Lenni is seventeen and is dying. She is confined to a hospital with a life-limiting condition and her short life seems to be going nowhere. One day she meets Margot, an 83-year old who wears purple pajamas and is a rebel. Together they join the hospital arts group and form a close friendship.
I can see why this book has garnered rave reviews - it is that sort of cross-generational, slightly maudlin but genuinely uplifting story that only happens in 'book club fiction'. In that respect I liked the book, however I also found it strained in places in the plot and very inevitable in the end. This story will appeal to the masses and that is no bad thing in these times

This was a wonderful book that was a funny and thoughtful read about an unlikely friendship.

I found myself instantly drawn into the story and very sympathetic towards Lenni and the heart breaking situation she finds herself in. I was very glad when she met immediately like the amazing Margo who was an absolutely amazing character. I absolutely adored her and loved her attitude towards life. She is someone I would love to know and she often made me smile with her antics throughout the book. I found myself very glad that the two of them had found each other as I felt they provided much needed support to one another at a difficult time.

As I might have mentioned once of twice I love stories that allow the reader to follow a character throughout their lives to see the big events that have shaped them. The 100 paintings that Lennie and Margo embark on creating of their lives (100 years is their combined age) is very touching. I loved reliving the important moments of their lives with them and learning more about them both slowly as the story develops.

This is a beautifully told story that manages to be both funny and sad at times. I liked that the emotional moments seemed very realistic as if it could actually happen which made me feel more connected to the characters. It’s definitely a story that will stay with me and I will be recommending to everyone. I think it would make a great book club read as there would be lots to discuss.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Transworld for my copy for this book via Netgalley.

I read this without having any idea of what it was about and I’m so glad I did. I was blown away. I think, even though I read it in January, it’ll be one of my books of the year. Moving and funny, it tells the story of Lenni and Margot – and I don’t really want to tell you more than that so you can have the same experience I did. I laughed and cried and loved every page. Can’t recommend it enough.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

One of the most beautiful novels EVER!

“When people say ‘terminal’ I think of the airport”. These are the opening words that Lenni (seventeen-years-old) uses in her journal/diary to describe how she feels, having been told that cancer is raging through her body and she’s terminal. However, Lenni is not going to give in and simply fade away. She’s got things to do and people to meet and stories to write.

Margot (eighty-three years of age) has lived a very full and colourful life. She meets Lenni while retrieving the letter from her most cherished friend, which got thrown into the recycle bin by accident. . The only way she can retrieve it is to plunge her rather short body inside the bin. Lenni happened to be passing and witnessed this strange phenomenon. Lenni stops to watch Margot, and once she emerges from the bin, they form an instant connection.

They realise that if they add their ages, they come to 100-years old. After much coercion, Lenni manages to get into the same art class as Margot – the over eighties art class! However, Lenni can’t really draw Margot can. Lenni can write Margot’s stories and her own, and we get to share her diary. Astonishingly, they manage to paint 100 pictures of their lives before Lenni passes.

Write my synopsis doesn’t for one-second show is the utter beauty and tenderness between these two protagonists. Nor can I portray how beautifully other characters, like Father Arthur or New Nurse or Pippa or even grumpy Judy, make this into one of the most perfect reads of all time.

Marianne Cronin, I must salute you. I couldn’t help but fall in love with Lenni and Margot and have my heart broken at Lenni’s passing but then soar with joy thanks to Margot’s recovery. Thank you for enriching my life.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

<b>5&#9733
“<i>‘Am I in it?’</i> she asked.

<i>‘If you were, would you want to read it?’

‘Of course!’

‘Then no, you’re not in it.’

‘I am in it, really, aren’t I?’

‘Who can say?’</i> I said.

She got off my bed and slipped her shoes back on.

<i>‘If I’m in it, can you make me taller?’

I just gave her a look.

<i>‘Goodnight, Lenni,’</i> she said. And she left me alone with my diary. To write about her.”</b>

“New Nurse” has been visiting Lenni in the May Ward. She is Lenni’s favourite nurse, a flamboyant woman whom Lenni met when New Nurse escorted her to the chapel. She had
<b>“cherry red hair, which clashed with her blue uniform like there was no tomorrow. She’d only been on the May Ward a matter of days and she was nervous, especially around the airport children … </b>

I loved this one! I wouldn’t change a thing.

Lenni is 17 and is in the May Ward of the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital because she has a terminal disease. Ooops, sorry. Lenni tells us staff are supposed to say “life-limiting” now instead of terminal – and anyway, terminal makes her think of an airport terminal. Note her reference to the airport children, above. She is bright and funny and openly questioning of everything.

Her interactions with the hospital chaplain, the gentle Father Arthur, are both amusing and thought-provoking for both of them. She visits the chapel only because she has discovered they have to let her go there if she wants to – religious reasons, and all that. A brief escape from the May Ward.

<b>“<i>‘So tell me, Lenni, what brings you to the chapel today?’

‘I’m thinking about buying a second-hand BMW.’

He didn’t know what to do with that, so he picked up the Bible from the pew beside him, thumbed through it without looking at the pages, and put it down again.”</b>

Poor, lovely Father Arthur. He is a delight. Then there is The Temp. The story is told from Lenni’s point of view, except she tells us about The Temp as if she’s the author, so it’s third person. For some reason, it works.

The Temp plays an important role because she wants to open an Art Room for the patients, and this is where Lenni meets 83-year-old Margot.

Their combined age of 100 inspires a plan to produce 100 pieces of art to celebrate each year, and as they paint, they share stories from their past. Lenni’s are of her early childhood in Sweden, while Margot’s cover a much longer life history.

Some memories come easily, but some are difficult, especially one of Margot’s.

<b>“<i>‘Why don’t you skip it?’</i> I asked.

She looked at me from a faraway place.

<i>‘You know,’</i> I said, <i>‘move on to the next year?’</i>

She stared down at her paper mirror. <i>‘I can’t.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because everything that happens next . . .’

She stopped. She seemed so small that I wanted to scoop her up and lay her down in a pile of soft toys and cushions, and cover her in a warm blanket.”</b>

I read a preview sample from BuzzBooks, so I knew to expect good writing and humour, but I didn’t expect such a detailed and thorough history of Margot’s long and interesting life. She tells Lenni stories with each of her paintings, and Lenni sometimes describes how the painting shows, for example, the stars.

Margot had fallen in love with a star-gazer who was fond of quoting poetry to her, particularly “The Old Astronomer to His Pupil” by Sarah Williams that ends with this wonderful stanza.

<b>“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light.
I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.”</b>

It is perfect for this story of love and friendship and the understandable nervousness about “the night” that faces us all, not just Lenni and Margot.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Transworld Publishers for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted.

What a contrast of the ages this book gives. It certainly proves the old saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” wrong.
Lenni the teenager shows father Arthur some new ways as well as Margot who she befriends during their stay in hospital.
I really felt for Lenin as she came across as angry with the world for her illness. Margot had some real distressing events in her past which are shared with us in time waves throughout the book. Impressive for a debut novel

What a delightful read! At times it had me laughing out loud and at times tears were running down my cheeks. When a book starts with "When people say terminal I think of the airport" you know you must get the tissues ready!
I absolutely loved the larger than life colourful characters. 

It's a story about love and loss. A story about friendship and about excepting the inevitable.  Lenni and Margo are ordinary people but with there bravery touched so many hearts. Lenni is 17 and Margo 83. Between them, they are 100 years old. This inspires them to paint 100 paintings of all the good memories they have. A legacy they can leave behind and in doing so they tell us their story.
I loved the quirkiness of Lenni and at times she had me in stitches. Especially her interactions with Father Arthur......
"where you reading religious stuff when I came in.......... The AA Road Atlas of Great Britain..... Where you looking for your flock"

It's also a story that deals with hard questions, some that can't be answered. It shows us that we must make the best of what we have and that we must live life to the fullest.
It's definitely a story that will stay with me and I'm amazed that this is Marianne Conin's first book! I can not wait to see what she will give us next.

“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light. I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night "
I will look at the stars tonight and think fondly of the people I have lost.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK Transworld for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

An unusual and enjoyable read.
The .characters. of Lenni and Margot are well described, just because Lenni is dying she can still be cantankerous and crafty. Margot is a brave, insightful person, with lots. of colour and tragedy in her background.
The idea to illustrate their lives through art and stories is very original and easy to follow.
I enjoyed the fact that at the beginning of each chapter the date and the protagonists age were given.
Although this was an emotional subject the book was amusing and irreverent

A truest wonderful book about friendship.

Friends aren’t always the same age.

This book made me cry. Beautifully written.

Lenni is 17 and has terminal cancer. She befirends Margot an 83 year old on another ward. I loved the characters of Lenni and Margot, they felt so real, flawed and human. I liked that they didn't always make "good" decisions but they made very human ones, which felt consistant with their motives and character. I also loved how the relationship develops between the two of them, even though they are so different they find a way to make a true connection. If this time of pandemic has taught us anything its that connection should be deeply valued and just reading about it feels nourishing when we are separated from friends and family. A lovely, heartwarming book despite being set in a difficult situation.

Thanks to NetGalley, Marianne Cronin and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the advance review copy of 100 Years of Lenni & Margot

Every so often I stumble across a book which stays with me long after I have turned the last page– and this, with absolute certainty, will be one of them. A book so bloody beautiful that I have to have a little breather before picking up another. A literary hangover if you will!

From the very first chapter I became completely immersed in this book - with Lenni's sharp wit and interesting outlook on her inevitable fate drawing me in, almost instantly, from the outset.

On paper, a book about two terminally ill patients in hospital shouldn't make an uplifting read but it really, truly is. When 17 year old Lenni meets 83 year old Margot they strike up an unexpected friendship, despite coming from completely different generations. They bond over their sessions in the hospital art room, challenging themselves to create 100 paintings - one for each of their 100 combined years.

In reliving these 100 years; we are taken down memory lane; flicking between past and present and the experiences that have shaped Lenni & Margot during their short (and long) lives to date.

The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot is a beautiful story of friendships and the concept of 'if you love someone let them go'. Yes, you will need your tissues (in fact I'm pretty sure during the second half of the book I couldn't see the text all that well through my tears) but One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot made me laugh, smile and cry in perfectly equal measure.

Firstly, I have to apologise. I am sorry to the next book I read following this. Because this is going to be the mother of all book hangovers.
Lenni and Margot became my friends, I became utterly immersed in reading about their lives and I'm not ashamed to admit, I ugly cried for the last 45 minutes of it. Their personalities were so strong and portrayed so beautifully, I am surprised it is a work of fiction. Father Arthur (best character name ever) also became a character close to my heart, and I adored the friendships between them.
The purple cardigan spoke to me on a different level, my late mum used to have a purple cardigan. My sister and I still speak of it to this day, and it both broke and warmed my heart in equal mesaures.
I think that sums up the feelings I have now it is over. It broke and warmed my heart in equal measures, and I am truly sad to say goodbye to Lenni and Margot.

This was a beautiful story of friendship and there were so many loveable characters.
The story is told in flash backs of Lenni and Margot’s life as well as in the present day on the hospital ward. The story jumps fairly quickly between Lenni and Margot, the past and the present and a couple of times I found myself muddled but overall I really loved the story of Margot and Lenni, I didn’t want it to end 💕

What a beautiful book - loved Lenni and loved Margot and loved how they told their stories bit by bit. One of my favourite things is when two people connect from different generations the way these two did. A heart-warming book filled with fun, laughter and a reminder about all the precious things in life. Brilliant!

A great story of how the young and old can help each other when the future looks bleak. Their combined ages is one hundred years and they have more in common than you might think. There are still some adventures to be had. Celebrate life even when it is about to be taken away from you. A heart warming story, empathetically told.

A book about two terminally ill friends may not seem like the most uplifting of reads, yet somehow One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot manages to be just that. 17-year-old Lenni and 83-year-old Margot meet in hospital. They set themselves a challenge of painting 100 pictures, one for every year of their lives. As they grow closer, they reveal the stories behind the paintings. While the original focus in on Lenni, it’s Margot’s life, with all its ups, downs and loves lost, that ends up taking centre stage.

A heart warming read about love. A 100 years worth of life lived, a friendship created and developed through art. Lenni and Margot won't leave me for a very long time

Happy Publication day to The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin. I was lucky enough to be approved to read this by Netgalley and Transworld.

'When People say terminal, I think of the airport' Unfortunately Swedish born Lenni is going nowhere she is spending her days in a hospital terminal ward. Determined to make the best of things she discovers the Hospital Chapel and the newly opened art room. Despite being 17 the friends Lenni makes in difficult circumstances are Arthur, an elderly chaplain and Margot an artistic Octogenarian. Being a part of the over 80s art group feels right for Lenni and she leaves each class with so much more than a piece of art.

I loved that this book was set in Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital as this holds a special place in my heart. However even if you are not familiar with the setting there is plenty for anyone to resonate with. My favourite character was Arthur the hospital chaplain as his patience and understanding of Lenni radiated from the pages. A particular discussion they had stood out for me when Lenni asks why do people die and Arthur explained he had no answer as there is no answer to why people come to be in the first place either. I had never really thought about it like that. When Lenni and Margot meet and come up with the idea of creating 100 pictures for their combined age this is the perfect segway for us to get to know the two main characters more. There are no chapters in this book (or wasn't in the netgalley version) and we flit back and forward between past and present throughout the rest of the book. I did find the way it was written made it occasionally hard to follow what time and person we were focusing on at the time. I also thought that one particular side character was not really needed and some connections were a bit too tentative. Overall this was a nice read but I would have liked more depth rather than the little glimpses and much more of Arthur!

An original and enjoyable book. You would think that the subject matter regarding terminal illness would produce a depressing book but this is quite the contrary.
Lenni is so full of life and energy despite her diagnosis and the friendship with Margot and their shared stories is so relatable and very readable.
A book with a difference, I loved it.

Loved this bitter sweet story of a young girl at the end of her life joining with an 83 year old to celebrate being 100 years old. Lenni is not dying, that will happen soon, but in the meantime she is busy with living and her curiousity and livliness brighten up the worlds of others. She forms real friendships in the hospital with a retiring priest, a new nurse, and even a homeless Swedish man. Margot tells her stories to Lenni, and shares a lifetime of sad and joyful experiences.