Yesterday when I was young I discovered J D Salinger and Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield’s voice was the first I had ever actually been able to hear as I read a narrative; it was honest, quirky and colloquial and I hadn’t ever come across a book like that before. Since then that style of writing has become part of our (reading) lives, of course, and is no longer quite so mind blowing. An absolutely perfect example of this is the voice of Lenni in The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot. Margot then speaks differently but just as wonderfully as she tells heartbreaking, fascinating stories from her past.
Having been both young and old (and still getting there!) I fully appreciate Marianne Cronin’s understanding of and empathy for the two generations represented by Lenni and Margot. She understands that people only get old on the outside while mostly staying ageless (to themselves anyway) on the inside. The project dreamt up by Lenni and Margot to tell the stories of their combined one hundred years is sweet and beautiful and the supporting characters, Father Arthur, New Nurse and Pippa are perfect. There is sadness but too much love and hope and joy to require a full tissue box warning.
Am I giving an indication of how I felt about this book? I would say I adored it but I see that someone else has written that on the cover. It was a privilege to read it and it will stay with me for a long time. Marianne Cronin has written a superb book and I would love to see what she does next.
6 out of 5 for this one.
Penguin Random House UK.
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