All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett

Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026--San Antonio

All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett was on a list of best books of last year.  I isn't a great book, but it is a book that is pleasurable to read.  It is the story of a young lady who grew up in a very poor family but was very intelligent and happened to live in the hometown of Smith College where she was admitted on a full scholarship.  The book follows her to London where she has been admitted, again on scholarship, to a university to work on a master's degree in literature.  Beyond that, it is very much like a romance novel (except for not having any sexual liaison details) as she ends up dating the wrong guy while you keep hoping she will realize that she has made an error.  It also includes details of how she allows herself to become involved in living a high society life which she cannot afford.  The book is full of tense moments caused by poor decisions.  And like most romance novels (other than the withheld details of sex encounters that has already been mentioned), she ends up with the right guy in the end (but the reader knows this is going to happen 10% of the way into the novel, so it isn't really a spoiler to say so).  I gave the book 4 stars out of 5.