The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot
The new and unforgettable Richard & Judy Book Club pick
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4.6 • 118 Ratings
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- £2.99
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
- Goodreads Choice: Best Fiction 2021 shortlisted
- Author's Club First Novel Award longlisted
- Voted Best Uplifting Book in the independent
'Emotional, involving, witty and sad. Everyone is going to love Lenni and Margot'
JILL MANSELL
'Lenni and Margot are two of the most wonderful, warm, witty and wise heroines I've ever met. Beautiful and glorious' CLARE POOLEY, author of The Authenticity Project
Fiercely alive, disarmingly funny and brimming with tenderness, THE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF LENNI AND MARGOT unwraps the extraordinary gift of life, and revels in our infinite capacity for friendship and love when we need them most.
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Life is short.
No-one knows that better than seventeen-year-old Lenni. But as she is about to learn, it's not only what you make of life that matters, but who you share it with.
Dodging doctor's orders, she joins an art class where she bumps into fellow patient Margot, a rebel-hearted eight-three-year-old from the next ward. Their bond is instant as they realize that together they have lived an astonishing one hundred years.
To celebrate their shared century, they decide to paint their life stories: of growing old and staying young, of giving joy, of receiving kindness, of losing love, of finding the person who is everything.
As their friendship deepens, it becomes vividly clear that life is not done with Lenni and Margot yet.
An extraordinary friendship. A lifetime of stories. Their last one begins here.
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VOTED BEST UPLIFTING BOOK OF 2021 BY THE INDEPENDENT
'Full of wisdom and kindness. It is just the kind of book I adore' JOANNA CANNON
'Such a delight! I fell head over heels for Lenni and Margot, their wit and vibrancy and marvellous outlooks on life. An utter joy' ABBIE GREAVES
'Charged with light and colour. Gloriously original and full of wisdom, humour, and hope. It made me think and care and laugh and cry. One of my all-time favourite books' HAZEL PRIOR, author of Away with the Penguins
'This is something special: moving, joyful and life-affirming' GOOD HOUSEKEEPING Book of the Month
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cronin's touching debut is a joyous celebration of friendship, love, and life. Lenni Pettersson, 17, is dying from an unspecified illness. During her stay as a patient at Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital, she befriends Margot Macrae, an 83-year-old dying of heart disease. After an art therapist named Pippa shows Lenni how to paint, an idea slips into her mind "like a silverfish": she suggests that she and Margot make 100 paintings illustrating their cumulative years of life. Meanwhile, Margot's life story gradually emerges in chapters from her point of view. She has been in love with a woman named Meena since before she met her husband, who has since died, and decides that if her surgery goes well she will meet Meena in Vietnam and accept her marriage proposal. While the narrative voice sometimes feels a bit too childlike for a 17-year-old, the story offers plenty of uplifting wisdom (Pippa reminds Lenni and Margot they are "living," not "dying"). Fans of life-affirming tearjerkers will be touched.
Customer Reviews
A must read
I was instantly hooked by the characters of Lennie and Margot. A fabulous read. So glad I have read it!
Lenni
Absolutely beautiful
Funny, moving, charming
This book stayed in my mind a lot while i was reading it. Lenni a character that you want to befriend and spend time with. Margot’s life a charming story. Their friendship sooo strong, so glad they had each other.
Reading this made me feel some questions we all have when nearing death had been answered.