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Cover of Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park

Rainbow Rowell

  • 336 pages · about 6 hours
  • First published 2012
  • 32 editions
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1 About this book

Eleanor & Park is the first young adult novel written by Rainbow Rowell. Published in 2012, the story follows dual narratives by Eleanor and Park, two misfits living in Omaha, Nebraska from 1986 to 1987. Eleanor, a chubby 16-year-old girl with curly red hair, and Park, a 16-year-old biracial Korean boy, meet on a school bus on Eleanor's first day at the school and gradually connect through comic books and mixtapes of 1980s music, sparking a love story.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

  • Love & Romance
  • Romance-language fiction
  • Romance
  • Young adult fiction, romance
  • Relationships
  • Love
  • Teenagers
  • Bullying

2 What to expect

A young adult love story set in Omaha in 1986, told in turn by two sixteen-year-old misfits who meet on the school bus and bond over comics and mixtapes. First love is drawn in small, exact moments, against Eleanor's home life with an abusive stepfather, poverty and bullying at school. It is tender, funny and sad, with strong language, and its portrayal of Park's Korean heritage has been criticized.

Good for readers who want: a first-love story, 1980s music and comics, and a tender, bittersweet read.

3 About Rainbow Rowell

Born 1973

Rainbow Rowell (born February 24, 1973) is an American author known for young adult and adult contemporary novels. Her young adult novels Eleanor & Park (2012), Fangirl (2013), and Carry On (2015) have been subjects of critical acclaim. She was the writer of the 2017 revival of Marvel Comics' Runaways and for She-Hulk from 2022 to 2024.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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