Maybe he will finally understand why he went there that morning. Maybe he will find a way to tell the truth.

I had no idea what to expect from this book, I went into it completely blind not knowing anything about it - and to be honest that was perfect. I don’t think anyone could have described this book to me anyway, if I had to tell you what this book was about I’d be lost for words. From the bright yellow cover to the creative use of fonts, this book is something out of the ordinary. It is one of those books where it’s better not to know anything about it and just go along for the ride, and what a ride it is. Suspend disbelief and rational thought and embrace incredulity, madness, and mayhem, and you will “find hope in the unexpected”. Little by little the story of how Isaac has arrived in this particularly murky pit of despair is imparted to the reader with aha moments coming as a relief. The story revolves around a tragic incident and the arrival of an unexpected guest who is an absolute delight, incredibly quirky, but showing great compassion and sensitivity. Knowing that this kindly presence cannot stay forever adds a bittersweet element which makes you want to proceed slowly and at times hold your breath. Film buffs will also find much to enjoy and will nod and smile at the mention of family favourites and well-known quotes. Isaac and the Egg is a story of love and loss and heart-wrenching grief, but it simultaneously shines with a mesmerising mash-up of hope, fun, humour and wonder. Michelle, VIC, 4 Stars When we first meet Palmer’s protagonist Isaac Addy he has already reached critical mass, staring into the abyss from a bridge after the death of his beloved wife, Mary. When a chance echo of Isaac’s own scream - similarly feral in its desperation - is heard in the nearby forest, Isaac is compelled to investigate. Whether what follows is real or simply a manifestation of his fractured psyche is a moot point. As readers we are already on board, equally compelled to discover whether even in the darkest of circumstances hope can be found.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 Is it an alien or is it a figment of Isaac’s broken mind? Whatever it is Isaac decides to take it home where it behaves like an unruly toddler. And something magical begins to happen…. I'd been hearing so many wonderful things about this book, the book with the egg, the debut that has everybody talking and ok WOW, I get it: what a special little book this is!

The two are unlikely companions. But their chance encounter will transform Isaac’s life in ways he cannot yet imagine.

Non-Fiction

Isaac and the Egg by Bobby Palmer is not a book I would normally read. It is different but it was entertaining. It has moments of sadness where you can feel the pain that Isaac is feeling. The struggle is so real, in dealing with loss, of trying to survive. You are taken on a journey of grief, from denial to anger and finally acceptance. The story is well-written, poignant, and a little quirky. Lisa, QLD, 4 Stars Many books leave their mark; how can they not? You journey with characters through events big and small, all the time privy to their hopes, dreams, fears and loss, and come out the other side with a resolution good or bad that re-defines life for that character forever after. I love Bobby Palmer’s writing style and turn of phrase. Being a cinephile, I particularly loved all the film references - they are films that have shaped my life, too. I loved Isaac recounting his relationship with his wife, the films they’d watched and now how he’d watch the same films with the Egg.

Isaacs rouwproces wordt indringend en levensecht beschreven, je wordt helemaal meegenomen in zijn ellende en zijn gevoelens zijn confronterend, realistisch en intens. Wanneer de radeloosheid alles over lijkt te nemen ontmoet hij Egg, en deze onvoorwaardelijke vriend is alles wat Isaac op dat moment nodig had. De exacte rol van Egg blijft lastig te duiden, maar of hij nu een wezentje is, een hallucinatie, een metafoor voor het rouwproces of een soort gids die Isaac telkens een extra stapje laat zetten, je moet je uiteindelijk maar gewoon aan zijn bestaan overgeven en zijn rol in dit verhaal accepteren. En hoewel de fantasie voor mij op sommige momenten net te veel botste met de aangrijpende gebeurtenissen, waardoor het geheel dan iets té absurd werd, zorgt Egg ook voor ontwikkeling, een zekere luchtigheid en humor en sluit je hem alleen daarom al in je hart. 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. An arresting debut novel about grief, but in the most wonderfully oblique way' Reverend Richard Coles This is a book about a lot of things – grief, hope, friendship, love. It’s also about what you’d do if you stumbled into the woods at dawn, found something extraordinary there, and decided to take it home. Powerful, hopeful and utterly extraordinary, this is a truly original tale of love and loss, told with warmth and imaginative humour, from an unforgettable new voice in fiction. Isaac stands alone on a bridge and screams into the river below. And then, an answer.Isaac has no idea where the egg has come from or what it’s doing there but he’s overcome with the need to protect it, so he bundles it up and takes it home. What a remarkable story. It is one that will stay with me for quite a while. Isaac Addey is grieving. He is lost and hopeless. We meet him on the worst day of his life when he stumbles across Egg in the woods and decides to take him home. The story follows Isaac’s journey through the stages of grief with Egg by his side, trying to make sense of his companion. It is at times heartbreaking and difficult, but always compelling. It is a story with a big heart. Melissa, QLD, 5 Stars Isaac is a widower and he’s struggling. On a visit to the woods, he happens across a very large egg and without a second thought he takes it home and settles into a bizarre domesticity with the egg. The two are unlikely companions. But their chance encounter will transform Isaac's life in ways he cannot yet imagine.

It was utterly charming, which probably sounds like the strangest description of a book about grief you could imagine but it’s true. It captured the tsunami feeling of grief so perfectly and what felt like effortlessly, feeling like you’re spiralling out of control and losing your grip on reality while life carries on for everybody else. Isaac was profoundly relatable and his emotions throughout the book felt so real. An arresting debut novel about grief, but in the most wonderfully oblique way’ Reverend Richard Coles This is an out-and-out character-oriented novel. Such stories are tougher to carry out successfully, but the author does a splendid job. Heartbreaking and heart-stealing, this modern-day fable is an unforgettable novel about sorrow, joy, friendship and love.First things first. This book won’t work for those who take the written word literally. There is a fair amount of suspension of disbelief, and a plot that veers between the fantastical and the outrageous. If you want a straightforward storyline that calls a spade a spade, better avoid this book. It’s for those who would enjoy allegorical takes on pragmatic conundrums. He eats, he sleeps and makes it through each day with the support of his sister, neighbours and his therapist while the events leading to Isaac's present state are revealed to the reader as Isaac is able to cope with them. A tender, funny and surprising meditation on grief and hope . . . like nothing I've ever read before' STYLIST It can’t be completely definitive of course because grief is wholly and utterly different for every person, which includes the book’s protagonist Isaac Addy, a late-twenties illustrator of children’s books and other things, who suddenly finds his world upended when tragedy befalls him. This is an audiobook about a lot of things - grief, hope, friendship, love. It's also about what you'd do if you stumbled into the woods at dawn, found something extraordinary there, and decided to take it home.