Eloise's Choice

A contemporary coming-of-age novel about escaping the past and trying to find yourself through feelings, travel, and difficult life choices.

At the heart of the story is twenty-year-old Eloise, who leaves Lviv for the Alpine resort of Walchensee hoping to start over, only to realize that a new place does not always bring inner freedom. At a friend’s invitation, Eloise sets off on a winter getaway far from home, hoping to leave behind everything that hurts and holds her back. She longs for independence, genuine relationships, and a new life, yet on the way she finds herself trapped once again by her own fears, doubts, and emotional dependencies. This novel is a layered portrait of youth, where emotional chaos, the urge to run away, vulnerability, and the need to be loved are tightly intertwined. Eloise’s story unfolds as an inner journey, in which distant cities, new people, and painful experiences gradually form a path toward self-discovery.

Themes of intimacy, loneliness, the influence of others, and reclaiming one’s own voice play an important role in this story. The novel portrays youth honestly and without embellishment — as a time of impulsive decisions, painful experiences, and changes that ultimately help a person find themselves.