HILDE HINTON The Opposite of Lonely. Reviewed by Amelia Dudley

The new novel from the author of The Loudness of Unsaid Things has a lot to say about friendship and the border between eccentricity and red flags.

Rose has been struggling for a long time. It’s been hard for her to navigate becoming a single mum and more socially isolated after her divorce. One day, upset and embarrassed at the local shops over losing her keys in a bit of a daze, Rose meets Ellie, a stranger who is quick to take charge and help.

Over a coffee afterwards, Rose is pleasantly surprised to have made a new friend. As they start spending more and more time together, Ellie is always keen to help Rose with everything, from tidying up her home to entertaining her son, Max. Sure, Ellie can be a bit … strange sometimes, but can’t we all?

This novel really shows what it could be like to tread that fine line between being tolerant of someone’s little ways and ignoring red flags in a relationship. It’s done so well, it’s chilling. As intended, the reader really does spend much of the story wondering if Ellie is just a bit blunt and insensitive while genuinely trying to be a good friend. For her part, Rose is very grounded in that she is able to accept other people’s foibles, and this is a great source of amusement. For example, when they try out Bingo together one evening, she is happy to just give Ellie some space while she’s in a bad mood:

Soon the line extended out into the carpark. Ellie was standing nearby looking like she’d eaten a lemon, so Rose ignored her and started talking to the smiley lady who came twice a week to get out of the house.

Rose’s reflections on parenting and trying not to do the things she found frustrating in adults when she was a child are also a very engaging part of the story. In addition, Hinton convincingly captures the insidious nature of Rose’s dark thoughts:

If she died tomorrow, the world wouldn’t notice. She’d be replaced. Max would get a new mother when his dad met someone else. Someone who was … interesting. A new barista would start the next day at the cafe. There were always a lot of people coming in with resumes and mustered smiles. Someone else would move into their house. Someone who would keep it cleaner than she could.

This novel is a beautiful slice-of-life story which does a fantastic job of making the ordinary remarkable. One character’s trips on buses are actually really memorable, and everyday ways of coping with life, like putting ‘the kettle on in a crisis’, are demonstrated in a humorous way. Though I’ve never known anyone who winks as much as some of these characters.

Some of the story is told from the point of view of Rose’s son Max, and his relationship with his grandparents, particularly his grandmother Audrey, is very touching. There are some lovely moments showcasing the stability and sense of safety that grandparents are uniquely placed to provide:

‘… What’s the plan today, Max?’ Audrey asked.

‘You come to assembly, and then our guests come back to our classrooms and see our art on the walls, Oh, and you can have a cup of tea, you love cups of tea,’ Max said cheerily.

‘I certainly do.’

‘You’re my special person, and I painted the vine in the yard for my artwork because I like it when we sit outside.’

‘I like it very much too, Max.’

The Opposite of Lonely is a very insightful and life-affirming read, with a lot of positive messages about being content with what you have as well as the importance of being kind to others and learning to extend that kindness to yourself. Without saying too much about the ending, I’m always happy to be surprised by a book, too. 

Hilde Hinton The Opposite of Lonely Hachette 2025 PB 352pp $32.99

Amelia Dudley has degrees in plant biology. But despite spending a lot of time in the garden, her plants still occasionally die.

You can buy The Opposite of Lonely from Abbey’s at a 10% discount by quoting the promotion code NEWTOWNREVIEW.

You can also check if it is available from Newtown Library.

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Tags: Austalian fiction, Australian writers, friendships, Hilde | Hinton