As I grow older the thoughts about death do occur more often. I was intrigued by the description of this book so was pleased to be given the opportunity of reading an advance copy from the publisher, although this did not influence my review of the book.
With both the main characters in hospital, Lenni who is 17 and with a terminal prognosis and Margot who is 83 with a heart defect, it could have become a depressing story. It was in fact a mainly joyful story of the developing friendship between these two with flashbacks to their lives up to this point. With well written supporting characters it kept me engrossed all the way through and I must admit that there was a tear or two towards the end. Definitely worth reading on a bleak Winter's night and the type that I will reflect back on for months to come.

What an unusual setting and unusual friendship. Two females reaching the end of their lives. Not traditional lives have been lived by either of them. The story unfolds In the Rose room. Brilliant, inspirational and very emotional.
Really enjoyed this book. Don't want to give away any spoilers but it's not what you expect. Be prepared to be surprised in very pleasant ways.

I start off by saying that this is a fabulous moving story that I didnt want to end. It tells of an unlikely pairing of 17 year old Lenni and 83 year old Margot who meet in hospital and just click from the off.
These two characters stole my heart, Lenni with her cheeky sense of humour and Margot for her endurance in life. Even though their lives are completely different , the friendship they develop is inspiring and uplifting.
Lenni with no parents or friends to visit her in hospital makes for sad reading, yet nothing stopped her with her honest straight forward opinions from being liked and admired. Margot certainly had an adventurous life and again although tinged with sadness, she lived life to the max.
A great debut novel with a different concept that I thoroughly enjoyed. My thanks to Net galley for the ARC.

‘Between us,’ I said quietly, ‘we're a hundred years old.’

Lenni is seventeen years old and terminally ill.

Margot is eighty-three and awaiting heart surgery.

Both are patients at Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital.

An amusing chance encounter between Lenni and Margot, followed by an actual meeting in the new art therapy class sees an unlikely blossoming friendship form. Together they decide to paint one hundred paintings, each representing a story from their combined lives – 83 pictures for Margot, 17 for Lenni, 100 in total.

This was a beautifully-written inspiring story of hope, destiny, wisdom and spiritual awareness, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot focused on living life to the fullest, no matter how much time you have left. It was about making peace with your own mortality, finding a place where you belong, and that family is not always blood-related. Sharing and preserving their best and worst memories helped Lenni and Margot define what moments of their lives they truly cherished, and reconcile with those that were painful.

Our narrator Lenni (who also recorded every story in her diary because she felt she lacked artistic talent) had every right to be angry or bitter, yet she approached every situation with optimism, a sense of humour, altruism, curiosity, and most importantly, an openness to love. Margot was a true free spirit, who had faced her fair share of grief and loss with strength and grace. Both were there for one another at a time when they needed one another most.

The hospital contained its fair share of quirky, memorable characters, and it wasn't just the bond between the two main protagonists that stood out for me. There were other relationships that were just as warm, and genuine – stories centered within the walls of the wards equally as deep and moving as the memories Lenni and Margot shared. Be advised there were some weepy moments, and I struggled to read the last few pages because my vision kept blurring.

I was deeply affected by The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, and you will be too.

I'd like to thank Netgalley, Doubleday, and Marianne Cronin for the e-ARC.

Publication Date: 18th February, 2021.

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is set in a Glasgow hospital art room. Lenni is 17 years old and meets 83 year old Margot and realises between them they have one hundred years. They start a project to paint a picture for each of their 100 years that they have lived. The novel flips between both of their lives and the stories being told in the paintings. It was a quick and pleasant enough read but I didn't get as invested in the characters as I feel I should have.

Wow! So many emotions. What a beautiful debut novel. Thank you Marianne for introducing us to Lenni and Margot.

We meet these 2 amazing women at the Glasgow Princess Royal hospital, where Lenni is a patient on the May Ward, she describes herself as being in the terminal lounge as she has a life limiting illness and doesn’t have very long left.
Lenni meets and introduces us to several remarkable people but the key one is Margot, together they set about to create their collective 100 years, telling us the stories of their lives in both painting and Lenni’s Notebook.
Despite the hard subject and knowing that there will be no happy ending this is a wonderful story which grabs you by the heartstrings, drawing you in so you cannot help but fall in love with both Lenni and Margot.. Love and friendship can grow in the most unlikely places with the most unlikely people.
There were tears of joy and tears of heartache as I learnt both their stories.

Highly recommend

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

Loved this book. I must admit when I heard about this book and I started to read it, I feared it would be a depressing read. Well, it was far form it. It is a beautifully written, poignant and heartbreaking book, whilst being funny and light and heart warming.

I loved the characters and the plot is so clever. I don't want to say too much because spoilers would ruin your experience. However, what I will say is, buy it now. it will stay in your heart for a very long time!

Can't recommend enough!

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the arc!

Oh my heart! What an absolutely gorgeous and wonderful masterpiece of a book.

This book has been both touching and moving all in one beautifully bundled little package. The author has a magnificent ability to make you laugh and cry all in one sitting.

I have found that this book is extremely thought provoking and one which has made me really consider the impact of others can have on an individual.

I am in shock , this is a superb debut which has completely stolen my heart. It is beautiful from beginning to end.

The characters in this book are beautiful and it takes real skill to create such magnificent characters. This is a gorgeous story which really gives us a picture of the lives of the characters.

This is a wonderful masterpiece which I can say should definitely be a 2021 bestseller. A definite five star read from me and one that I absolutely cannot recommend high enough.

A heart-warming read from Marianne Cronin. This story sheds light on life and it's accomplishments from a hospital housing 83 year old Margot and 17 year old Lenni. This books takes you through the 100 years lived by these characters, with every page a new surprise. You won't be disappointed.

At face value Lenni and Margot have little in common but both are in hospital for different reasons and become friends. I loved this book. Telling the stories of them both throughout their combined 100 years I cried buckets at tge ending. Definitely a recommended read.

This book is amazing.It is full of wisdom, joy and heartbreak. When 17year old Lenni meets 73 year old Margot in hospital it will be the beginning of a friendship that lasts the rest of their lives.I laughed and cried and didnt want it to finish. It will stay with me for a long time. I look forward to reading more from the pen of Marriane Cronin.

This was aammmaaaazzzzingggggg!!! I had been hearing so much about this book on twitter so was really excited to get my hands on a review copy. It definitely didn't disappoint. Brilliantly believable yet truly unique characters, I was SO emotionally invested in the whole story. Highly highly recommend!

Wow - this book will be one I will not forget easily! It doesn't fit into any category of novel I have ever read before. I felt as if I had been given a privalege in being one of the first to have access to read this. It's amazing that this is Marianne's first book! I've already looked to see if I can order it for my daughter and a friend. That is saying something for me.
Many others have explained the 'plot' and anyway the blurb writers can do a better job of it than I. Save to say it is an unusal sort of book to be about two women, of such diffferent ages who are dying, and yet not be a sad read at all. I loved the way that Marianne brought the story around at the end to tie up a couple of loose ends which made me sigh at the completness of it all.

This is equally lovely and heart-breaking, a gentlly unfolding story of two friends who meet under difficult situations, as they are both terminally ill. I loved the combination of the two stories as we learn about the back stories of Lenni and Margot and how they meet at the art club in the hospital where they both live.

Although sad, this story is also uplifting and joyful. Thoroughly recommended.

Wow This debut book is outstanding this book is going to win awards and should be made into either a tv or movie as its so good.

This book tells the Story of Lenni & Margot two patients at Hospital who meet in art class at the hospital who combined age is 100, This book tells the amazing story of Lenni & Margot who are both seriously unwell and there stories tell during there art project that they do to celebrate there combined aged of 100.

This book will make you laugh and will also make you cry lots, I loved this book and have recommend this book to everyone I know and will be purchasing this book when it comes out.

I will give this book 5 out of 5 stars .

with thanks to Netgalley & The publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for this honest review

In the notes at the end of 'The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot', the author tells us that she spent 6 years writing this book. I can completely believe that. Her attention to detail and to tying up loose ends is impressive. Every little side-story is taken to completion and nothing is left hanging. Even the most minor characters - well not all, I don't know what happened to Paul the Porter, for example - gets their appropriate attention. As an example of this, I LOVED the story of the homeless Swedish man and his daughter which delivered a beautiful moment that was completely unexpected.

This is an absolutely adorable book. I haven't read one recently where I felt as invested in the characters as I did with Lenni and Margot. The dying girl and the feisty old lady play out their 'present-day' within the confines of a hospital that neither of them can leave but find the kind of friendship and connection that leaves you feeling like the world truly is a better place. The cast of supporting characters - from the hospital chaplain who has to handle Lenni's sceptical questions to the 'new nurse' who never gets a name but is present throughout, to Jeremy the chicken and 'the Intern' - they are all beautifully engaged in the story.

One thing I loved was the randomness of key events in the story. Margot meets the most important people in her life on a train that she shouldn't have been on if her date had turned up, in the middle of the road on a dark night, and in a police station when she'd gone to report a missing person. Similarly, Lenni finds Margot practically upside down in a wheelie bin.

The two women - one 17-years old, the other 83 - form an inspiring friendship and create their own 'bucket-project' to create 100 pictures that celebrate their 100 years of life. Not only are they wonderful together, they inspire those around them in the most marvellous ways.

Did I cry? No, of course not but there was a whopping great lump in my throat quite a few times in the final chapters. I was more focused on trying to celebrate the joy instead of mourning the losses.

I only gave out three 5-star reviews on a total 2020 reading list of 160 books but I'm about to break that drought and hand out my first for 2021 just 11 days into the new year.

Read it. It's just stunning. You won't regret it.

This is different to my usual read of murder and mayhem. However, it was a thoroughly delightful story of friendship, kindness and love.

Lenni is 17 and has a life limiting illness and resides on May Ward which means she is looking at a limited lifespan. She meets Margot who is 83 years old who is waiting for a heart operation.

Margo and father Arthur provide Lenni with comfort and support during her remaining time. Lenni decides that as her own and Margot’s ages total 100 they should paint 100 pictures

Superbly written and, although sad, left me with positive and warm feelings.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Marianne Cronin for my ARC of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot in return for my hones review.

Beautiful read. Highly recommended.

Swedish born Lenni Pettersson, aged 17 is living with a life limiting illness on May ward at Glasgow Princess Royal hospital when the author introduces us to her. This young girl is already in the ‘departure lounge’ mentally preparing to check out of this life and into the next and whilst she may be afraid of dying, right now she is very much alive. But she’s in need of a partner in crime (or two!) to ensure her final days are full of friendship and love. Cue Margot, an 83 year old Glaswegian, awaiting a heart operation who together with chaplain Father Arthur will provide Lenni with just the kind of comfort and support she needs in her darkest hours. Adopting honorary octogenarian status in order to befriend Margot during a group art therapy class, Lenni hatches an ingenious plan to paint one hundred pictures to mark their combined age of one hundred years. It is here in the Rose room amongst the charcoal and the paintbrushes that this cross generational friendship flourishes. This storyline, full of endearing quirky characters will definitely make you take a look at life in the ‘glass half full’ kind of way.

Lenni and Margot’s mission is a beautiful way in which to represent their most significant memories as this unforgettable pair open their hearts to one another, spilling their innermost secrets. Stories emerge alongside these works of art, shedding light upon their histories that are no strangers to sadness, loss and heartache. I thought this was a clever way to weave backstories into the storyline, appreciating the rich detail of Margot’s long life compared to Lenni’s, captivated by her experiences, both good and bad. This octogenarian has led a life accompanied by some colourful characters,not least of all her friend Meena and eccentric astronomer husband Humphrey but it is this final friendship with Lenni, their vast difference in age immaterial that really strikes a chord. Through Margot’s retelling of her life experiences, Lenni can live ‘virtually’ through these moments so that in effect her own life is prolonged. If this doesn’t tug at your heartstrings I don’t know what will!

Lenni is one of those memorable characters that were she to exist in reality would light up a room with her spirit. With her inquisitive, perceptive nature and wisdom beyond her years, Lenni is a character like no other. This pink pyjama clad girl is destined to steal your heart as she roams the hospital, at all hours of the day and night, often with her new friend in tow. From the beginning I earmarked her as someone who masks her own loneliness incredibly well yet possesses the ability to charm all those that form part of her hospital ‘family’. New Nurse, Pippa, the art teacher, Paul the porter and of course Father Arthur and Margot all fall prey to her charm, the only exception being the grumpy and officious nurse Jacky. Lenni challenges Father Arthur’s faith in God in the most beguiling and humorous manner from the first moment they meet, so you are immediately aware of two things. Firstly, Lenni is a little ray of sunshine whose sense of logic will bring a smile to your face time and time again. Secondly there is an instant connection between the chaplain and this terminally ill girl that renders a close friendship inevitable, however exasperating her questions relating to Him above may be. That Lenni is lucky enough to experience not only one but two meaningful inter generational friendships during her remaining days is the author’s way of proving young and old can learn from each other alike.

I would predict that this quirky, humorous, moving and inspiring debut novel will find its home upon many a bedside table once it’s released into the literary world. Just make sure to have a box of tissues to hand as you’ll find yourself crying happy and sad tears as Lenni and Margot meander through the past in order to make sense of the present. I don’t think I’ve ever met a fictional character quite like Lenni whose spirit is truly something to behold and I was beyond sad to let her go. There are moments too in Margot’s life that will definitely bring a lump to your throat but I guarantee you’ll feel touched by their story and honoured to have spent time in their company. That is how real they both feel, such is the strength of characterisation. I’ve had the pleasure to read some fantastic debuts in recent weeks and The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is right up there with the very best of them. Billed as a novel to brighten your day I can recommend without hesitation. I found it to be both beautiful and magical and to paraphrase Margot, Lenni is a character with “a fiery heart, a quick wit and disabling charm who manages to make dying fun”. Now I just have to hope that the wait won’t be too long until the author treats us to another example of her outstanding writing. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

This was my first book of 2021 and it may yet be my favourite by the end of it.
I cannot describe how much I adored Lenni, she'd just an incredible character, larger than life, honest to a fault and with such a perspective on life you can't help but admire her. She steers this book through difficult subjects but because of her quick quips, determination and pink pyjamas you feel the joyous balance of life's gifts & lessons. When When Lenni witnesses octogenarian Margot sneaking something out of sight of the nurses on the ward, she spots an ally and together they partner up to help one another come to terms with their pasts and what lies ahead.
The idea of their "one hundred years" project was so cleverly done and with it you get to experience their stories and the progression of what had lead them to this point.
I truly loved how uplifting and wholesome this book felt; you're emotionality tugged in all directions yet you learn that although your world can be small, your impact can be lasting.

I absolutely loved this book, it’s beautifully written and really tugs at the heart strings.
It made me laugh and cry.
Would definitely recommend this book and I would read this again.