The nurse says it gently as she explains that the hospital has started to offer a counseling service for young patients whose conditions are “terminal.” She falters, flushing red. “Sorry, I meant life-limiting.” Would I like to sign up? I could have the counselor come to my bed, or I could go to the special counseling room for teenagers. They have a TV in there now. The options seem endless, but the term is not new to me. I have spent many days at the airport. Years. An emotionally layered and engrossing story of a family that asks: Can love make a broken person whole?

Join us for the next meeting of the WWN Book Club. We will be reading The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin. We hope you will join us for a great discussion. New members are always welcome! I am not going to say anything else about this wonderful book other than it you haven't yet read it, then please do. It is funny, and sad, and tragically beautiful. A book that is going on my 'forever' shelf. A book that contains lessons for us all, ones that most of us never knew we needed. At three points reading this book I had a “wow” moment. First, when I saw where Margot lived when she was young (Cromdale St, Glasgow is where my 83 year old mum lives now). Second was when I saw where she moved to when she married Johnny (Church St, Glasgow is where my mum went to school). Three was when she told Johnny she was pregnant (I told my husband the same way). I had a personal connection and it felt surreal.

I have to drag myself out of there and remember that that is not the type of terminal meant for me. It was heartening that she connects with eighty three year old Margot, a heart patient awaiting surgery. A loving relationship develops between them as they join forces in their one hundred years, the total of their ages by taking an art class and painting memories of years in their lives. But it isn’t just the paintings that have meaning, it is the stories behind them that they tell each other sharing memories, joyful and sad, of loss and love. This is how they become a light in each other’s life. Lenni makes other friends as well, including the elderly priest Father Arthur, who really can’t answer Lenni’s questions about life, death and God. But it doesn’t matter as another beautiful friendship is forged with Lenni bringing understanding and joy to Father Arthur. This is the touching and moving story of seventeen year old Lenni Petterson who is on May Ward of Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital and eighty three year old Margot who is awaiting heart surgery. Lenni is in the ‘terminal lounge’ with a ‘life limiting’ illness and so to commemorate key moments in their lives they set out to create 100 hundred paintings in the art room run by the lovely Pippa. Through the evolution of the paintings we learn the story of their lives. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is a remarkably good novel. That being said, the voice acting of Sheila Reid and Rebecca Benson takes the story to a new level. The accents are beautiful, and the emotions are pure. If you are fortunate enough to have a choice, listen to this book. You will want the narrator’s voices speaking Lenni, Margot, and Father Arthurs words. This is one of those cases where the voice actors take the story to an entirely new level. Book Club and Discussion Questions (SPOILERS) Numbers don’t mean a lot to me. I don’t care about long division or percentages. I don’t know my height or my weight and I can’t remember my dad’s phone number, though I know I used to know it. I prefer words. Delicious, glorious words.

Margot, age 83, has a serious heart condition. She had one surgery and is staying in the hospital until she is strong enough for a second surgery. Margot is a talented artist, so when the new Rose Room art studio opens in the hospital, she is one of the first to sign up for the over 80 class. She is very surprised when the young Lenni confidently marches into this octogenarian class and makes herself at home. When Lenni realizes that she and Margot have been alive a combined 100 years, they embark on a journey to make 100 paintings to celebrate their lives. Artistic and talented eighty-three-year-old Margot Macrae is in the same hospital with severe heart problems and awaiting a second surgery. Margot is full of living, wisdom and generosity! ABOUT 'THE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF LENNI AND MARGOT': Life is short. No-one knows that better than seventeen year old Lenni living on the terminal ward. But as she is about to learn, it's not only what you make of life that matters, but who you share it with. Set in the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital, Marianne Cronin's debut novel is sprinkled with magic and star dust as it relates the intergenerational friendship and love that develops between the vibrant, full of life, Swedish born, 17 year old Lenni Pettersson and 83 year old Margot Macrae. Lenni is a resident of the May ward, for those with life limiting/terminal illnesses, she goes searching for answers for fundamental philosophical questions of life from Father Arthur, her candour a joy to behold and have a host of characters enter her life, providing her with a family she could hardly have forseen. Whilst her life is to be cruelly cut short at such a young age, she is to metaphorically live a longer one through the experience of the joys, love, losses, and grief of Margot's well lived life, who is in hospital for heart surgery.

Lenni isn’t sure about her religious beliefs, but she still visits the chapel – why do you think this is? Thank you to #netgally, #mariannecronin, #harpercollinspublishers for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book. No,' she said gently, linking her arm through mine, 'it's not depressing, it's beautiful. They've been gone for who knows how long, but we can still see them. They live on.' This is a wonderful and beautiful story despite the fact that Lenni is dying, she’s living her last months with as much joy as she can. It captivates, grabs you by the heartstrings and makes you laugh out loud at some of a Lenni’s actions and innovative thinking. The ending is a deeply emotional tear jerker and really touches you as you feel as if you have become friends with the characters. Ensure tissues at the ready.

The life stories Lenni and Margot tell are the heart and soul of this book. I dare you not to feel the full impact of the richness and depth of their stories. The humor and tears, joy and heartbreak, the isolation and loneliness of illness, grief through the loss of a loved one, and the power and love of friendship will hit you like a punch to the gut! Ok…. one more thing: and not the books fault — but I’ve read a few books recently that I soooo passionately loved, [“The Paper Palace”, and a few others], that I find myself still wishing for that ‘gut-exciting’ rush-read. Follow seventeen-year-old Lenni and eighty-three-year-old Margot as they celebrate their shared century. Together they decide to paint their life stories: of growing old and staying young, of giving joy, of receiving kindness, of losing love, of finding the person who is everything. Poor, lovely Father Arthur. He is a delight. Then there is The Temp. The story is told from Lenni’s point of view, except she tells us about The Temp from the third person point of view, and for some reason, it works.I appreciate the themes explored — and the connection between Lenni and Margot (their friendship)— both dying— We can’t know why we are dying in the same way we can’t know why we are living. Living and dying are both complete mysteries, and toy can’t know either until you have done both.”