One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

An extraordinary friendship. A lifetime of stories that begins at the end . . .

Seventeen-year-old Lenni Pettersson lives on the Terminal Ward at the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital. Though the teenager has been told she’s dying, she still has plenty of living to do. Joining the hospital’s arts and crafts class, she meets Margot, an 83-year-old, purple-pajama-wearing, fruitcake-eating rebel, who transforms Lenni in ways she never imagined.

As their friendship blooms, a world of stories opens for these unlikely companions who, between them, have been alive for one hundred years. Though their days are dwindling, both are determined to leave their mark on the world. Lenni and Margot devise a plan to create one hundred paintings showcasing the stories of the century they have lived—stories of love and loss, of courage and kindness, of unexpected tenderness and pure joy.

My Verdict: This is the perfect mix of funny and bittersweet. It is heartbreaking yet ultimately uplifting, I enjoyed the tone of Lenni’s voice—irreverent and blunt, insightful beyond her years. She is wise beyond her year as only a teen facing death can be. This propels the reader into the story with something besides pity to hang on to.

The stories represented in the paintings that Margot and Lenni create to celebrate the 100 years between them are linked together with predictable hospital scenes, always bringing the reader back to the central unifying reality of the story -- the fact that our characters are short on time. The vivid past that is conjured with each story is thus dispelled with a reality check at predictable intervals.

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot reminds us of the preciousness of life as it considers the legacy we choose to leave, how we influence the lives of others even after we’re gone, and the wonder of a friendship that transcends time. Just a little warning for the reader: if you choose to read this one, be prepared to "ugly cry". I give this book 5 stars.