Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

A Story of Family, Loss, and the Power of Words

“I find myself thinking that maybe every bit of heartbreak in life can be rearranged and used for something beautiful, that it doesn’t really matter whether I chose this path or I was born onto it, so long as I stop and appreciate the path itself.”

Emily Henry has done it again—only this time, she’s taken a bold step away from conventional romance and leaned into something far more intricate: the complexity of family, grief, and legacy. I went into Great Big Beautiful Life expecting a romance-heavy novel, but what I got instead was something richer, more layered, and deeply poignant.

Plot Summary

Alice Scott is given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write the biography of the elusive heiress Margaret Ives, a woman shrouded in mystery and intrigue. But there’s a catch—Alice must compete with Hayden Anderson, another talented writer, for the job. While this sets the stage for an underlying romantic element, the true heart of the story unfolds within Margaret’s past and Alice’s complicated relationship with her own mother.

Spanning generations, the novel carefully unravels the secrets, regrets, and emotional wounds buried within these women’s lives. As Alice delves deeper into Margaret’s story, she begins to see reflections of herself—the messy complexities of familial love, missed opportunities, and the weight of expectation.

Themes

Henry masterfully explores themes that are far beyond the typical romance novel tropes:

• Grief & Healing – How we process loss and how it shapes us in ways we don’t always understand.

• Complicated Family Relationships – Particularly between mothers and daughters, and the generational echoes of love and resentment.

• Legacy & Storytelling – How the stories we leave behind shape the people who come after us.

• Love—But Not Just Romance – There is romance, of course, but it plays third fiddle to the deeper relationships between women in the book.

What Worked for the Book

Henry’s writing is as strong as ever, effortlessly balancing emotion, humour, and depth. The dynamic between Alice and Margaret was captivating, and I found myself completely invested in Margaret’s past. While the romance between Alice and Hayden was sweet, it didn’t steal the focus—and in some ways, I wished for more build-up between them.

What truly stood out, though, was the way everything came together at the end. The final chapters hit hard, tying all the loose threads into a deeply satisfying conclusion. It’s rare to find a novel that manages to span generations yet feel so cohesive, but Henry pulls it off brilliantly.

Who Might Enjoy Great Big Beautiful Life

This book is perfect for readers who love character-driven stories with a focus on family dynamics, emotional depth, and personal growth. Fans of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Maggie O’Farrell, or Elizabeth Strout would appreciate Henry’s nuanced approach to storytelling here.

Final Thoughts

I thought I knew what this book was going to be—but then those last thirty pages wrecked me. Henry proves once again that she can write more than just romance, delivering a novel that lingers in your heart long after you finish it. It’s poignant, beautifully told, and full of emotional depth.

Thank you to Penguin Random House SA for the opportunity to read this book.

About the author:

Also read: