- Date Published:
2021 - Length:
352 pages—Listening Time: 10 hr 53 minutes - Genre:
General Fiction - Setting:
Present day; Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital Palliative Care Unit, Scotland - Awards:
Alex Award 2022; Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee Fiction 2021; Lariat Adult Fiction Reading List Selection 2022; LibraryReads Monthly Pick Top Ten June 2021 - Languages:
English, Danish, Dutch, German, Italian, Portuguese (Portugal), Spanish, Swedish - Sensitive Aspects:
Terminal illness, child death, cancer, war, PTSD, Alzheimer’s, abandonment and grief, questioning of faith and religion, LBGTQ+, general emotional intensity - Movie:
A major Hollywood studio is adapting this book into a feature film, but no specific information about casting or other details is available. - Recommended for Book Club:
YES
Some books feel less like stories on a page and more like unexpected friends—quietly slipping into our hearts, rearranging the way we think about love, loss, and the strange beauty of being human. Marianne Cronin's The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is unmistakably the latter—a tender masterpiece that proves the most profound connections can bloom in the most unexpected places.
When seventeen-year-old Lenni meets eighty-three-year-old Margot in a hospital art class, their friendship becomes the kind of literary magic that reminds us why we are in love with books. Together, they've lived a combined one hundred years, and together, they decide to create one hundred paintings that capture a century of life—both lived and unlived, remembered and imagined.
This book isn't just a story about friendship across generations, though it certainly celebrates that beautiful possibility. It's a meditation on what it means to truly live, even when time feels desperately short. Cronin has crafted something extraordinary here: a novel that manages to be simultaneously heartbreaking and life-affirming, gentle yet powerful, familiar yet completely original.
If you haven't read it already, put this book on your TBR list right now. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot doesn't just deserve to be read—it deserves to be treasured, shared, and returned to, whenever you need reminding of the quiet courage it takes to love fully, even when we know all beautiful things must end.
In the sterile corridors of Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital, two unlikely rebels are about to paint their way through a century of living. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin is a luminous debut that transforms the terminal ward into an unexpected canvas of hope, humor, and heart.
Meet Lenni Pettersson, a fierce 17-year-old who refuses to let her terminal diagnosis define her final chapters. Dodging doctor's orders with characteristic rebelliousness, she stumbles into an art class populated by octogenarians and discovers Margot—an 83-year-old, purple-pajama-wearing, fruitcake-eating force of nature who treats hospital waste bins like treasure chests.
When these two kindred spirits realize their ages combine to exactly one hundred years, they hatch an audacious plan: create 100 paintings that capture every precious year of their shared century on Earth. What unfolds is part art therapy, part memoir, and entirely magical as their brushstrokes reveal the hidden galleries of their lives.
Through Margot's masterful artwork, we glimpse her romantic odyssey—from first kisses with Johnny to a marriage shattered by grief, her mysterious encounter with the enigmatic Meena, and her tender union with Humphrey, an astronomer who taught her to find beauty in dead stars. Lenni's stories, though filtered through less skilled hands, pulse with the raw authenticity of adolescence—her first kiss, a mother battling mental illness, and the peculiar grace of finding friendship in the shadow of death.
But this isn't just their story. Father Arthur, the hospital chaplain nearing retirement, and the devoted palliative care nurse become essential threads in this tapestry of connection. Even Paul the Porter finds himself touched by their extraordinary project.
Cronin crafts a narrative that dances between tears and laughter, never allowing sentimentality to overshadow the genuine complexity of living and dying. The novel celebrates how friendship transcends age, circumstance, and time itself—proving that sometimes the most profound connections bloom in the most unexpected places.
I actually read this book back in 2021 and like stars whose light reaches us long after they've died, Lenni and Margot's story has stayed with me, illuminating the eternal truth that we can still shine even when our time is ending. This is a book that will crack open the most guarded hearts and remind us that every day—no matter how numbered—is still a blank canvas waiting for color.
This heartwarming debut novel by Marianne Cronin offers several compelling reasons to add it to your reading list:
An Unlikely but Powerful Friendship
The story centers on an extraordinary friendship between 17-year-old Lenni, who is terminally ill and living on a hospital ward, and 83-year-old Margot, a rebellious woman awaiting heart surgery. Despite their 66-year age gap, these two characters form an immediate and deep connection that transcends generational boundaries.
A Celebration of Life, Not Death
While the premise involves characters facing mortality, this is ultimately a life-affirming story. The novel transforms what could have been a morbid tale into a witty, heart touching celebration of life. Reviewers consistently emphasize that it's about living fully rather than dying, making it an uplifting, rather than depressing read.
Exceptional Writing and Character Development
Critics praise Cronin's "quirky characterisations" and her ability to skillfully balance "tears, heartbreak, grief, loss and drama" with "love, friendship, humour and joy." The writing has a strong visual element that brings both the art project and the characters' stories to life. The dialogue between characters, particularly Lenni's conversations with the hospital chaplain about life's big questions, adds philosophical depth.
Universal Themes That Resonate
The novel explores timeless themes of love, friendship, and the power of human connection. It demonstrates that meaningful relationships can form in the most unexpected places and circumstances. The story also touches on forgiveness, acceptance, and finding meaning in life regardless of how much time you have left.
Emotional Impact Without Overwhelming Sadness
While the book will likely make you cry, reviewers describe it as tears mixed with joy rather than pure sadness. One reviewer noted, "I blubbed, I blubbed a lot and I loved it." The emotional journey is described as both heart-wrenching and heartwarming, with the friendship between Lenni and Margot providing hope and light throughout.
Critical and Reader Acclaim
The book has received widespread praise, earning a 4.30 rating on Goodreads and being compared favorably to works by John Green, Rachel Joyce, and Jojo Moyes. Reviewers consistently call it "unforgettable," "moving," and "a read that will melt the hardest of hearts."
If you enjoy character-driven stories about human connection, appreciate books that find beauty in difficult circumstances, or are drawn to intergenerational friendships, The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot offers a unique and emotionally rewarding reading experience that celebrates the extraordinary gift of life itself.
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Based on shared themes and appeal, here are several books similar to The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin that you might enjoy.
Heartwarming Stories About Friendship Across Generations
- The Lido by Libby Page
A warm, feel-good tale about Kate, a lonely newspaper reporter, and Rosemary, an 86-year-old widow, who come together to save the Brockwell Lido swimming pool from closure. Like Lenni and Margot, it explores friendship between characters of different generations and the importance of community. - The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston
Described as perfect for readers of Remarkably Bright Creatures and A Man Called Ove, this debut features a case of mistaken identity that gives a lonely old man one last chance to be part of a family. - The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons
A moving and gentle read about octogenarian Eudora, who contemplates life's final years. Her world changes with the arrival of precocious child Rose and her family, creating new friendships that mirror the unexpected bonds in Cronin's novel.
Stories About Life's Precious Moments and Second Chances
- The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise by Colleen Oakley
A witty road trip story featuring the unlikely duo of Louise Wilt (in her eighties) and 21-year-old Tanner Quimby. Their cross-country journey explores friendship, personal growth, and the power of human connection. - Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce
Known for her touching storytelling, Joyce offers another tale of unlikely friendship and personal discovery.
Literary Fiction with Emotional Depth
- The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans
A collection that combines storytelling with emotional resonance. - The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
A novel that weaves together different timelines and characters in meaningful ways. - This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
A coming-of-age story with deep emotional connections between characters.
Additional Recommendations
- Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Family dynamics and relationships explored with both humor and depth. - The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Historical fiction with strong emotional storytelling. - The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann
An eccentric, darkly comic mystery featuring senior characters tackling mysteries while dealing with aging.
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