The Kingsway-Islington Probus Book Club, The Pageturners, met on September 14, 2023 to discuss The 100 Years of Lenni and Margot, written by Marianne Cronin. See the review below.
The 100 Years of Lenni and Margot written by by Marianne Cronin
Reviewed by Kathryn Raymond
This novel was the inaugural, fictional novel by Marianne Cronin, who studied English and Creative Writing in advance of obtaining her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics.
Seventeen year old Lenni is never going to leave the hospital alive. She has a terminal illness and is on her last legs, and fighting not to let go of all that she is, despite the drugs and the ravages of the disease on her body and mind. Lenni is alive and she wants to live, even if living has to be done in a hospital, with it’s rules, restrictions, and overworked and uninterested nurses. But Lenni has friends, people who love the light that she brings into their lives.
Eighty three year old Margot is at the same hospital due to heart problems that required surgery and then will require more surgery. Lenni and Margot first catch sight of each other as Margot is trying to fish something out of a recycling bin, and Lenni distracts the porter and nurse so that Margot can accomplish her rescue effort.
Later Lenni gets herself enrolled in the art class for eighty years old and up so that she can spend time with Margot. Margot and Lenni decide to record their combined 100 years of life with their artwork. Margot is a talented artist, and Lenni records the stories that Margot tells with each picture reflecting her 83 years of life that she creates. …An extraordinary friendship. …a lifetime of stories. At the end, to celebrate their shared century, 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. This story is so full of life.
A lot of the story relates to Margot’s journey, a story of a beloved father devastated by war, a young marriage torn apart by the heartache of loss, an unrequited love, another deep and shared love of 30 years, and more. Through Margot’s pictures and stories, Lenni is able to live a life she will never have – but she also allows Margot to reflect on what has passed and what she wants to do, if she survives her next surgery.
Cronin’s quirky characterizations are stellar in all their complexity: there are tears, heartbreak, grief, loss and drama in this engaging storytelling. But this is skillfully interspersed with the love, friendship, humour and joy of the two – a blend that makes this an unforgettable, heart tugging debut.
Probus Club of Kingsway-Islington 