Here at Oakham Nub News we are working closely with Laura from Rutland Book Club to bring you monthly instalments of our new book club feature.

Laura Ray has been running Rutland Book Club for over a year and arranges monthly meet ups for other keen readers to discuss their chosen book of the month - and you are invited to join!

The book club title for this month is 'The One Hundred Years of Lennie and Margot' by Marianne Cronin.

About the book:

This is the story of an extraordinary friendship and a lifetime of stories. 

Life is short. No-one knows that better than seventeen year old Lenni living on the terminal ward. But as she is about to learn, it's not only what you make of life that matters, but who you share it with.

Dodging doctor's orders, she joins an art class where she bumps into fellow patient Margot, a rebel-hearted eighty three year old from the next ward. Their bond is instant as they realize that together they have lived an astonishing one hundred years.

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.

As their extraordinary friendship deepens, it becomes vividly clear that life is not done with Lenni and Margot yet.

Laura's review:

This is a beautiful book and a stunning debut novel from Marianne Cronin. The friendship they build is captivating and they each fill in a void in each other's life and the relationship they build is one they never knew they needed. 

Throughout the novel it jumps back and forth in time between the present day when Lenni and Margot are both being treated in hospital, to stories of their childhood and the lives that each other have led. 

Despite knowing that she's dying, Lenni finds purpose and life in everything:

"Numbers don't mean a lot to me. I don't care about long division or percentages. I don't know my height or my weight and I can't remember my dad's phone number, though I know I used to know it. I prefer words. Delicious, glorious words. 

But there were two numbers in front of me that mattered, and would matter for the rest of my numbered days.

'Between us,' I said quietly, 'we're a hundred years old.'"

Marianne Cronin. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, pg. 44

There were several teary moments in this book that were both and beautiful and I would highly recommend it.

A must read.

How to join the book club:

Rutland Book Club will be discussing this book on Thursday the 22nd of June 2022 at 7.30pm. They meet at The Wisteria Hotel in Oakham. People are welcome to join the Rutland Book Club Facebook Group.

The book can be bought online or locally from Walkers Book Shop which is on the High Street in Oakham.

Keep your eyes peeled for the Rutland Book Club pick in July...

The monthly book will be shared here at the start of each month going forward.

In the meantime, we will see you at The Wisteria on the 22nd of June 2022.