The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin is a heartwarming and intriguing novel that is a perfect fit for readers who appreciate stories about the power of friendship, the beauty of life's fleeting moments, and the resilience of the human spirit, particularly those who enjoy character-driven narratives that explore themes of love, loss, and the human experience.

Lennie and Margot captured my heart before breaking it. This gorgeous story about two very different women facing death slowly is amazing. Each brings different things to their relationship and to the proverbial table, but they are exactly what the other needs. The supporting characters are lovely, and so is the story - even though the end is inevitable.

This may be the best book I've read all year! Lenni and Margot's friendship was so heartwarming. They shared stories with one another that were just captivating. My favorite friendship in the book though had to be Lenni and Father Arthur. Lenni's questions about religion were hilarious. Highly recommend this read!

Two wonderful characters relive 100 combined years of life on earth. I didn't want the stories to end!!

A beautiful friendship if formed between 17 year old Lenni and 83 year old Margot during their hospital stay. They celebrate each other and their life experiences in this wonderful story of life, memories, friendship and love.

It made me happy and broke my heart. The narrators were wonderful and the audiobook is definitely recommended.

I am glad I picked this one up. This was such a beautiful book. I was immediately captivated by Lenni, a seventeen-year-old dying girl. The way she views the world is highly entertaining. I especially enjoyed her conversations with the Father Arthur. Lenni's world changes when it collides with Margot, an 83-year-old woman she meets at the hospital's art class. Lenni notes that their ages combined is 100 years. The two decide to embark on a journey to create 100 pieces of artwork for their 100 years. Through the artwork, the two share the story of their lives. The story is bittersweet and heartbreaking. One of 2021's must-read books.

All of the tears. Enough said. Please be aware of trigger warnings before reading this one, but highly recommended!

I loved the premise of this book ,but unfortunately the story fell a bit flat and I had trouble getting into the book. The narrator sounds authentic, but the accent made it that much harder to get into and often sounded cold and shrill. Mnay thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy

This is the book I have enjoyed the most since the pandemic started (and I have read A LOT). Set in a Glascow hospital, this is a tale of an unlikely friendship between seventeen-year-old Lenni and Margot, who is 87. The two embark on an art project that will document the 100 years of life they have between them. The artist recalls the memory that is associated with each picture and, through the stories, the artists become friends with the reader as well as each other. Lenni and Margo are surrounded by some great supporting actors – the hospital chaplain, the nurses and the gentle art teacher who always seems to know the right thing to say. Filled with hope and optimism it is absolute joy to read – but be warned: I needed a tissue at the end.

*significant spoiler*

A sweet, but sad, story that has some genuine and heart-stirring moments.

Lenni, a terminally ill teenage girl, befriends an elderly woman (Margot) in an art class at the hospital where they both are residing. Lenni is looking for somewhere to fit in, in this odd situation, and decides the class for the older folks is where she feels best, rather than the groups designed for those of her own age.

As Lenni and Margot are getting to know each other at the weekly class, it occurs to Lenni that the age of herself and of Margot adds up to 100 years. Inspired by this fact, the two embark on a project to make one piece of artwork for each of their 100 years and are only hoping they can get it done before one of them passes away.

The “assignment” for the project is to paint a memory, through which we learn the brief tale of Lenni’s life, along with the complicated, and fascinating, past of our elderly heroine Margot. Lenni, of course, as we easily predict she will, dies before the end of the novel.

Recommended for those who like a bit of a tear jerker once in a while, and for book clubs.

According to the publisher, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is being adapted into a feature film by a major Hollywood studio, which I could see being quite good – the scenes in the book would lend themselves quite easily to a visual medium.

Be sure not to miss the Reading Guide from the publisher, at https://b0f646cfbd7462424f7a-f9758a43fb7c33cc8adda0fd36101899.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/reading-guides/RG-9780063017504.pdf, which includes some great Questions for Discussion for your next book club!

A big thank you to Marianne Cronin, Harper Perennial, and NetGalley for providing a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.

To grab a copy of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and for yourself, head on over to www.BookShop.org – the online bookstore that gives 75% of each book’s profit margin back to independent bookshops. Find yours at https://bookshop.org/lists/best-fiction-of-2021.

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An extraordinary story about Lenni, a seventeen year old terminally ill patient and Margot, the 83 year old fellow hospital resident she befriends. And so begins the telling of their 100 years of life story. Margot shares a lifetime of experiences Lenni will never have and it's a gift to both of them. This is joyful, inspiring and heartbreaking and I fell in love with both of them and their stories. My favorite book so far this year.

This book was absolutely marvelous. I can't decide who I loved more, Lenni or Margot. It was a tear-jerker for certain, but with enough encouragement it left me feeling uplifted instead of sad. What a wonderful lease to have on life. I cannot recommend it enough!

The beginning is very slow but don’t give up reading as once Lenni meets Margo the story just takes off. I liked the interactions with Lenni and Father Arthur but didn’t really think the story of Meena and Margot was developed enough. This story shows that friendships can happen at any age and in any type of circumstances. Loved the premise of the 100 paintings as it was a great way to tell their stories. A good book club book.

One in a life time astral event", this is how this book was for me.

I started this book with zero expectations. I didn't know what story I was reading or what this book was about but I can tell you that it has been one of the best books I have read in my life.

A life teaching, a story not only moving but real, that's how it felt, real. The author managed to transport me and include me in Lenni and Margot's life, I managed to feel what they felt, I managed to see what they saw, I managed to understand what they understood, about their lives and about life itself.

I recommend this reading, not because I like it, but because I know that in it you will find a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Thank you so much to #netgalley and #Harper Perennial for this advanced reader's copy for an honest review. This book was sweet, and it's a book that really needs to be savored. I thought it was good, but honestly, it's not my cup of tea. I'm more of a "this book needs to keep me coming back for more." type of person. And as much as I love a great friendship story with loads of stories of a lifetime, it's not a book that I will probably remember, read again, or necessarily recommend. I did skim a lot due to personal time issues, so I may go back and really savor it for a better review. This book has loads of amazing reviews, and I would definitely order it for my library.

This heartbreakingly beautiful and moving debut novel details an unlikely but powerful intergenerational friendship that develops when it’s needed the most. Lenni, a 17 year old who is hospitalized with a terminal illness, meets Margot an 83 year old who is hospitalized with heart problems. While together in the art room Lenni realizes that between them she and Margot have lived 100 years. They decide to each paint a picture for each year of their lives. Through their paintings and the stories told about them we learn the details of both of these characters lives. Through the course of her hospitalization, Lenni finds Margot as well as several other friends who provide love and support and who help strengthen her resolve to live life fully.
Few books are so moving that they invoke an “ugly cry” but this was one of them. Despite the heartbreak and sadness however, the story manages to be at times funny and uplifting as it illustrates the good in people and how they make life worth living. Highly recommend this story that will stay with you.

I really loved the story of Lenni and Margot. It was so heartbreaking and real, Cronin didn’t gloss over the discomfort of the terminally ill and death for her reader, she showed it to you exactly how it is in real life. I can count on one hand the amount of times I have cried while reading, but Lenni and Margot’s story will now be added to that list.
I initially felt unsure about the story when I first finished it. I found myself thinking I wanted more from Lenni’s side of the story. But the more I sat with it the more I realized that’s the whole point. Lenni was seventeen when she died, of course we wanted more from her story, we simply couldn’t have it. We all wish to live lives so full we had endless stories to tell, like Margot who got to experience so much, but that’s not everyone’s reality.
I just really loved this story and how each characters experiences so starkly contrasted each other’s, but they still had a common thread that bonded them.

This is Marianne Cronin's debut novel and it's a good one. Though I was set to give it only three stars because of all the sadness and tears somehow I just couldn't. It was well written and very emotional. There were a few chuckles thrown in for good measure but overall it's very sad. I mean it will give you the big ugly snot tears. Where you can't see the words on the page. Pardon my grossness there but it's the truth. And you won't want to put this book down. You'll grab a box of two of kleenex and hang on for the ride.

Lenni is only seventeen and has a terminal illness. Do not be fooled into thinking she's going to be ok. She's not. But her story is one that will worm it's way into your heart and squeeze tightly. It will leave you breathing so hard and weeping so bad. She's such a determined young girl and a bit ornery too. But in a good way. She has so much life it is hard to believe she is dying.

Margot is eighty three and she's also dying. Her's is a heart problem. With all she's been through I can certainly understand why too. This poor woman has seen enough death and heartache for several people. She's a very strong woman though and a true friend. She's one that you will love also. Together her and Lenni are a pair. A pair of the best of friends. They needed each other and they pair so well. They take on a mission and see it to its end.

Father Arthur is another one that I really loved. When he meets Lenni it is a wonder he didn't hang up his robes and turn in his faith. She certainly put him to the test. Together they were great. He loved her as only a Father can. She loved him right back. She was good for him. He was good for her also but in this case it was more of the fact that she was good for him. I loved reading their parts of this story.

The part I didn't understand and that made me maddest was Lenni's dad. How could he. How dare he. What daddy would ever think about leaving. Then there was The Temp. I liked her also. She went through a few things in this book but she ended up ok. There are a few other characters you will meet. Some you will love and some you probably won't like at all.

This whole story takes place in a hospital. The stories inside this story are from Lenni and Margot's pasts. They are of course outside of the hospital. They each tell things that happened throughout their lives then drew or painted a picture of that time. Some of this book is truly so touching and at the same time so sad. Actually most of it is. There are great parts where you do feel the air. See the stars. Feel the love. Other parts are just tear worthy. You will feel the pain and loss.

This author really did a good job of bringing out the tears. This book is good. It's well written and has that feeling you look for in a book. The feeling that you are there. That you are a part of it. That you are involved in these two people's lives. You will feel it. I certainly did.

Thank you to #netgally, #mariannecronin, #harpercollinspublishers for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

5/5 stars and I do recommend it. Just be sure and have plenty of tissues handy.

I loved the stories of Lenni and Margot which made their 100 years of living. I also enjoyed Lenni’s friendship with Father Arthur and New Nurse, as well as Margot’s life with Humphrey. I honestly didn’t care for the Meena storyline, but overall I really did love the book and would highly recommend.

I have not been so emotionally wrecked by a book in so long. This book of living and dying and everything in between was so raw and I truly could not put it down. This book follows Lenni a 17 year old who is terminal and the events leading up to it and all of the people she meets and the important lessons she learns! Lenni and Margot are an unlikely friendship to say the least but boy oh boy does wonderful come from it! Both of these strong women’s stories are tear jerkers to say the least. I highly recommend this book, but do expect to shed a few tears in this wonderfully done debut novel!