Funny Story by Emily Henry is about friendship, childhood abandonment, self-discovery, grieving what could have been, and finding joy in beginnings that don’t look like what you imagined — or in the fear of stepping into a future you can’t predict.
“Life, I’d learnt, is a revolving door. Most things that come into it only stay a while.” That line stopped me. It took me back to all the things I hoped would stay but didn’t. The friendships. The relationships. The money. The job. Even the “island of peace” status my country once held. Life moves whether we’re ready or not. Nothing is permanent, and the only constant is change.
Funny Story by Emily Henry is about friendship, childhood abandonment, self-discovery, grieving what could have been, and finding joy in beginnings that don’t look like what you imagined. Or in the fear of stepping into a future you can’t predict.
Daphne and Miles meet because they are both left by the people they thought they would marry. Daphne’s fiancé, Peter, leaves her for Petra, Miles’ girlfriend. Having moved across the country to build a life with Peter, Daphne suddenly finds herself homeless in a town she never imagined living in. On top of that, she is trying to understand a heartbreak that makes her question every decision that brought her here.
Daphne is a librarian raised by a single mother who moved constantly in search of better opportunities. Books became her stability. They filled the gaps that frequent moving created: the friendships she couldn’t maintain, the homes she never stayed long enough to claim, and the longing she carried into adulthood. She grows up craving love and belonging, willing to bend and twist herself to be accepted. The absence of her father shaped her in ways she cannot ignore.
“I realise I have been trying to make myself un-leavable. But it hasn’t worked.”
When everything familiar collapses, you either try something new or break under the weight of it. Daphne reaches her breaking point, and that is when Miles enters her life. Both left by the people they would spend the rest of their lives with, they decide to support each other first by allowing Daphne to move into Miles’ apartment. These are two people with nothing in common. But who cares about having something in common when you do not have a place to live?
Miles grew up in a home where nothing pleased their mother. When he got sick, the mother would complain that he was getting sick because he did not love her. She was kind to everyone, except her children, including her sister, Julia. When one grows up in such an environment, they learn not to express their emotions or needs, as it was never welcomed. As a result, they grow up to be people who cannot express negative emotions or ask for what they need. They grow up believing they are incapable of good things.
That is Miles in a nutshell. A kind person. Loved by everyone but never sure of himself. Never open to believing that they deserve love or good things to happen to them. This is a reality for many men and women. Those who go through life thinking that, to receive love, they have to offer something. Money. Lose themselves to fit into a box of whoever they think will give them acceptance and love.
“Growing up, our feelings – mine and Julia’s, my dad’s – didn't matter much. All that mattered was how it affected our mom. If we made her look good, then she loved us. And if we didn't, then we were out to get her.”
Henry gives both Daphne and Miles space to explore what shaped them and what it might look like to step out of survival mode. Slowly, they start building a friendship that helps both to imagine new versions of themselves. Versions that are not determined by what happened to them but by what they choose for themselves.
Friendship is one of Henry’s recurring themes. In this book, Daphne’s friendship with Ashleigh is essential to their healing. They both hold space for each other to express their frustrations, hopes and dreams. The truth is, we all need someone to see and understand us.
“To not be alone. To have friends bear witness to the death of this dream.” This sums up why we need friends – a community to witness your existence.
Henry writes with humour and emotional clarity. Her characters feel grounded, genuine, and lovable. As you turn the last page, you’re reminded that things change. But that does not mean it is the end of the world. If you are lucky, it is the beginning of a beautiful, funny story you didn't plan, but you will be grateful it happened. Give yourself a chance.
Jane Shussa is a digital communication specialist with a love for books, coffee, nature, and travel. She can be reached at [email protected].
