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Book Synopsis
"A beautiful debut, funny, tender, and animated by a willingness to confront life's obstacles and find a way to survive. . . . It celebrates friendship, finds meaning in difficulty and lets the reader explore dark places while always allowing for the possibility of light. Lenni and Margot are fine companions for all our springtime journeys."--Harper's Bazaar, UK
A charming, fiercely alive and disarmingly funny debut novel in the vein of John Green, Rachel Joyce, and Jojo Moyes--a brave testament to the power of living each day to the fullest, a tribute to the stories that we live, and a reminder of our unlimited capacity for friendship and love.
An extraordinary friendship. A lifetime of stories.
Seventeen-year-old Lenni Pettersson lives on the Terminal Ward at the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital. Though the teenager has been told she's dying, she still has plenty of living to do. Joining the hospital's arts and crafts class, she meets the magnificent Margot, an 83-year-old, purple-pajama-wearing, fruitcake-eating rebel, who transforms Lenni in ways she never imagined.
As their friendship blooms, a world of stories opens for these unlikely companions who, between them, have been alive for one hundred years. Though their days are dwindling, both are determined to leave their mark on the world. With the help of Lenni's doting palliative care nurse and Father Arthur, the hospital's patient chaplain, Lenni and Margot devise a plan to create one hundred paintings showcasing the stories of the century they have lived--stories of love and loss, of courage and kindness, of unexpected tenderness and pure joy.
Though the end is near, life isn't quite done with these unforgettable women just yet.
Delightfully funny and bittersweet, heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot reminds us of the preciousness of life as it considers the legacy we choose to leave, how we influence the lives of others even after we're gone, and the wonder of a friendship that transcends time.
Review Quotes
Cronin's touching debut is a joyous celebration of friendship, love, and life.--Publishers Weekly "With a sensibility that's as compassionate and quirky as those of her two indelible heroines, Marianne Cronin offers a deceptively lighthearted response to life's heaviest questions. As Lenni and Margot leave their mark on one another, so too does this tearjerker of a book leave its mark on the reader."--Kathleen Rooney, author of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk and Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey "A beautiful debut, funny, tender, and animated by a willingness to confront life's obstacles and find a way to survive. . . . It celebrates friendship, finds meaning in difficulty and lets the reader explore dark places while always allowing for the possibility of light. Lenni and Margot are fine companions for all our springtime journeys."--Harper's Bazaar, UK (Author of the Month) "Cronin's characters are fully drawn, and chime together to tell a sweet story about connection, loss, and living."--Irish Times "Glorious debut about friendship . . . Touching, honest, and funny."--Prima (Book of the Month) "This multi-generational novel about friendship is something special: moving, joyful, and life-affirming."--Good Housekeeping, UK (Book of the Month) "You need a hanky to hand for this exquisite story of friendship . . . Their story is the most beautifully written love letter to friendship, managing to make you laugh and cry uncontrollably. It's quite simply brilliant!"--Woman & Home, UK A gorgeous, heartbreaking story readers won't soon forget.--Elle (Most Anticipated Books of 2021) "Gorgeously poignant novel . . . unexpectedly funny, touching and so uplifting."--Good Housekeeping "Graceful, intelligent, beautiful writing. Full of wisdom and kindness. It is just the kind of book I adore."--Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep "Sharp and funny, warm and wise, a remarkable friendship sparks two lifetimes of shared stories in one unforgettable book. I loved it."--Jess Kidd, author of Himself A heart-warming story about how friendship can grow between people of different generations.--BBC