The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot, by Marianne Cronin

“An extraordinary friendship, a lifetime of stories” – this part of the blurb definitely sums up the heart of The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot by Marianne Cronin. A heartwarming read about life, loss, and friendship. I listened to the audiobook (narrated by Sheila Reid & Rebecca Benson) and highly recommend this format! I felt like the narrators added another layer to the story and personally adored the Scottish accents. Beautifully narrated!

Lenni is a 17-year-old patient living at the Glasgow Royal Princess Hospital due to her terminal illness. She befriends 83-year-old Margot (a patient waiting for heart surgery) and a beautiful friendship blooms as they share life stories during their arts & crafts class. Lenni & Margot decide to leave behind their legacy in a series of pictures…100 paintings to showcase the special moments in their 100 collective years of life.

The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot hit me in the feels in all the best ways possible. The story alternates between Lenni & Margot’s stories, past & present. This book was chock full of great characters from Lenni & Margot to the hospital chaplain (Father Arthur) and cast of hospital staff. Lenni might have been my most favorite…witty, endearing, a little inappropriate, and optimistic. Margot was equally as charming and together they were the friendship I never knew I needed in a book.

This story was equal parts funny, tender, and moving. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t make me cry (consider that your warning…you’ll want the tissues close by!). At it’s best, The One Hundred Years of Lenni & Margot is a story about unexpected friendships and the lasting impact they make on our lives. A love story, but not a romance. Hard to believe this is a debut novel by this author!

I absolutely LOVED this book. Heartbreaking & heartwarming all in one delightful breath. It tugged at my heartstrings in ways I didn’t expect. I really enjoyed the narrators as well and would definitely recommend the audiobook! A great pick for book club, too.

4.5 out of 5 stars