I loved this book from the first page! The characterisation was excellent and I loved the way we found out about the two main characters of Rosemary and Kate. The characterisation was so realistic and true to life. The detailed descriptions put you right there amongst the community of Brixton. I loved the interplay between the two main characters from different generations. It shows we can all learn something from each other no matter what age or generation we are. This is a heartwarming read and I really did get lost in this book and didn't want to put it down - that tells you how much I enjoyed it!

The kindest word I could apply to the prose is “undemanding.” I’d hoped the charm of a story about a lonely twentysomething journalist and an octogenarian who band together to rescue their local swimming pool would outweigh the dull writing, but not so.

I wanted to love this but found it so sickly sweet that it gave me a toothache. It was overly long and I didn't find myself engaged or attached to the characters in any way. A disappointment.

At first I was unsure about this book from the blurb, how good could a book about the closing of a lido be? But after seeing some good reviews I decided to give it a go... and loved it. The focus on two characters mean you really get an insight into their lives and what the lido means to them without being overly sentimental. The sense of community is so heart warming. I definitely recommend this book, a great summer read.

This was a sweet, tender gem of a novel- and for a debut, remarkably self-assured. With deftly-drawn strokes, Libby Page builds a world that’s populated with a painfully real cast of characters, all of whom you care about.

The focus of this story is Brockwell Lido, situated in the heart of Brixton since the 1930s (it’s a real place: I checked!) and the beating heart of the community. Page does a great job in bringing it to life: the space is alive, from the descriptions of the rippling blue water, to the segues into the private lives of the people that use it, from the boy whose parents are getting a divorce, to the pregnant woman who’s finding solace in the lido. But it’s also in danger of closing.

Two of the people who are most touched by- and brought together- by this are Rosemary and Kate, and their stories are heartbeaking and touching in completely different ways. Rosemary is an eighty-six year old woman who has never left the safe confines of Brixton, even during World War Two.

For her, the lido is her life: the place where she spent time with her beloved husband George (remembered in some of the novel’s funniest scenes) to where she has been swimming, every day of her life. But Brixton is changing- a series of subtle, poignant differences that Page evokes beautifully in just a few words- and the lido is being bought up by developers. Enter Kate: a small-town journalist who’s going nowhere fast, who’s battling panic attacks, and crushing loneliness- and who takes up the cause.

These two stole my heart, completely. One of the most remarkable things about Libby Page’s writing is the understated, beautiful way that she depicts the friendship between these two woman, even as she explores their background. From quiet dinners together, to supporting each other without question, it’s the kind of sincere and thoughtful relationship that you don’t see too often in novels. It’s a breath of fresh air, even as she devotes equal time to fleshing out the lives of both Rosemary and Kate, giving you a sense of who they are as people- managing to convey the crushing sense of loneliness that Kate feels, even as she does the same for Rosemary, through the use of flashbacks of her life with George.

At its heart, I think, this is a book about community: the community that the lido brings together; the community of Brixton, which is described as beautiful and vibrant and alive, even if it is constantly changing, and the power that a community can have when it comes together. Beautifully judged, never saccharine and desperately human- because Page has the gift of cutting right to the heart of the matter, showing you just how painful it is to be, sometimes, even as the characters grow and develop- this is a book that has definitely earned the summer hype surrounding it.

For generations the Brockwell Park Lido has been part of the lives of those who live in Brixton.  It has survived war but now it is under threat from the local council who want to sell it off to a developer who will fill in the pool.  Rosemary has visited the Lido all her life, she is eighty-six now and still tries to swim every day.  The thought of losing the lido is devastating to her as all her memories of her late husband are linked to it.  For young journalist Kate the lido is a lifeline to save her from becoming overwhelmed by London life.  Along with the local community they fight to save something so special.

All the blurb surrounding this book made me think it was going to be a twee little tale that was all sunshine and cupcakes and at times The Lido is just that.  Underneath the surface though there is far more substance.  Kate has to battle with anxiety and the loneliness that comes from leaving home and moving to a big city where you are just an anonymous person, Rosemary is dealing with the loneliness of loss.  OK, so this is a sugar-coated Brixton that is just a little too clean and friendly to be believable but as a modern-day fairy tale this is a really lovely read.

Heart-warming although at times verging on saccharine. The descriptions of Brixton are really evocative and the plot of gentrification threatening to pull apart the threads of a community is all-too-familiar. Kate, a lonely 26 year-old journalist and 86 year-old Rosemary are at first unlikely friends but the threatened closure of the local lido causes them to unite behind a common cause and discover new friendships and experiences in the process.

A lovely uplifting and warming read! It's about friendships and being part of a community. Rosemary is 86 and has lived in Brixton all her life and has spent everyday swimming at the local Lido , it is in the process of being bought out by a housing company and turned into a tennis court. Kate is a 20 something journalist who is covering the story for the local paper - Here strikes a lovely friendship... Had me in tears in parts but leaves you feeling happy. Fabulous to read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this.

A great book about relationships family and the importance of community. Another great book which shows that feel good fiction is on the increase.

Well blow me down with a feather – it’s so rare nowadays to hear the words South London in relation to anything other than knife crime/drugs/violence and yet…what do we have here? A book about COMMUNITY and FRIENDSHIP and PEOPLE BEING NICE TO EACH OTHER and it is so lovely and touching and relevant that I want to weep.

The Lido is the story of Rosemary (86), who has lived in Brixton for all of her life. She’s been a regular user of Brockwell Lido since she was a child and still goes every morning for her daily swim. When the local council announce plans to sell the facility off to redevelopers, Kate (26) is asked to cover the story for the local paper. After meeting Rosemary, Kate realises that the lido is so much more than just somewhere to exercise and her and Rosemary’s battle to save it gives them both a new purpose as well as an unlikely friendship.

I really enjoyed the overall premise of the book. I liked the idea that one of the characters (Rosemary) had lived in the area all of her life, and the way that she talked about her home really gave you a sense of what it was like to live in Brixton, how it had changed but how there was still a thriving community, just like there always had been. I thought that the time slips back to Rosemary’s younger days (including her fond memories of her husband George) worked particularly well and I loved that, as an older character, she brought so much local knowledge that really grounded the story. I found her descriptions of the lido in the 1940’s and 50’s particularly evocative and her personal account gave me an emotional connection to the building and the campaign to save it.

I thought that the author did particularly well to write such a charming, quirky book that covered some big, weighty topics. Loneliness is a key theme (both in younger and older people) and I could definitely relate to the feeling of living in a city full of people but still being cut off and isolated from the world. I loved that Rosemary was able to help Kate to integrate into the local community and that helping her to do so also gave Rosemary a new friend *thinks for the five millionth time about volunteering locally*. I also thought that issues around grief and depression were handled sensitively – we definitely need to hear more about bereavement in older people.

I really enjoyed the depiction of exercise helping people with anxiety and low self esteem. I thought it was really interesting that the author chose an individual sport like swimming but still managed to show how just taking part gave the characters so much more than a workout. I know I immediately thought about making more use of my local council pool (then I remembered how much effort it takes to prepare to swim and how disgusting the sports centre is – it’s due to be demolished and rebuilt so maybe I’ll go to the new one*)

The only drawback I have for The Lido is that it does occasionally dip its toe into the saccharine waters of the overly sentimental (see what I did there?) and there’s a romance storyline that feels a bit unnecessary and slightly detracts from the overriding theme of strong female friendship (why does a character always have to pull to evidence their newfound happiness?) but overall the pacing is good and there was enough drama to keep me entertained.

Apart from those minor niggles, I think it goes without saying that I loved The Lido. It’s a completely feel-good read that still covered a whole bunch of difficult topics. I loved that the characters of Rosemary and Kate became friends despite the age gap and I especially liked how having an older character gave the novel a grounding and history that enhanced my emotional connection. I found the whole thing utterly charming – perfect as a gentle summery read.

Firstly although not my usual genre (psychological thrillers) I thoroughly enjoyed this heart warming story following 86 year old Rosemary who regularly visits her community Lido which has been a fixture of support throughout her life from growing up, marriage and the death of her husband George to almost every other event in her life. When a local developer intends to purchase the Lido to convert it into an apartment block young local reporter Kate is tasked with writing a story about the Lido and the effect it's loss would have within the community. It is not long before she crosses paths with Rosemary and a beautiful friendship begins to blossom between the 2.
An absolutely charming tale of friendship, community and love which I enjoyed immensely.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This is a wonderful read which I would definitely recommend. I couldn't get this book out of my mind when I had to drag myself away from it. The tentative blossoming of the character of Kate is beautifully written and it is so easy to get wrapped up in Rosemary's memories as they work together to save The Lido and its community whilst finding so much more along the way. I found this an emotional read, but in the best sense in that I had got so attached to the characters and their stories I was bereft when I had to leave them. A brilliant debut and I can't wait for her next book.

The Lido will be one of those books that people either love or hate. It doesn't have a pacey plot and not much drama really happens. However, it should be read as a celebration of friendship and community, of the importance of shared values and places in our lives. Kate is a journalist who has moved to Brixton from her native Bristol. Her anxiety prevents her from settling in and appreciating her new surroundings, until she meets Rosemary, a widow who has lived there all her life. They are bound together by a campaign to save their local Lido from property developers. Libby Page evokes the area beautifully and shows how its recent gentrification is not all bad as long as it makes space for the old community. The ending is probably a bit too predicatable for me but is appropriate to the style of the writing and ties up the story.

A cosy and uplifting novel which is highly accessible. Some vivid colour from contemporary London and an examination of living with chronic anxiety.

This is a book that does exactly what it says on the tin. Everyone has a story and a lot of people are lonely - with a community project unlikely people come together and friendships are made and journeys taken. This is by no means a problem and I found this book to be a good escapist read that is just a little bit different from the other up-lit out there.

I have started swimming since reading this book. Not in a lido but at the local baths, the book inspired me and made feel like giving it a go.
I wish I had read this book on my sunbed while on holiday.
It is a feel good, light novel but containing some thought provoking parts about loneliness and friendship.
The book is a bit predictable and I felt the end was a bit unrealistic.
However I did enjoy it and would recommend to readers who like a nice read.

I did not find this as engaging as I was hoping despite having read several positive reviews, which was disappointing

I was really impressed with the vivid portrayal of Brixton which really came alive for me through the pages and the interweaving of Rosemary and George's history with the modern day story was a really effective way of engaging the reader in the fight to save the Lido. Given these qualities, I'm not really sure why I didn't love it ...nevertheless, I will certainly be recommending it and I can see it being a huge hit. I look forward to seeing what Libby Page writes next...

I loved this book and raced through it in a day. It's a beautiful tale of community, loneliness and belonging. Just brilliant and the perfect summer read! Plus it's made me want to visit my local lido more.

I really enjoyed The Lido and read it in a day, I could not put it down.
A great book on friendships and community involvement.
Have a read you will not be disappointed.