A touching and magical story, full of warmth in the icy Antarctic. Veronica McCreedy is a crusty, lonely old lady who lives in a big house, bosses her loyal housekeeper, Eileen, around and has an obsession about doors being left open. 'Door, Eileen!' Gradually, you learn her sad story and why she has become this way. On the spur of the moment, she decides to have an adventure. Loving penguins, she decides to leave all her money to a penguin research station in the Antarctic. She goes there to see 'her' penguins in their natural habitat. She also discovers she has a grandson. Like the way the narrative flicks between Veronica, her grandson Patrick and scientist Terry's ice station blog. Warmth, compassion and humour permeate this lovely story, making it a joy to read.

With thanks to random house UK and netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.
Well this is not my normal reading material but I was delighted to read it I've never laughed so much Veronica is one amazing lady so full on at times I was totally captivated and exhausted by the workings of her brain and her love of Penguins was just so bizarre and sweet. I loved every minute of this fabulous books.

I couldn't put down Prior's first book Ellie and the Harpmaker, and so I was beyond excited when Away with the Penguins came out. I mean to start with, the title alone in homage to the wonderful phrase "Away with the fairies" just makes me chuckle every time. The story focuses on Veronica McCreedy, an old, old, woman who is at the end of her life and wondering what to do with her millions, when she comes across the Adelie Penguin preservationist project. In very "Where'd You Go Bernadette" style she flits off to the Antarctica to see what the whole thing is all about, bringing her three best handbags and a tin of tea. I can't even begin to say what happens without spoiling the magic of this book, but it will take you to such a wonderful place, and oh how I hope they can get Maggie Smith to star in a movie adaptation of this! The story goes back and forth between several narrators, Veronica, her grandson Patrick, 15 year old Veronica, and the Penguin blog kept by Scientist Terry. The way that Prior weaves these stories together in a tapestry of exposition and illumination is breathtaking. The way that Patrick bonds with his grandmother through nothing but thought and letters, means that when they do finally get to spend some time together, it's like they were never apart. And give me just a moment to talk about how Prior creates such incredibly attractive male protagonists. First with Dan Hollis and now with Patrick, who by the end of the book has come into his own and shows all the amazing of him that was lying dormant. See the thing is, Prior creates characters that develop yes, but they develop things that they already were, she finds ways for them to become the best versions of themselves, not completely different people. So a character arc here, brings out the best, rather than bringing out change. I absolutely love this book, and I dare to dream that Prior will write an accompanying story about housekeeper Eileen and her husband Doug, because that would just be the icing on the cake.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for my copy. Oh my goodness what a truly wonderful book that has absolutely stolen my heart. I loved everything about it - the characters, the stories and of course the penguins. So beautifully written as well, particularly the descriptions of Antarctica and the penguins, but also Veronica's war-time years. I shall be recommending this book to everyone.

Having recently finished “Away with the Penguins” by Hazel Prior, I am happy to have had the chance for the preview; thank you NetGalley and Bantam Press!

I definitely enjoyed this story and warmed up to Veronica eventually, but for now I just wanted to post my favorite quote from any book that I have read this year. Knowing that Ms. Prior had written this before the world changed, and was more than likely referring to climate change, didn't make it any less powerful when I read these words.

"In the wartime, everyone made sacrifices for the common good. It could be done again if only enough people cared sufficiently."

❤🐧❤🐧❤

For those who enjoy titles that feature curmudgeonly characters who ultimately warm one's heart, this book is a must read.  What happens when Veronica goes off on an adventure?  How will it go when she meets a long lost relative?  Even though readers can probably answer these questions before reading a page, the voyages, both real and emotional, that Veronica takes will captivate them.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this lovely read in exchange for an honest review.

What a book! I loved it
This was my first book by Hazel Prior but I would look for them in the future. The book had a strong cast of characters .Veronica was brilliant! A cantankerous old lady you couldn’t help liking . The narrative was split between Veronica and her long lost grandson Patrick , with blog posts w added in for extra interest
Who knew that I as a reader would be drawn in completely to this completely unique book ! . I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this amazing quirky book. It was full of surprises and I would recommend it to anyone
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Uk, and Hazel Prior for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

What a great book! You really can't go wrong with anything that has penguins in it. This is the first I've read from this author. I will definitely check out more of her work.

Veronica McCreedy is a curmudgeon. Grumpy, irritable and very set in her ways. She lives alone with visits from her "daily", Eileen, and the gardener. It seems as if her life will be stuck in her routine until the day she dies. However, Veronica gets the bit between her teeth and makes some decisions with far reaching consequences, especially for the penguins!
This is a book of many parts and many narrators. We have several people who narrate their own chapters as well as a blog about penguins and a diary which tells us about the past. There were times when this got slightly confusing with the frequent and often sudden changes. This did make the story jump around a little and it it did get disjointed in places.
I did enjoy this book. I initially struggled with the practicalities of Veronica's trip to see the penguins. It didn't seem to me that this could actually be achieved by a woman aged 80+ with no experience or contacts. I just had to let that go and settle back to enjoy the book.
The characters are generally good with some depth. The plot was predictable in places but that didn't mean that it spoiled the story.
A light & fun read with a general "feel good" factor.
I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

I enjoyed this well written book very much. The characters are well drawn and the story kept me enthralled.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The Life And Times Of Veronica McCreedy.....
The life and times of Veronica McCreedy - moving and heartwarming. One very determined lady, one mission.
Engaging storytelling, heartfelt writing with a serious message.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for asking me to read and review.
This story was a wonderful read.
It is well written with some great characters and as a reader you feel you are right there with them. The plot draws you in and keeps you turning those pages.
A brilliant, heartwarming read.

I wasn’t entirely sure that I would enjoy this story. Cantankerous old ladies aren’t usually the characters I connect with but I requested this as I had previously loved Hazel Prior’s debut novel Ellie and the Harp Maker and hoped that this story would have the same hopeful, character-driven plot. I was not disappointed.

Veronica McCreedy was a hard character to crack. From the beginning she was utterly unlikeable, unnecessarily feisty and inconsiderate. That said, she wore me down. Like sandpaper on a stone. This book is not what I’d consider a breezy, comfortable reading experience that could blissfully fill up a lazy Sunday afternoon. Not at all. Instead, I spent my time chipping away at this book over a month. In the beginning I could only get through a few chapters at a time before Veronica got on my nerves and drove me away.

But after I reached the middle of the book…. something magical happened. Although Veronica didn’t quite change and was as unrelentingly grumpy and pushy as ever, she started to make more sense. Gifted with a view of her younger years, read through the POV of her estranged grandson, Veronica’s reluctance to make connections with others, compromise or apologise for her strength of personality were no longer annoying. Rather they were a badge of honour signifying her inner strength and growth. After surviving a difficult past, her strength and conviction to be her own person (screw anybody else) became a trait that I no longer disliked but rather… admired. What a difference some perspective can make!

Despite all of this, Prior’s writing was strong, sure and beautifully done. The Antarctic wilderness and penguin colonies came to life and made me wish I was the adventurous sort. If a stubborn octogenarian can survive a holiday there – why can’t I?

The aspect that brought my rating down from a 4-Star to a 3.5-Star was the clumsiness in the change between POVs. Often the POV would change with little-to-no warning and I was caught off-guard. It made the reading experience more cumbersome than needed and this story would have benefitted from clear headings outlining the changes in POV. That said, I received an ARC copy so the formatting could change.

3.5 Stars.

*ARC provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I absolutely adored Hazel Prior's Away with the Penguins! Heartwarming, thoughtful and just plain wonderful, this book gave me the literary escape I so needed - and who thought it would be to a penguin colony in the freezing Antarctic!

From the very first page I found myself immediately immersed in this uplifting tale of aging, adventure, and second chances. 85-year-old unlikely heroine, Veronica McCreedy is such an unforgettable character! Stubborn, spirited and hilariously unstoppable, Veronica, like Eleanor Oliphant and Bernadette Fox, completely captured my heart.

Skilfully spilt into a dual narrative between Veronica and her long lost grandson Patrick, and peppered with blog posts and diary entries throughout, Prior's writing radiates charm and confidence. But underneath this is a serious commentary on climate change and the responsibility we have in protecting our natural environment and wildlife, and Prior's research into this is evident. Light information and facts about Adélie penguins and environmental issues are subtly weaved into the narrative without the story ever losing any of its wit and warmth.

An absolute must read for 2020.

A delightfully feel-good gem!

This brilliantly written engaging novel carries important messages and won't fail to leave you with a smile on your face and hope in your heart.

You can't help but fall in love with Veronica, she is an unstoppable force - eccentric, cantankerous, and funny. The rest of the characters are brilliant too and little Pip will steal your heart.

Quirky, smart & heartfelt you won't want to miss it!

Thanks to Bantam Press & Netgalley for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ps. I was lucky enough to get a digital copy but I will be investing in a hardback version because I'd love this treasure on my bookshelf and the cover is absolutely adorable.

An absolutely wonderful, entrancing read. This is a book I’m so glad I have read. It’s a unique tale of relationships, life and penguins. I thoroughly enjoyed every page and highly recommend this book. I found it very difficult to put this book down and I miss the characters already! Must read!

Thank you Netgalley.

Away With The Penguins was a lovely read about Veronica, a feisty older lady, who embarks on a journey to Antarctica to see the penguins, having decided she wanted someone to leave her money to.

Just before this, she has a brief meeting with a grandson she didn't know existed and who didn't impress her very much at the time. But her meeting with the penguins changes things for her and she lets her grandson into her life.

Its a lovely story, and an easy uplifting read.

Well this book took me by sunrise with the adventures in the snow and penguins. A delightful story unfolded in the frozen South. Well worth reading

Away with the penguin by Hazel Prior.

The story is about Veronica McCreedy a woman in her twilight years and to all intents is extremely straight laced and middle class who inexplicably has this interest in penguins through a tv documentary .

It was a strange though enjoyable book. It takes about half the book to get to grips with the story as it is rather slow and disjointed making not a lot of sense but the reader should stick with it. The story starts to make sense & turns into a lovely if sad story at times. A lot of fact finding went into the story.

An unexpected delight!

Imagine a feisty 86 year old widow with an iron will but unaware that she is starting to lose her short-term memory, and living alone in a large old house in Scotland. She has more prickles than a saguaro cactus in the Sonoran Desert and more fortifications around her heart than the vaults at Fort Knox. Meet Veronica McCreedy. From watching a TV series on penguins she develops a fixation about Adelie Penguins and sees, in the ongoing research into their demise, a deserving recipient for her, not-inconsiderable, fortune after her death. However, at the same time she uncovers the existence of a grandson she never even knew existed; her only living relative and also a contender, she hopes, for her inheritance. She tracks him down and is horrified to find a down-and-out weed-smoking, bad-mannered and uncouth young man completely lacking in social skills. Penguins 1, grandson nil.

She determines instead to travel to a very small island on the edge of Antarctica where the penguin research centre is situated and, being the unstoppable force of nature that she is, even at her age, she brooks no argument from her long-suffering daily, Eileen, and the horrified researchers living in less-than-luxurious accommodation on the island. She refuses to be put off.

And so starts Veronica’s amazing odyssey to Locket Island where she falls head over heels in love with the penguin colony.

This unlikely story of Veronica can be compared to those presents one is given at Christmas or on birthdays, which when unwrapped reveal layer upon layer of wrapping paper, with more layers underneath, until eventually one gets to the actual gift. As the story progresses, more and more details of Veronica’s life emerge through the clever use of flash-backs, not always in date order, from her less-than-happy childhood through to her solitary life in Scotland, where the past is securely locked away in her heart. Intertwined with her story, we get to know the three penguin researchers and more about the grandson and his life and, of course, we meet the stars of the show, the penguins, whose daily life can be compared to a soap opera …

This was a delightful read, full of surprises, well written and well worth its four stars. I can recommend it.

Bennie Bookworm.

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