A review by nothingforpomegranted
The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Lenni is seventeen years old, dying from a terminal illness and living in a hospital in Glasgow. One day, on a whim, she wanders into the hospital chapel, where she challenges (and becomes fast friends with) Father Arthur, asking questions about God, faith, and why she is dying. Shortly later (or maybe not, depending on how you judge the passage of hospital time), Lenni encounters Margot in an art class. Immediately fascinated by her life and her stories, Lenni is struck by the fact that Margot is 83 years old, meaning that their lives, together, add up to 100 years. 

The two embark on a project to paint 100 canvases, representing the 100 years of their lives, and, in alternating chapters, they reveal their stories to each other, opening up about divorce and death, love and loss. 

This is a book with a sweet, heartwarming, sometimes devastating premise with two characters who led interesting lives. Yet, I just didn't feel connected to the story. I enjoyed reading about Lenni's relationship with Father Arthur and Margot's relationship with Howard--actually, I think Howard was my favorite character--but Lenni and Margot's friendship was unconvincing to me, which definitely reduced the overall impact of the book. 
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