“Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light. I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.” – The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot my Marianne Cronin

The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot

Oh my sweet friends, I LOVED THIS BOOK!! If you are looking for a feel good story to warm your heart and make you cry tears of beauty and joy, this is the book for you!! It’s like the perfect combination of The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett and Five Feet Apart, with maybe a little bit of Ove thrown in for good measure.

Overview

The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot follows two women, 17 year old Lenni and 83 year old Margot, who are in the terminal ward unit of a hospital and become unlikely yet fast friends in an art therapy class. The two decide that while waiting for death, they will paint scenes from their collective 100 year life span.

“Somewhere out in the world, are the people who touched us, loved us, or ran from us. In that way, we live on. We are in the back of people’s photographs, moving, talking, blurring the background. We want for people to know us, to know our story, to know who we are and who we will be. After we’ve gone, to know who we were.”

Review

This is a beautiful look at choosing life in the face of death, of found friendships and family, and leaving no regrets. The story alternates between current life in the hospital and flashbacks to describe the moments the two are painting. You get a full picture of their lives and choices. I fell in love with the spunky, question asking Lenni and the wise, well lived Margot. But mad props to the side characters, as well including the hospital pastor, Father Arthur, who not only puts up with Lenni’s hilarious questions but also ponders the why’s himself.

“There are lots of stories in the Bible about forgiveness, right? Wasn’t there one about a milking cow and a vine? Or was it a mouse who couldn’t sew? Anyway, I’m not good at forgiving people because I find it hard to forget. Also, if you forgive, you can’t have the fun of getting revenge and revenge is so much more satisfying than forgiveness.”

One extraordinary friendship. A lifetime of stories to share. Fiercely alive, disarmingly funny and brimming with tenderness, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot unwraps the beautiful gift of life even when it is about to be taken away, and revels in our infinite capacity for friendship and love when we need them most. 

Thank you to @harperperennial, @itsmariannecronin and @storygramtours for sending this book to read and review. It was exceptional and I encourage you to read it this summer! You can order the book now here.

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