The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is the debut novel of Marianne Cronin. Released in June 2021 by Harper, this contemporary novel introduces the reader to 17-year-old Lenni and 83-year-old Margot, who reside in Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital. The novel is an emotional read and one that you will find hard to put down.
CW/TW: depression, child death, parental abandonment, medical content, terminal illness, grief
Synopsis
Lenni Pettersson is 17-years-old and has become a resident of the May Ward at the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital. Lenni may be dying, but she doesn’t want to lie in her bed and let death come. She wants to live her life while she can. During her travels in the hospital, she finds herself in the art therapy room and meeting Margot, an 83-year-old patient.
Together, they find something that has been missing in their lives. And they work together to ensure their story is told for those around them. To do this, they create 100 paintings, one for every year of their lives. Will anyone else want to know their story? Will anyone else care?
Positives
The story is written beautifully. You will find yourself connecting with Lenni and Margot.
While most of the story is set in the hospital, the setting for each part of the story is written well. As you flashback with their stories, you can easily picture their locations in your mind.
The family that Lenni finds while in the hospital is perfect, even if she never truly realizes she found a family who loves her for who she is.
Negatives
How dare a book make me ugly cry before I reach the end! I had to stop reading with about 20 pages left because I couldn’t see through my tears.
My Opinion
When I first saw this book listed on an Anticipated Debut Releases list on Goodreads in January 2021, I knew I had to read this book. The large yellow roses on the cover captured my eye, and the synopsis just grabbed my imagination. I am so grateful that I was finally able to read this book.
This book packs an emotional punch. Yes, you know the end is going to bring some tears or at least hit hard emotionally. But I was caught unaware of how emotional it would be. And on so many different levels throughout the book.
Lenni has teenage angst and family issues. As a parent, I’m not sure I could behave in the way her parents did. I wouldn’t want to walk away and leave her to fight her fight.
Margot has seen a lot in many years of life. From her growing up during World War II and her dad not transitioning well back to civilian life to losing her child at an early age and being abandoned by her husband.
How common is it for a 17-year-old to become friends with an 83-year-old? I would say not common, but the relationship these two women develop in a short amount of time is exactly what they both needed at that moment. And it’s one I was happy to be a part of.
Looking for some more books to read? Check out my other book reviews and my monthly reading wrap-ups.
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Oh wow, this does sound like an incredible story. Throughout the pandemic I’ve tended to migrate toward books that don’t make me ugly cry, but I’ll definitely have to keep this one in mind for when I’m in the mindset to tackle something more emotional.