The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot: The new and unforgettable Richard & Judy Book Club pick

4.5 stars!“Some books you read. Some books you enjoy. But some books just swallow you up, heart and soul” - Joanne Harris. This quote came to my mind when I read this book.17-year-old Lenni is living in the terminal ward in the hospital and 83-year-old Margot has a defect in her heart and is awaiting heart surgery. One day when Lenni joins art class she bumps into Margot. Therein begins their unique and beautiful story. Lenni realizes that since together they are 100 years old they should celebrate their century together, by painting 100 pictures that will speak of memorable moments and events in their lives that brought them joy and happiness and love and which forever remained in their hearts.Where do I even begin? Father Arthur, Humphrey, Lenni, Margot - beautiful & amazing souls. The conversation between Lenni and Father Arthur made me laugh and it made me… think. Lenni in her usual candid way, asks what's in her mind and Father Arthur, tries to answer her as honestly as possible though many times he struggles with the answers. And then there is Humphrey, oh you sweet sweet man. He is simply too good to be true. He accepts Margot just the way she is - no explanation, no judgement, no questions asked. He is such a gentle and beautiful soul and he stole my heart.Although it was painful to know that Lenni’s life was going to end, I loved that through paintings and stories narrated by Margot, Lenni could live a life that otherwise wouldn't have been possible. All the time I was reading the book I was hurting that Lenni, this beautiful, smart, full-of-life young lady is going to die. It was as if I was there, painting with them and listening to their life stories. And so when it ended, it felt as if I lost something.For a debut novel, Marianne has done a stupendous job writing a heartwarming and gut-wrenching book.This book is about extraordinary friendship, once-in-lifetime love, loss and living your life to the fullest. Absolutely recommend!

I firmly believe that some books call out to you and they find their way to you at the right time-- when you need them the most.For the longest time I have dreaded reading books dealing with terminal illness. Inspite of being a med student and visiting a hospital everyday, you would think that watching people die should be no big deal for me. And its partly true. Over the years, watching the deceased being wheeled away has somewhat dulled the uneasiness that I always felt on watching the dead being taken away during my childhood. But it has in no way prepared me to deal with death from a personal angle. Death is not just about a life coming to an end. Its about all the hopes, dreams, memories and the entire existence of a person ceasing to exist abruptly.This is where this book has managed to stand out. Because it doesn't talk about death and how Lenni and Margot are counting their days. It talks about how they decided that they cannot just cease to exist one day. Its fate that they would not live to be a hundred. But that surely can't stop them. Lenni is 17 and Margot is 83. Between them they are hundred. And they will recreate all these 100 years of their lives together.Through each of their memories, you come to know a bit more about them. How the knowledge of a terminal illness has matured Lenni beyond her age. How Margot has learned the hard way that the easiest way to let a person free is by letting them go. Their stories uplift you, give you hope. Between them, they have lived a more fulfilling life than most of us can dream of. Let the blurb not intimidate you. This is by no means a depressing story. It is exactly what you need when you are low.

Wow! This is one of my favourite books and one which I will be recommending to many of my friends for years to come!The story begins by comparing terminal illness to an airport terminal, something I thought was very cleverly done and is carried forward to the end of the book making for a very well rounded story.The main characters Lenni and Margot are, in many ways, an unlikely pairing but their friendship blossoms and together they share stories of their combined 100 years of life. I relished the stories of Margot, she was full of surprises and it was clear that she had lived a very full life, although not without heartache and pain.Lenni also has a very special relationship with Father Arthur whom she visits on a regular basis. Their conversations made me laugh out loud and highlighted Lenni’s quick wit and sense of humour.Although the plot is built around death, it focuses so much on life. There is no emphasis on the illnesses that either of these woman have, there is no unnecessary details shared about their suffering. Instead, this part is very much skimmed over to make way for moments of happiness and the joy they bring to one another’s final chapter.If you only read one book this year, make it this one. It is such a beautiful looking book to own and one which I chose to buy in hardback because it will look amazing on my book shelf.The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is an incredible debut novel from Marianne Cronin, an author who is going to go far and I look forward to joining her on her journey.

I love a tale about unlikely friendships, but I don’t recall ever reading anything quite as affecting as this emotionally charged story about teenager Lenni and octogenarian Margot.At 17 and 83 respectively (a combined lifetime of 100 years), they should have little in common. They were born into different worlds, different eras. Margot has lived a long and rich life, while Lenni’s is coming to an end before it’s barely begun. It’s a heartbreaking foundation for a friendship kindled on a palliative care ward.In many ways, this should be a dark, disturbing read. And, yes, it does have its darker moments. Paradoxically, though, the takeaway is a celebration of life rather than the tragedy of a young girl’s death.Quite how Marianne Cronin pulls off this astonishing feat, I’m not sure.Much, of course, is down to the two main protagonists. Lenni: feisty, irreverent, brave, and dying; an old head on frail, young shoulders. Margot: a survivor with a lifetime of regrets and a wicked sense of humor. The two are kindred spirits; drawn to each other like moths to a flame.Through their friendship and the hours spent on their joint hospital art project, Margot gets to relive and reassess her life, while Lenni gets to vicariously live a life, an experience she’ll never own. The symbiosis is simple but achingly beautiful.The layers to this novel, Cronin’s debut, are so richly textured, it’s impossible to unpick them. They vibrate with wisdom, wit and grace. They pluck at your heartstrings. And they cling to your consciousness long after you turn the final page.A triumph of a debut and one of my top five reads of 2021. I can’t wait to read Cronin’s next masterpiece.Thanks for reading my review. I hope you found it helpful. You can find more candid book reviews on my Amazon profile page.

"We can’t know why you are dying in the same way we can’t know why we are living. Living and dying are complete mysteries, and you can’t know either until you have done both."WOW!!!!Having read this book I now need to reassess my previous 5 ⭐️ reads. This book is up there, in the top 3 of the best books I have ever read!!!!! I have so much to say about it, but I’m struggling to do it the justice it deserves. Here goes….This book tells the story of Lenni a 17 year old who has a terminal illness. Although fighting this illness Lenni is alive and wants to live. She refuses with all her strength to let this illness take her life. She sees herself as the person she should be, not who she now is. Lenni is wise beyond her years. She is a beautiful character who is well liked by everyone that she meets, in walks Margot.Margot is an 83 year old within the same hospital as Lenni and she is suffering with heart problems for which she requires more surgery.They become unlikely friends at an art class set up for the patients within the hospital.This book is absolute perfection. It tells the story so beautifully of two unlikely friends and how they bond over a joint project dreamt up by Lenni. We hear about the lives of both, the happiness and sadness leading up to them being in hospital. There is a lot of the story that is of Margot’s life, not surprising really as she has a lot more to tell as she is much older.I laughed out loud several times during the book. However as the book went on the sadness started to hang over me. This book is a complete celebration of life and love and to be honest it makes you think about the impressions you leave on your own friends and family. This book is thought provoking on another level. The writing is beautiful, the characters are all so well developed. I cannot believe that this is Cronin’s debut novel!!If you were wanting to choose a book that will leave a lasting impression on you, then don’t delay in reading this, you won’t be disappointed, sad definitely but not disappointed.

This is an interesting book, featuring two very different people who become friends in an unusual hospital. The main characters and their "supporting cast " are well written and we become absorbed into their stories.My only niggle, which really annoys me in books, is several basic historical inaccuracies which should have been picked up.Girls in 1948, bemoaning the lack of young men because they'd died in the trenches in France. That was WW1 not WW2.A child in 1940 asking for a tissue. Rare, a handkerchief was more likely.Someone wearing a very short mini skirt in 1960, when hemlines were only just above the knee.If the author gets it wrong, someone should get it right.

Just lovely. Emotional but not depressing tale of a terminally ill 17 year old who meets an 83 year old woman in the hospital and forms an art club with her which celebrates the 100 years they have lived. Add in a friendship with a hospital vicar and a helpful nurse and this book explores friendships and the need to live your life to the max every single day. I loved it, despite the ugly crying!