eat, Pray, Love-style journey of self-discovery.
I read in another review here that awkward Greta and Eleanor Oliphant could be good friends. Hear hear! What a fantastic way to put it.
This gallivanting feel-good novel is a Hollywood film waiting to happen.
Fav quotes:
Her inability to act in synchrony with her heart. As if by asking for the man's help she'd signed up to his values. - page 1
This was the constancy that ordered her days, her weeks and months, routine stretching across her life like weed mat, keeping all chance at bay. Well, almost all. - page 2.
A hospital gown was a great leveller, stripping a person of props—the gold watch, officer pips, fashion labels. Under every grey gown was just a body. Two arms, two legs, a derriere. What distinguished someone under such circumstances was their character. And how they treated others. - page 78.
I read in another review here that awkward Greta and Eleanor Oliphant could be good friends. Hear hear! What a fantastic way to put it.
This gallivanting feel-good novel is a Hollywood film waiting to happen.
Fav quotes:
Her inability to act in synchrony with her heart. As if by asking for the man's help she'd signed up to his values. - page 1
This was the constancy that ordered her days, her weeks and months, routine stretching across her life like weed mat, keeping all chance at bay. Well, almost all. - page 2.
A hospital gown was a great leveller, stripping a person of props—the gold watch, officer pips, fashion labels. Under every grey gown was just a body. Two arms, two legs, a derriere. What distinguished someone under such circumstances was their character. And how they treated others. - page 78.
November 21, 2020
As other reviewers have said, many of us will see bits of Greta in ourselves. I certainly did, with her social anxiety and tendency to put her foot in it. It is always satisfying to walk beside a character as they find their voice, grow in confidence and find their place in the world, and this is the pleasure of reading this book. At the same time, the reader, who is very likely beached by the pandemic, can travel vicariously through Greta and with no jet lag - what could be better. Some of the minor characters really sparkle in this book - I loved Marilyn Monroe, the chicken, Muriel and Emerson, and I think there is definitely scope for a sequel. Look no further for your fun summer read (Southern Hemisphere).
February 28, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. From the very first paragraph you know that Greta is different, she sits somewhere on the vast autistic spectrum. I fell in love with her from the very start when she was so distraught at having hit and killed a pukeko on her way to work.
A dear friend had left her a gift in his will but to receive it she had to embark on a journey that for her was terrifying and would test her on every level. I enjoyed the book immensely. It was very well written, Fiona Sussman is a very talented writer
A dear friend had left her a gift in his will but to receive it she had to embark on a journey that for her was terrifying and would test her on every level. I enjoyed the book immensely. It was very well written, Fiona Sussman is a very talented writer
April 7, 2021
Such a cute story, easy read, loved being transported to all of the different locations - some as they brought back memories and some that inspired a new line on my 'places to visit' list. Also being from the north shore it was a new experience to read something set in my hometown!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2021
A loveable quirky and awkward character. I didn’t want the book to end. Enjoyed reading about my current home NZ!
April 26, 2024
Lovely story of a quirky character finding her true self with the help of a good friend. Loved Walt's choice of travels for her and pushing her out of her comfort zones. Well written with humour and moral messages.
March 22, 2021
Addressed to Greta is New Zealand author Fiona Sussman's third novel, and I asked the library to order a copy, based on this review at Read Close. Sussman was already on my radar since her debut novel
Shifting Colours
and I featured her in Meet a Kiwi Author so I was expecting to enjoy this.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2021/03/23/a...
And, despite a mild tendency to stray into Worthy Sentiments, Addressed to Greta is enjoyable reading. It features a socially-awkward single woman in her late thirties, constrained by the relentless voice of her dead mother Nora's preoccupation with conformity and respectability. (Nora has her reasons for this, but we don't find out what they are until long after we have blamed her for Greta's predicament.) Greta has never had a relationship, and since the death of Walter, she doesn't have any real friends, nor any family. She is lonely, insecure, and captive to the safe routines of her life.
Walter, however, changes everything, and from beyond the grave at that. She had fallen for him, only to find out that he was gay, but in a sign that's there's more to Greta than meets the eye, that romantic love morphed into a deep affection. It was Greta who stayed by his side when he died of liver cancer. And because he was very fond of her too, he left money in his will for her to travel and see more of the world than New Zealand has to offer. (Greta hasn't even been to the South Island.)
The catch is that he's left instructions with his solicitor Angus, that her all-expenses-paid trip overseas will be orchestrated entirely by him. Until just before her departure she doesn't know what Walter's choice for her first destination is, much less the others. There's a three-month time limit on her departure date, so that if she dithers, the money will go to charity. Plus, since she doesn't know how long she'll be away for, she has to give up the lease on her home, resign from her job, and find somewhere for her pet chicken to live during her absence. These are major life-changing decisions for a single woman with limited employability and insecure housing, and the reader has to take it on trust that Walter, whose conditions of acceptance imply that he thinks he knows what's best for Greta, hasn't dealt her a dud pack of cards. The characterisation of Greta shows that she needs to learn to take a risk, and the novel is a rom-com of sorts, but all the same, these conditions look like controlling behaviour to me.
(I don't have much patience with people/characters who try to control events from beyond the grave. They've had their time on earth!)
Anyway, full of trepidation, Greta sets off for New York, escorted around the city for a week by Walter's friend Frank. From Frank she learns aspects of Walter's life that he had withheld, and she feels peeved that someone else knew him better than she did. She survives her terrors (which derive mostly from watching American films) by meeting a succession of very nice people, who, one after the other, teach her something about rising above stereotypes and the inequities of the world. She then learns not to trust her ignorant assumptions in London, and has various epiphanies along the way in Rwanda.
In a Bridget Jones kind of way, most of this is quite droll. Greta is tall and ungainly and has embarrassingly large feet. She speaks before she thinks, and she over-explains her faux-pas and apologises all the time. She hugs people without knowing whether it's culturally appropriate or not, she badgers her tour guide about whether he's Tutsi or Hutu when he has clearly explained that he is Rwandan only, and she even curtsies to a doorman. Even smiling at all this feels a bit mean because it's such a poignant situation. Her progress through this journey of discovery is constantly punctuated by her mother's sour voice and poisonous admonitions, with Walter's encouraging letters not entirely able to drown her out.
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2021/03/23/a...
February 7, 2021
I loved this book very enjoyable read. It was funny quirky heart warming, very relatable, beautifully written and presented. My friends and relatives have also loved this book.
Very different books but I also loved Last Time We Spoke.
Thank you for many enjoyable hours.
Darrelle Taylor
Very different books but I also loved Last Time We Spoke.
Thank you for many enjoyable hours.
Darrelle Taylor
February 4, 2021
Oh Greta you entertained me from the very first page ... thought provoking, Funny, sad and definitely a sequel and also what a magnificent film... Greta needs to make the leap from page to screen
January 19, 2021
I laughed and I cried and I wish there were more books out there that made me feel this way! Fiona took the city I have lived in all my life and transformed it into magic. She took "ordinary" things that I've done so many times before, like flying, walking around a new city, catching a taxi, and makes it seem like something I've never done before. In short, this was amazing and exactly what I needed in a weird, transitional period of my life.
December 5, 2020
Words cannot express how very much I fell in love with this book.
I was bowled over by the quality of the writing of Fiona Sussman's first two books and I am so glad, despite a long wait, she has written a third; each book totally different but equally wonderful. This was a five star read for me from the opening lines. Gorgeous, sweet , funny and uplifting.
This book glued itself to my hand and I didn't want to put it down. It is a long time since I've read a book into the small hours of the morning.
I loved everything about the book. It is a delight. "If Greta was grounded in the mundane and practical, then Walter had been bewitched by the extraordinary." Or so Greta sees herself but that simply isn't so, Greta is a complicated, complex delight. Her journey geographically , spiritually, psychologically is a joy and her life lessons have lessons for the readers of this book. "Everybody we meet changes us a little.". I loved every word, every character and scene. I really hope we don't have to wait so long for the next novel. Highly recommended .
I was bowled over by the quality of the writing of Fiona Sussman's first two books and I am so glad, despite a long wait, she has written a third; each book totally different but equally wonderful. This was a five star read for me from the opening lines. Gorgeous, sweet , funny and uplifting.
This book glued itself to my hand and I didn't want to put it down. It is a long time since I've read a book into the small hours of the morning.
I loved everything about the book. It is a delight. "If Greta was grounded in the mundane and practical, then Walter had been bewitched by the extraordinary." Or so Greta sees herself but that simply isn't so, Greta is a complicated, complex delight. Her journey geographically , spiritually, psychologically is a joy and her life lessons have lessons for the readers of this book. "Everybody we meet changes us a little.". I loved every word, every character and scene. I really hope we don't have to wait so long for the next novel. Highly recommended .
November 19, 2020
I read with pleasure Fiona’s first two books and thought how could she possibly top these two excellent books. I started to read “Addressed to Greta” with slight trepidation as I didn’t want to be disappointed. Once you enter the pages of this book you are lost. Part of you wants to gobble up the story of quirky Greta and part of you tries desperately NOT to finish it as the story is so engaging from start to finish. I am praying that Fiona will pen a sequel to this book as Greta is such a likeable/lovable person and I need to hear more about Marilyn Monroe’s chicks. Fiona’s use of the English language is a joy to read.
February 15, 2021
Addressed to Greta is the story of the shy and reserved Greta Jellings, who is bequeathed an adventure in her friend Walter's will. I knew I would like this story as Fiona Sussman's writing is dependably good but I wasn't prepared just how much I would fall in love with it. Humorous and heart-warming, without being saccharine or cliched, Addressed to Greta is a lovely story that I just couldn't put down. There is a little of Greta in all of us, and the book serves as a timely reminder to live your best life, no matter what that may be.
November 3, 2020
This book was precisely the antidote to 2020 that I needed. I loved Sussman’s two other novels but think this is my favourite. They say friendship is realising “oh, you too? I thought it was just me”, and I think many readers will feel a special sort of kinship with Greta or her rich cast of fellow characters.
November 12, 2020
A heartwarming, funny novel - Fiona Sussman has really found her voice with this novel. Greta won’t disappoint in this story that flows effortlessly.
July 31, 2024
Every once in a while the universe places a book in front of you, which, from all the wonderful books that exist in this world, will stick with you in a special way. "Addressed to Greta" is one of these for me. I found it in the dark outside, at night, in one of these boxes in the streets and parks, hosting pre-loved books that people passing by can take with them, and where you can leave some too. I used the flash light on my phone to be able to see what was in, thinking that, living a nomadic lifestyle, in which every object and gram count, I really shouldn't be looking for a physical book. "I'll read it and put it back in one of these boxes, it's all good" I thought. I saw this one and it seemed like a really nice book, "It would be silly to buy it as an e-book if I can enjoy touching the paper I love so much, right?" An opportunity I could not miss. And there I was, walking with it in my hand.
I've started reading it in Auckland, and was pleasantly surprised to find out the character and the author were from New Zealand. "Nice! I'll get to learn more about the country I recently arrived in." I smiled when it mentioned places I had visited already, even Warkworth and the neighbourhood I was staying in. What were the chances? It felt meant to be. I got to meet Greta and embark on an exciting journey with her while eating sweets and drinking cacao with dandelions in coffee shops. I packed her world with me to go live a little while on Kawau island, and read the last part while staying at a farm in Northland, surrounded by rescued animals. I traveled the world page after page, while laying in my bed, sitting on a sofa, on the floor and on the beach. Saying that I enjoyed every minute of it is an understatement. Greta and I are very different and yet, have so much in common. I wanted her to be a friend of mine somehow, and I was cheering for her all along. Her growth, her discoveries, the people she met, the wisdom she acquired, the places she went to, the things she learned, the beauty she witnessed, the life she experienced... It made me feel less alone somehow, I connected with Greta on a deep level. I'm so glad I went on this journey with her through Fiona Sussman's beautiful words and imagination. So many times I read something and thought "OMG YES!", like the thoughts were taken out of me, but I just had never thought of putting words on them before.
This story touches many topics like childhood traumas and their lifelong effects, homophobia, friendship, genocide, fears, traveling, grief, etc. But mostly, it talks about life. About getting out of your comfort zone. About healing. About loving. About hoping. About taking actions. About the courage to be seen.
Until the very end, I got little surprises, and I won't even start about the gift at the end (this is not a book to have in an e-book version just for this). It's all about the little things, that are not so little.
At this point in my life, I think it's safe to say that I'm kind of a travel expert. Going on this adventure with Greta was therefore so refreshing, seeing it through her novice eyes was precious. Her whole personality and authenticity are treasures too. The whole book is infused with joy, gentleness, and inspiration.
I'm torn now. I don't want to let go of the book, don't want to let go of Greta. I feel these grams are worth carrying around and I will love having it on a shelf somewhere someday, when I will settle down. I would probably love reading it again in a few years. But other people should get the chance to randomly find this book in a box in a street somewhere... I know!
The future will tell me what I will do; when I slowly go down South to discover more about New Zealand, its culture, its people and its places. I'm pretty sure I will secretly and naively hope that one day in a street it's not a book I will come across, but Greta herself, living her best life. A girl can dream, right?
Thank you Greta. Thank you Fiona. And thank you dear person who left this book in the box, whoever you are.
I've started reading it in Auckland, and was pleasantly surprised to find out the character and the author were from New Zealand. "Nice! I'll get to learn more about the country I recently arrived in." I smiled when it mentioned places I had visited already, even Warkworth and the neighbourhood I was staying in. What were the chances? It felt meant to be. I got to meet Greta and embark on an exciting journey with her while eating sweets and drinking cacao with dandelions in coffee shops. I packed her world with me to go live a little while on Kawau island, and read the last part while staying at a farm in Northland, surrounded by rescued animals. I traveled the world page after page, while laying in my bed, sitting on a sofa, on the floor and on the beach. Saying that I enjoyed every minute of it is an understatement. Greta and I are very different and yet, have so much in common. I wanted her to be a friend of mine somehow, and I was cheering for her all along. Her growth, her discoveries, the people she met, the wisdom she acquired, the places she went to, the things she learned, the beauty she witnessed, the life she experienced... It made me feel less alone somehow, I connected with Greta on a deep level. I'm so glad I went on this journey with her through Fiona Sussman's beautiful words and imagination. So many times I read something and thought "OMG YES!", like the thoughts were taken out of me, but I just had never thought of putting words on them before.
This story touches many topics like childhood traumas and their lifelong effects, homophobia, friendship, genocide, fears, traveling, grief, etc. But mostly, it talks about life. About getting out of your comfort zone. About healing. About loving. About hoping. About taking actions. About the courage to be seen.
Until the very end, I got little surprises, and I won't even start about the gift at the end (this is not a book to have in an e-book version just for this). It's all about the little things, that are not so little.
At this point in my life, I think it's safe to say that I'm kind of a travel expert. Going on this adventure with Greta was therefore so refreshing, seeing it through her novice eyes was precious. Her whole personality and authenticity are treasures too. The whole book is infused with joy, gentleness, and inspiration.
I'm torn now. I don't want to let go of the book, don't want to let go of Greta. I feel these grams are worth carrying around and I will love having it on a shelf somewhere someday, when I will settle down. I would probably love reading it again in a few years. But other people should get the chance to randomly find this book in a box in a street somewhere... I know!
The future will tell me what I will do; when I slowly go down South to discover more about New Zealand, its culture, its people and its places. I'm pretty sure I will secretly and naively hope that one day in a street it's not a book I will come across, but Greta herself, living her best life. A girl can dream, right?
Thank you Greta. Thank you Fiona. And thank you dear person who left this book in the box, whoever you are.
August 31, 2025
Addressed to Greta is a book I want, I need all my friends to read - my sometime/would be/could be travelling friends, my friends who may be uncomfortable in their skin (isn’t that everyone?), my chook loving friend (you know who you are) and lastly my daughter - you’ve just gotta read this book.
Greta wrestles with goblins from her past and not quite reconciling her present or her future with anything interesting or exciting. She shares her life with a chicken called Marilyn Monroe, her feet are an embarrassment and her social awkwardness is evidenced by frequent and intense blushes. Her work life is humdrum and she’s scared of - everything.
Firmly placed in New Zealand with only a few little slightly cringy bits, it appeals for its world view of discovery and its personal view of self knowledge and discovery.
Maybe it’s a book for women, maybe it’s a little lightweight and tends slightly towards romance but actually I don’t care - I woke each day remembering that it was sitting waiting, ready to be read - over all too soon - sadly.
Greta travels to places I’ve been and places I haven’t been, sees sights I’ve seen and haven’t seen - but it made not a jot of difference - I can’t tell you where as that would give away the story but suffice to say she embarks on an all-expenses paid kind of quest, courtesy of one of the few dear friends of her life.
Every character is different, delicately drawn and generously portrayed - even the unlikable ones. Each character brings a smile of recognition and an awareness of the joys in small things, the need to appreciate and to be generous in thought as well as deed.
Greta wrestles with goblins from her past and not quite reconciling her present or her future with anything interesting or exciting. She shares her life with a chicken called Marilyn Monroe, her feet are an embarrassment and her social awkwardness is evidenced by frequent and intense blushes. Her work life is humdrum and she’s scared of - everything.
Firmly placed in New Zealand with only a few little slightly cringy bits, it appeals for its world view of discovery and its personal view of self knowledge and discovery.
Maybe it’s a book for women, maybe it’s a little lightweight and tends slightly towards romance but actually I don’t care - I woke each day remembering that it was sitting waiting, ready to be read - over all too soon - sadly.
Greta travels to places I’ve been and places I haven’t been, sees sights I’ve seen and haven’t seen - but it made not a jot of difference - I can’t tell you where as that would give away the story but suffice to say she embarks on an all-expenses paid kind of quest, courtesy of one of the few dear friends of her life.
Every character is different, delicately drawn and generously portrayed - even the unlikable ones. Each character brings a smile of recognition and an awareness of the joys in small things, the need to appreciate and to be generous in thought as well as deed.
September 17, 2024
Really enjoyed the style of writing, the humour and Greta's character. Most enjoyable. Copied from another review which I wholeheartedly agree with " The book is funny, it’s awkward, it’s pathetic, it’s loveable, it’s quirky, its sad, it’s descriptive, it’s everything I love about a book."
Greta’s ears started to pop. She swallowed hard and looked out of her cabin window. The plane had just broken through a clump of clouds and below was an undulating patchwork of reds and greens. It was what she’d been expecting. The ruralness. Yet also different from the image she’d held in her head. The vastness. The intense terracotta colour. The relentless blue of the sky.’
Greta Jellings blushes and bumbles her way through her carefully ordered existence, forever constrained by what her mother would have said and done. No expectation, no disappointment was one of her mother’s mantras. It serves Greta well too.
It is the death of her dear friend Walter, and his unusual bequest, that finally forces Greta to escape the shackles of her safe life. Revealed in a series of letters, Walter has set Greta a challenge that leads her across the world, and so far outside her comfort zone, that she has no choice but to confront who she really is. It is in the foreignness of strangers that she finds the familiar, and in the expanse of the vista that she gains perspective.
'Addressed to Greta' is a captivating novel about a woman learning to express her true self. A story about finding the courage to be seen, and a testament to the transformative power of friendship.
Greta’s ears started to pop. She swallowed hard and looked out of her cabin window. The plane had just broken through a clump of clouds and below was an undulating patchwork of reds and greens. It was what she’d been expecting. The ruralness. Yet also different from the image she’d held in her head. The vastness. The intense terracotta colour. The relentless blue of the sky.’
Greta Jellings blushes and bumbles her way through her carefully ordered existence, forever constrained by what her mother would have said and done. No expectation, no disappointment was one of her mother’s mantras. It serves Greta well too.
It is the death of her dear friend Walter, and his unusual bequest, that finally forces Greta to escape the shackles of her safe life. Revealed in a series of letters, Walter has set Greta a challenge that leads her across the world, and so far outside her comfort zone, that she has no choice but to confront who she really is. It is in the foreignness of strangers that she finds the familiar, and in the expanse of the vista that she gains perspective.
'Addressed to Greta' is a captivating novel about a woman learning to express her true self. A story about finding the courage to be seen, and a testament to the transformative power of friendship.
January 29, 2024
I really wanted to love this book as much as I loved The Last Time We Spoke but I just found it tedious, boring and kind of annoying. I didn’t get how she was so young but fell for Walter who sounded like an old man. There was too much emphasis on the strange lawyer and it took me to ge to a third of the way in to finally give up just as Greta was taking off into the skies. I didn’t find her likeable, just annoying and silly. I didn’t like the constant flashbacks as it stopped the flow of the storyline too often and for nothing particularly meaningful. I also wish the author wouldn’t use all the North Shore place names in her books as anyone who doesn’t live in Auckland won’t know what she’s talking about. It could be much more generic and all non-Aucklanders would be able to relate and I am a North Shorean! It annoyed me. Albany, Takapuna Gramnar, Ponsonby, etc - seems unnecessary and Auckland overkill (and I’m from the North Shore).
November 17, 2022
If I had to summarize this book in one word it would be WHOLESOME. Greta Jellings describes her life as a game of snakes and ladders, with many more snakes than ladders on her board. She has recently lost her dear friend, Walter, to cancer and is trying to navigate life without him. Revealed in a set of letters, Walter has set Greta a challenge that leads her across the world and so far out of her comfort zone.
There were so many things to love about this book.
- The New Zealand setting
- Greta and all her awkwardness
- The travel aspects of the book
- The many notes of wisdom
There was a lot condensed into the 336 pages. At times, I thought the author included too many characters/experiences that it was slightly overkill. I still loved absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anyone wanting an easy, uplifting read.
There were so many things to love about this book.
- The New Zealand setting
- Greta and all her awkwardness
- The travel aspects of the book
- The many notes of wisdom
There was a lot condensed into the 336 pages. At times, I thought the author included too many characters/experiences that it was slightly overkill. I still loved absolutely loved this book and would recommend it to anyone wanting an easy, uplifting read.
December 30, 2022
I really tried to enjoy this book. I got half way and it was getting even more slow and tedious.
I found the constant flashbacks annoying and too little in detail. It would have been better to have a whole chapter dedicated to certain past happenings in place of a couple of throw away
lines. I found them distracting and repetitive.
Greta was passionless and difficult to like. I would have loved to see what she was like when she was with Walter. Was she more animated, more interesting or was she the same as now?
I felt like I connected more with Walter and would have liked his story more.
Sorry, could not finish as I have too many books to read and it seems a waste to spend time on something you just don't love.
I found the constant flashbacks annoying and too little in detail. It would have been better to have a whole chapter dedicated to certain past happenings in place of a couple of throw away
lines. I found them distracting and repetitive.
Greta was passionless and difficult to like. I would have loved to see what she was like when she was with Walter. Was she more animated, more interesting or was she the same as now?
I felt like I connected more with Walter and would have liked his story more.
Sorry, could not finish as I have too many books to read and it seems a waste to spend time on something you just don't love.
July 9, 2024
A wonderful story with a fully developed likeable, real character as the central heart of the book. I suspect there are so many women out there in the real world battling through a complex world. And how many of us, like Greta, are dealing with the consequences of our childhood upbringing. Big issues are dealt with in this story:
the totally foreign (New York :), Rwanda :(
dementia and its horrors for those left on the outside
homophobia, what a scourge it still is, with still the biggest pandemic of AIDS ignored because of the prejudice
the horrors of civil war and the awful consequences of white colonisation in Africa.
But Greta captures our attention and heart all the way through. We (women) know all about her anxieties, her worries, the inner voice that will not shut up. I could not put this novel down. And I so envied her adventure and the wonderful place in New Zealand where she finally found a home in the South Island. A last aside, I really loved the descriptions of Devonport and Auckland, where I was born, and the beautiful drawing of the area around Cromwell and Arrowtown. Beautiful. A wonderful read.
the totally foreign (New York :), Rwanda :(
dementia and its horrors for those left on the outside
homophobia, what a scourge it still is, with still the biggest pandemic of AIDS ignored because of the prejudice
the horrors of civil war and the awful consequences of white colonisation in Africa.
But Greta captures our attention and heart all the way through. We (women) know all about her anxieties, her worries, the inner voice that will not shut up. I could not put this novel down. And I so envied her adventure and the wonderful place in New Zealand where she finally found a home in the South Island. A last aside, I really loved the descriptions of Devonport and Auckland, where I was born, and the beautiful drawing of the area around Cromwell and Arrowtown. Beautiful. A wonderful read.
March 28, 2021
Delightful, funny (a few laugh out loud moments, such as Greta's first experience on a plane, remember that?), but mostly charming and wry, often awkward, and thoughtful, and quite, quite sad, that humans measure other humans against their own prejudices and preconceptions.
Greta has lived her life full of fear, shrouded in her own perceptions of what she should/shouldn't do, and in the shadow of her disappointed mother, until she is given a wonderful opportunity that slowly opens her mind to all sorts of possibilities.
Greta is us all, to some extent and Sussman's message is; seize opportunities that come our way.
Highly recommended.
Greta has lived her life full of fear, shrouded in her own perceptions of what she should/shouldn't do, and in the shadow of her disappointed mother, until she is given a wonderful opportunity that slowly opens her mind to all sorts of possibilities.
Greta is us all, to some extent and Sussman's message is; seize opportunities that come our way.
Highly recommended.
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