The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot: The new and unforgettable Richard & Judy Book Club pick

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I have to drag myself out of there and remember that that is not the type of terminal meant for me. There is more to this story, but essentially, this is a lovely debut that is about living life fully, despite knowing that this life is finite. Filled with the joys of life, of love, it is an ode to living life fully, as joyfully as possible, celebrating life on your own terms. Lenni and Margot are two of the most wonderful, warm, witty and wise heroines I've ever met. Beautiful and glorious' CLARE POOLEY, author of The Authenticity Project

Fiercely alive, disarmingly funny and brimming with tenderness, THE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF LENNI AND MARGOT unwraps the extraordinary gift of life, and revels in our infinite capacity for friendship and love. A charming, fiercely alive and disarmingly funny debut novel in the vein of John Green, Rachel Joyce, and Jojo Moyes - a brave testament to the power of living each day to the fullest, a tribute to the stories that we live, and a reminder of our unlimited capacity for friendship and love.

Hugely affecting and witty, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margotis a rarely affecting novel that expresses universal truths in the most unforgettable way.” 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. It is perfect for this story of love and friendship and the understandable nervousness about “the night” that faces us all, not just Lenni and Margot. Do not be afraid - read it! There are other characters that are also wonderfully described, the New Nurse, who befriends Lenni, sits on her bed and chats as though they are old friends. The Temp plays an important role because she wants to open an Art Room for the patients, and this is where Lenni meets 83-year-old Margot.

Margot had fallen in love with a star-gazer who was fond of quoting poetry to her, particularly “The Old Astronomer to His Pupil” by Sarah Williams that ends with this wonderful stanza.They meet in an art therapy class (The Rose Room) at the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital and immediately discover a chemistry between them; Lenni shines through her hospital scrubs as witty and ironic, refusing to look at the unfortunate fate that has been dealt her (“When people say ‘terminal,’ I think of the airport.”); Margot presents as eccentric and wise, with a lifetime of unexpected secrets to tell.