This was a fantastic, sweet little story about a community coming together to save their pool.

I loved the book right away because the author so perfectly captured the feelings of a swimmer - any level of swimmer. The gritty touch of the cement beneath your feet, the solitary world below the water, the loud and joyous world above the water. If you have ever swam in the rain, if you have ever jumped into the water when it's 36F in the air outside, if you've ever swam for an hour just processing a life problem through your mind, you will understand this book. The author captures perfectly what happens when you commit time to that solitary underwater world.

I also loved how the book starts a meandering path through the neighborhood, and introduces you to each character in the story and the role the lido plays in their lives.

The story of Rosemary and George will have you in (happy) tears, as will the growth and strength of Kate and her friendship with Rosemary.

All in all I was just completely charmed. It's not a complicated book, it's just a sweet story of many different characters coming together to do something good, and I needed this sort of book right now.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to review an early copy. I utterly adored it.

The Lido is an uplifting, heartwarming debut novel showing how relationships and community connections can change lives. Kate who is prone to panic attacks is an introverted low-level journalist for a community newspaper who is assigned to cover a story about the potential closing of the local Lido (outdoor, open swimming pool) and community center for a developer who proposes to build apartments with a private tennis court in its place.  The receptionist at the pool suggests Kate interview 87-year-old Rosemary who has been swimming at the Lido for 80 years.  These two lonely souls forge a friendship as they endeavor to save the Lido, in the process allowing each of them to grow and discover an inner strength.  The coming together of the community to preserve the Lido shows the importance of community and the importance of those relationships brought together by a community.  This book will pull at your heart-strings as you experience their hope, loss, determination, struggles, and love.

A delightful story of friendship and community and finding your strength when you least expect it. When Kate becomes friends with 86 year old Rosemary when writing a news story to save the local Lido (swimming pool) the last thing Kate expects is how it will change her. Kate finds a community and herself.

"The Lido" is a story of a young reporter, Kate, who is assigned a story about the closure of the local swimming pool. She interviews Rosemary, who swam there for her whole life, and gets involved in the battle to save the place. Apparently up-lit is on the rise! "The Lido" is definitely that - a heart-warming story about community coming to the rescue of their beloved lido, the main character overcoming personal obstacles with the help of new unexpected friends. On a whole, this was a warm, nice story, which I maybe did not love, but which I definitely enjoyed, especially parts in which Rosemary was reminiscing about her life. The author set her story in Brixton and the Brockwell Lido is the real place, one I have visited in the past, which definitely added personal flavour to the story.

As an all-year-round sea swimmer I was interested to see what the writer made of such an addictive hobby. Just like with The Lido, our local (sea water) Bathing Pools came under threat, not from builders but disuse and disrepair and, just like the story, it was only through the hard work of the locals that it is useable again. This is a pleasant light read that ticks all the boxes. It’s nice to see the friendship developing between Kate and Rosemary, one young and one old. If you liked last year’s Chilbury Ladies Choir you’ll love this.

I was provided a review copy of The Lido in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Lido is a heart-warming story of friendships across generations and fighting for what's important in life. Kate is like many in my generation- overwhelmed with the constant busy-ness of everyday life, until she is assigned to write about the closing of the local lido. The lido opens her world to new friends, experiences, and an outlet for her anxiety. She quickly becomes invested and knows she must do her part to help keep it open.

I loved the friendship between twenty-something Kate and 86 year old Rosemary. Their bond was a reminder that we can all learn something from others, even if it seems that on the surface we have nothing in common. I gave this book 4/5 stars; this is a perfect summer read about hope and fighting for what you believe in.

A warm hug of a book that is sure to be a book club favorite! Eighty-six year old Rosemary has lived in Brixton, London her whole life and swum in the lido nearly every day it was open - much of it with her recently deceased husband, George, the true love of her life. But the lido is in danger of being sold to a developer to be turned into a private tennis club. Enter twenty-something Kate, a journalist at the local paper, who interviews Rosemary and takes on saving the lido. Love, hardships, hope, community, and a really wonderful swimming pool. Come on in, the water is quite fine.

Kate is a twenty-something who loves her job as a reporter for the local London paper. Her current assignment is to interview 86-year-old Rosemary who has swum at the local swimming pool, or lido, for years. The lido is now closing, and it's Kate's job to find out everything she can about the popular neighborhood spot. As she finds out more information about it through Rosemary, she begins to develop a rapport and friendship with the older woman, and a fondness for the history of her life as well as the lido's.

This is a lovely and heart-warming story about friendships across generations and about a community coming together for a common cause. It is also a very .good depiction of aging

A story of community and the importance of time and place to come together from all backgrounds into a common purpose. A quick and cheerful read that leaves you thankful for the multi-generational relationships and communities that you have in your own life.

Free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Book is available July 10th.

I was given the opportunity of this Advanced Reader Copy.
Thank you NetGalley.

A wonderful story of new beginnings, new friendships, and the growth within those friendships that lead a small town to one common goal.....saving The Lido. This place is held near and dear for many, but more so to one resident, Rosemary. Her entire life has revolved around it and she sits rich in its history. Small town and big business come head to head in what becomes a struggle to preserve the past and steer the future to new memories for its residents. As the community of Brixton, South London stands together, they feel certain defeat is imminent but they hold strong by helping one another, every step of the way....much more than any of them realize. This story will grab you. Written very well and flows nicely, a charming story with a true spirit of "love for community" and most of all, one another.

ARC/Novels & Latte Book Blog
Novels & Latte Book Club

It is all about water. It is all about life. It is all about love: for water, for life and for love itself.

Closing down local Lido to free the space for posh apartments sparks many passions to life. Some of them for good, some of them for even better. While the closing of swimming pool is still pending, lives will be mended, loves will be found and remembered and futures will be planned and imagined.

The Lido is a lovely, deep, warm and life-affirming story. It crosses generations and cultures, social statuses and educational backgrounds. It teaches you to dig deeper and reminds you not to look beyond the horizon for the best things in life.

Sometimes all you need is a park, a bench and a local swimming pool.

DEBUT AUTHOR

I was sent this book to review and I was leery; they compared her to Fredrik Backman (who is the top best author for me). Although, I would not compare her to Fredrik, I did enjoy her book. I will be looking forward to her next book. Her descriptions were so vivid, I could see it before me. As a librarian, the way she described being a librarian nailed it. She captured the heart, spirit, love, friendship, aging, loss of a community.

Rosemary, 86, has lived in Brixton all of her life. The changes are overwhelming; the library has closed, the grocery store is now a bar, and now the pool has announced that it is closing. Greedy developers only see landmark as land for another moneymaking opportunity.
Kate, 26, is new to Brixton and alone. Her job at the newspaper assigns her the LIDO closing story.

Rosemary and Kate begin to work together to save the pool, while also becoming good friends.
We travel with Rosemary from a young age going to pool through her lifetime.Through her romance with her husband. Now, after losing him, the only place she can still feel him is the LIDO.

This book highlights the need for creating, or building a community in a big city!
Never be sorry. Never be sorry for feeling. Never be sorry for falling in love.

I really wanted to like this book. I respect the author's idea - a story about two people connecting even though they are generations apart. It made me want to have a friend several decades older than me so I could learn from her. But the story itself fell flat. There were two main problems for me: First, I wanted more action, and, second, I wanted the characters to each have more of a dark side.

The story revolves around a swimming pool, apparently called a "lido" in British English. As the story opens, a large housing developer wants to buy the land and convert it to tennis courts. The pool, currently open to everyone, is a community hub in Brixton. The tennis courts, on the other hand, would only be open to the wealthy residents of the developer's housing. For me, the action happened too slowly. I wanted the book to be about a third shorter than it was, and I found myself skimming too often. On the plus side, the story arc was satisfying and is the thing I will most remember from the book. I won't give anything away, but I will say that it was a sort of "community development" learning opportunity for me. The resolution took me by surprise, in a good way.

As for the characters, I had trouble caring about them. They may have had a flaw or two (which of course always makes a character more interesting), but they lacked a dark side and nuance. They were all syrupy sweet, in my opinion. I wanted more grit. I'm not saying I wanted them to be horrible people; I just wanted them to be in a bad mood or to say something selfish or something once in a while.

In short, I liked the ideas in this book. I had trouble forcing myself to read it all the way through because I was tired of the syrupy sweetness of the characters and the slow plot development. But I am interested to see what this author comes up with next.

Lovely. Heartwarming. Joyful. The Lido by Libby Page is all these things and more. It’s about loneliness and friendship, community and gentrification. It’s about Kate, an entry level journalist at the local Brixton newspaper who’s lonely and anxious, uncertain if she’s made the right choice. It’s about Rosemary, who at nearly 90 years old has spent her entire life in this corner of London, and whose epic love story with her late husband George is imprinted in the streets and shops around her flat. And bringing all these strands together is the local lido, the outdoor swimming pool at threat of closure.

I haven’t been able to start another book since finishing it (in tears, I might add), as my mind keeps returning to Rosemary, Kate, and the lido. If you want to be reminded of all that’s good in the world, seriously, pick up a copy of a The Lido and get ready to smile, laugh, and cry (and maybe give in to the urge to go for an outdoor swim). You won’t regret it.

4.5 stars

This debut novel is a beautiful book celebrating the importance of community and relationships. As I read The Lido, I marveled that it is Libby Page’s debut – the story is very well-written. The book tells the tale of Kate, a lonely 26-year-old suffering from anxiety, and Rosemary, an 86-year-old widow who swims daily at her local lido (an outdoor pool and recreation center). The lido is targeted by a development company who wants to buy the land to build an expensive apartment complex. Kate works at a local paper and is assigned to write a story about the closing of the lido; as she begins working on the story, Kate meets Rosemary, and the two form a life-changing friendship that benefits and transforms both women. Working together, they rally the community to build support to save the lido while simultaneously learning the value of friendship and community.

The Lido is simply fabulous from beginning to end; Libby Page has crafted a heart-warming tale that will stay with me for a long time. She interweaves love, loss, aging, and the value of relationships into a tale that will appeal to everyone. I highly recommend The Lido; make sure you have tissues handy when you read it! I received this book to read and review; all opinions are my own.

An wonderfully uplifting read. Everything about this book warms the heart - the characters, the setting, the sense of a very real community, the relationships between young and old are all outstandingly portrayed. Such a simple storyline that worms its way inside the reader in a very special way.

This review will be published at the link below and on Goodreads on 25 April.

In brief ★★★

The Lido is a tender, heartfelt novel about community and friendship that falls into the 'comfort read' category without being too fluffy or twee (i.e. there are some moments like that, but not too many!). The novel centres around the friendship between Kate and Rosemary, and the way they support and encourage one another as their local lido (public swimming pool) is threatened by property developers. There are good doses of humour and nostalgia amid sensitive treatment of serious issues (anxiety, loneliness, the decline of community and public services), and I found the combination more moving than I expected. A lighter, pleasurable read.

I received an advanced e-book copy from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In depth

Plot: Regular swimmer at the local Brixton lido, octogenarian Rosemary, is appalled when the council announces the pool will be sold to property developers to become a private members' gym. We flash back through her eight decades of association with the place throughout the novel, to understand what it means to her and the community. The homemade protest poster she made comes to the attention of young local reporter Kate, who's trying to be taken seriously as a journalist while struggling with acute anxiety. As the 'save the lido' story impacts Kate's career, she and Rosemary form a close friendship, bringing out the best in one another as each faces adversity. I found much of the plot predictable, but in a comforting way - I felt in safe hands with a story that was going to deliver everything expected, which it did. The chapters switch perspectives between the two women, but also shadow other members of the community associated with the lido, including a wild fox!

Characters: Rosemary is the lynchpin of this novel, just as the lido is of the community. She is tenacious and kind, and the narration demonstrates her emotional complexity, avoiding the trope of 'the crone' in storytelling. Kate, I feel, is the protagonist, though, as she grows and changes . Both women are supported by a cast of minor characters, mostly men, who revolve around them (and the lido) and are mostly defined by their roles (although there is a lovely wedding scene between the two bookshop owners that breaks that mould a bit).

Themes: Community and connection are the core of this book - not only the rallying together in the save the lido campaign, and the significance of public places for engendering a sense of community, but for Kate as she pushes through her anxiety to connect with Rosemary and reconnect with her sister. The Lido is very much a reflection on the importance of place - how it grounds us, and how shifting can dislocate who we are, until we find out feet again. Grief is also a strong presence in this story - Rosemary feels that farewelling the lido is akin to grieving for her husband all over again, so strong is his memory at the place.

Writing: The Lido is on the lighter side, written to be read with ease. I'm not totally sure that the perspective changes (which I couldn't make out a pattern for) entirely worked - there were a lot more unnamed character shadowing sections at the beginning of the novel than later on - but on balance they did add, rather than detract, from the narrative. On occasion the terminology got repetitive (there are a lot of reflections on 'our lido' that grow a bit wearisome), but the writing isn't trying to be too ornate or fancy - Page is sitting down to tell us a warm, straightforward tale with a big heart. While I enjoyed the story, I personally prefer more literary writing (e.g. wider vocabulary, unique turns of phrase, more complex imagery/symbolism), but I'm certain this story will have broad appeal and by no means was it insubstantial.

What a delightful read. I can picture the movie in my mind’s eye as I read it. The warm, humble, yet terribly strong Rosemary who’s seen and experienced so much at her beloved lido. The shy and anxious Kate who just needs a friend. The iconic London location filled with all the delights that only inner cities exude. Well written and a fantastic debut. A curl up with a good cuppa kind of book, and thoroughly recommended for a lazy Saturday read.

Thank you Simon and Schulster for the opportunity to read via NetGalley.

This is a very British feel good story that happens in a small community.

The huge cast and detailed descriptions reminds me of another British novel I've read, How to Find Love in a Bookshop, only with a lido instead of a bookshop. (There is a bookshop, but it's not the main scene here.)

The language is extremely descriptive. In some parts, it reads like the voice-over narration of a British movie. Yes, British. It read British. Too bad I can’t do a British accent. Otherwise, I would read it aloud like a British girl. I really like this tone. The issue here, is that the descriptions include A LOT of street names that won’t make sense to you unless you live there. (I’m doing this second person thing because that’s how the book starts, describing the area with a second person narrative.)

Rosemary and Kate are two lonely women living essentially alone in Brixton. They're somewhat content with their lives, but not quite. Especially Kate, who doesn't even know her flatmates, and barely speaks to anyone outside of work. Kate is basically me. She works at a small local newspaper and does some copyediting work on the side. (I work at a publisher and translate books on the side.) She changes into her pjs once inside her bedroom and stays that way till the end of the day. She even swims with her head above the water like me! I've had that exact conversation about "But doesn't your neck get tired?" with an elderly man only the year before the last. So I get her sometimes overwhelming loneliness and the thought of not getting anywhere. It happens to young people who live alone in a big city.

The are parallels between the lives of these two women. They both grow up in the neighborhood they were born in, and stayed there (at least for a while) during adulthood. They even have similar experiences when it comes to learning to swim. It's a typical story of "unlikely friendship", but that doesn't mean it's not as heartwarming as the last one we read.

Overall, this is a relaxing story that would go well with a cup of tea or at a pool. The issues many Goodreads reviewers mentioned are there, the characters are a bit flat, the plot lacks spice, and the story overall is not that outstanding. It's not going to win multiple awards like Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, which is immediately compared to with this one. But I believe it can be a hit with the right marketing and advertising.

On another note, there were several animals that pop up in the story every now and then. You forget they exist for a while, then, bam, there they are again. It's kind of cute but I have no idea what purpose do they serve, if any.