You are the average of the five people you spend most of your time with. When this aphorism is told to Allegra Bird in Cecelia Ahern’s latest novel, Freckles  it leaves her pondering upon whether she has five people and if not, then what does that say about her? Allegra’s nickname is Freckles because of the scattering of freckles on her arms which, as a child, she joined up to make the constellations in the sky. Leaving  behind an eccentric father and an unconventional childhood on the Atlantic coast, Allegra forges a bold new life in Dublin where she lives a highly ordered life as a parking warden, although never quite fitting in with the people around her.

In a hopeful and engaging quest, Freckles sets out to find five people who can determine her future and shape her into the person she was always meant to be.

Although I love Cecelia Ahern books, I  originally balked at the title because it seemed so twee. I’m glad I took the plunge though because this was a charming and engaging book about human frailty, loneliness and connection. As with all of Cecelia Ahern’s books it was an absorbing, quirky and thoroughly engaging read.