The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

This is such a lovely story! Emotional, heartwarming, sad and beautiful, bittersweet and it’s a must read. Finely drawn characters are relatable and real, funny and painful topics addressed in the most lovely way. Have your tissues ready - you will laugh and cry plenty with this book. It’s wonderful! Highly recommend. Great for a book group discussion.

This book was recommended to me by a friend who had leukemia. It is a life affirming tale, that pushes through the usual platitudes surrounding the terminally ill and instead focuses on the joyous moments of living, the foolishness of norms set by people who want boundaries, and the honesty of real human interaction.

A very nice, feel-good read...

Lenni is 17 and is dying of a terminal illness. Margot is 83 and in the hospital waiting for heart surgery. Between them they make 100 years. Lenni has the idea of painting their lives in a series of 100 paintings. The story is told in the present day, but Lenni and Margot tell their stories to each other as they create their paintings. Lenni also makes friends with the hospital chaplain, a priest named Father Arthur who she becomes very close with. I read the author’s interview in the end, and she says that she considered cutting Margot out of the story altogether and just focusing on Lenni and Father Arthur. I’m so glad she didn’t, because Margot’s stories were my favorite.Beautiful and so, so sad. Be prepared to cry.

What would an 18 and 83 year old have in common? But when Lenni and Margot get together they realise there are so many stories and lives one can live through instead of experiencing all of them by yourself. Beautiful.