We can’t know why we are dying in the same way we can’t know why we are living. Living and dying are both complete mysteries, and toy can’t know either until you have done both.” They paint pictures for the years of their lives and during these times.. they tell each other the stories of their lives so far. I appreciate the themes explored — and the connection between Lenni and Margot (their friendship)— both dying— The two begin telling each other the stories of their lives as they paint. We learn where Lenni’s parents are, her childhood traumas, about her first kiss, etc. Margot has lead an interesting life with two marriages, but neither to the love of her life. As Lenni’s inevitable death draws near, she is comforted by Margot’s stories and the knowledge that their paintings will help them be remembered.

Cronin’s touching debut is a joyous celebration of friendship, love, and life." — Publishers WeeklyAn unforgettable and heartwarming debut about how a chance encounter with a list of library books helps forge an unlikely friendship between two very different people in a London suburb. Margot is an 83 year old woman who is terminally ill with a heart condition. She meets Lenni and they decide to complete 100 paintings in the art therapy room at the hospital. Each painting represents one of their combined 100 years. The author presents each year in the form of Margot or Lenni telling the other the story of that year. Through these moments, they relive their lives together. Margot tells her life story – full of loss, reinvention, and all the different types of love she has experienced. Margot, age 83, has a serious heart condition. She had one surgery and is staying in the hospital until she is strong enough for a second surgery. Margot is a talented artist, so when the new Rose Room art studio opens in the hospital, she is one of the first to sign up for the over 80 class. She is very surprised when the young Lenni confidently marches into this octogenarian class and makes herself at home. When Lenni realizes that she and Margot have been alive a combined 100 years, they embark on a journey to make 100 paintings to celebrate their lives. Eighty three year old Margot is at the same hospital due to heart problems that required surgery and 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 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 for her 83 years of life Lenni records the stories that Margot tells with each picture she creates. Lenni's artwork is not of the same artistic talent but I would love to have gotten to see the pictures she made of her 17 years. Gather your book club, put the kettle on and use the questions below to get the conversation started. Warning: spoilers ahead...

Author Marianne Cronin has written a beautiful, emotional book that will surprise you and will stay with you for a long time. And yes, you will cry. Seventeen-year-old LenniPetterssonlives 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 the magnificent Margot, an 83-year-old, purple-pajama-wearing, fruitcake-eating rebel, who transforms Lenni in ways she never imagined.Lenni Pettersson is terminally ill and perceptive in the way of 17-year-olds who've experienced more trauma than most people their age. She meets 83-year-old Margot Macrae in a memorable first encounter that turns comically conspiratorial: Lenni covers for Margot while Margot’s engaged in pulling something out of a large hospital rubbish bin. They’re both alone in the hospital, and each woman soon realizes that she’s found a kindred spirit.

With it's uplifting message, the story is both poignant and also comical." — Cosmopolitan (20 Book's You're Going to Want to Read this Summer) But there were two numbers in front of me that mattered, and would matter for the rest of my numbered days. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is a remarkably good novel. That being said, the voice acting of Sheila Reid and Rebecca Benson takes the story to a new level. The accents are beautiful, and the emotions are pure. If you are fortunate enough to have a choice, listen to this book. You will want the narrator’s voices speaking Lenni, Margot, and Father Arthurs words. This is one of those cases where the voice actors take the story to an entirely new level. Book Club and Discussion Questions (SPOILERS)

I definitely cried towards the end, but mostly because this book made me really think about the friendships I have had throughout my life and how I can use my life to make a difference in the lives of others, if only in a simple way. If only we could all be a little more like Lenni sometimes. I initially felt unsure about the story when I first finished it. I found myself thinking I wanted more from Lenni’s side of the story. But the more I sat with it the more I realized that’s the whole point. Lenni was seventeen when she died, of course we wanted more from her story, we simply couldn’t have it. We all wish to live lives so full we had endless stories to tell, like Margot who got to experience so much, but that’s not everyone’s reality. At three points reading this book I had a “wow” moment. First, when I saw where Margot lived when she was young (Cromdale St, Glasgow is where my 83 year old mum lives now). Second was when I saw where she moved to when she married Johnny (Church St, Glasgow is where my mum went to school). Three was when she told Johnny she was pregnant (I told my husband the same way). I had a personal connection and it felt surreal. Lenni and Margot are two of the most wonderful, warm, witty and wise heroines I've ever met. Beautiful and glorious' CLARE POOLEY, author of The Authenticity Project

If you were going to paint memories from all the years of your life – which moment or memory would you paint first? Lenni is 17 years old, has a gift for painting, is dying from a terminal disease and… wants to know why? The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot is a lovely novel and really helps us look at our lives from the outside in. I thought of what my own 42 paintings would look like, and what I want my remaining paintings to be.There is more to this story, but essentially, this is a lovely debut that is about living life fully, despite knowing that this life is finite. Filled with the joys of life, of love, it is an ode to living life fully, as joyfully as possible, celebrating life on your own terms. After meeting in the terminal ward’s art class, two women (one 17 and one 83) bond through life, love and friendshipin this Uplifting and heartstring-tugging story." — Parade (Ultimate Summer Reading List) Lenni is an inquisitive and funny 17-year-old girl. She is also terminally ill. The Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital is now her home. When she meets Margot, a gravely ill, 83-year-old fellow patient, they form a close bond. Lenni is intrigued by the fact that their combined ages total 100 years. Together in their art therapy class, they decide to create 100 paintings to document each year of their lives. Through the details behind each of the paintings, we learn their stories. Lenni, já te aconteceu perder algo importante como as chaves de casa, os óculos ou o telemóvel e… procurares, procurares, procurares… até que… já frustrada e esgotada… finalmente desistes?! A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances, this is the new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars.