A moving, funny, heartwarming tale of love and friendship, for anyone who loved The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Keeper of Lost Things and Three Things About Elsie.It’s never too late to grow old disgracefully…The life of 79-year-old pensioner Peggy Smart is as beige as the décor in her retirement village. Her week revolves around aqua aerobics and appointments with her doctor. The … aqua aerobics and appointments with her doctor. The highlight of Peggy’s day is watching her neighbour Brian head out for his morning swim.
Peggy dreams of inviting the handsome widower – treasurer of the Residents’ Committee and one of the few eligible men in the village – to an intimate dinner. But why would an educated man like Brian, a chartered accountant no less, look twice at Peggy? As a woman of a certain age, she fears she has become invisible, even to men in their eighties.
But a chance encounter with an old school friend she hasn’t seen in five decades – the glamorous fashionista Angie Valentine – sets Peggy on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.
Can she channel her ‘inner Helen Mirren’ and find love and friendship in her twilight years?
more
The perfect blend of funny and moving: had me laughing and crying in this ultimately uplifting story.
I haven’t been this entranced by a character since Eleanor (Oliphant, of course). And for all of the same reasons I loved Eleanor, I LOVED Peggy Smart.
We meet Peggy at 79 1/2 years old, on the verge of something big. That premise alone makes it unique. How many books have you read where the protagonist is older than 40 (or even 50!) but still discovering things about themselves…still finding new things to explore in life? Not many, I’d guess. This book is a joy for that reason alone – it’s a celebration of age instead of an apology for it, and a reminder that life is always an adventure if you let it be.
Joanna Nell doesn’t gloss over the difficulties of being almost 80 – Peggy is facing some health challenges, but this book isn’t about a feeble old woman. Peggy is cautious, but she’s courageous. She’s quirky, but kind and realistic. I was cheering on her every step towards happiness. I laughed a lot during this book – but importantly, I never felt like I was laughing at Peggy. She’s a well crafted, well rounded character.
I LOVED this uniquely endearing book – I’ve read some brilliant books this year, but I think this might just be close to the top of the list so far.
Truly enjoyed this book. Very entertaining with lovely poignant moments and out-right funny ones. Really really good.
This book kept me thoroughly entertained throughout, leading me to buy her next book ‘The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker’ – this one as entertaining as her last. I loved her characters, her humour and wit, and found myself laughing out loud several times while reading.
Loved this book and its characters.. esp Peggy, I wish my grandmother had been like her..
Seventy-nine year old Peggy lives in a retirement village and has done so for a couple of years but it is not until an old friend comes to live there, that she is shaken out of her comfort zone and makes a close circle of friends from among some of the other residents. This book had some amusing malapropisms (“blue teeth”, “Luke Spywater“ and “Pirates of the Crimean” to name a few) plus some country specific words that didn’t mean anything to me. Overall it was a pleasant, if undemanding read that could be picked up and put down without losing the thread of the story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I loved it! I want to be Peggy when I’m older. With many laugh-out-loud moments, this book is sure to make you see “getting old” in a different light. A refreshing, funny, realistic and warm read.
Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village by Joanna Nell a five-star read that you will want to grow old with. In my daily life I freely admit, I love old people and they are my jam, I work with them every day and miss them on my days off, they surprise me every day and this book showed me them in their true light, something that not many people do and I loved that the author showed everyone how awesome oldies are. I recommend this to everyone no matter your age or taste as this has something for everyone, its humorous and honest and filled with great drama that will warm the cockles of your heart. Peggy Smart shows us how a well written character can come alive on the page and make you feel emotions that will make your head spin.
This is such a great story it is funny, moving, emotional and so very heart-warming, make yourself comfortable for this one while you enjoy meeting the lovey seventy nine year old Peggy Smart and the highs and lows of living in a retirement village and aging with decorum and aplomb as best she can.
Peggy is widowed, she has two children David who is married to Mel they have two children Sam and Emily and Jenny who lives with her girlfriend and the alpacas, Peggy lives alone with her dog Basil, her little old man, yes she can be forgetful but the Webster’s pill packaging does help her with the days of the week, as does her colour co-ordinated calendar, she also loves checking one of the neighbours out, that would be Brian retired chartered accountant and treasurer of the residents committee the man that Peggy dreams of inviting for dinner one day, yes life is good for Peggy, but then Angie Valentine moves into the village and Peggy’s life is going to improve maybe?
Peggy and Angie met when they were eight years old, they went to school together and worked together for some time but Angie was always the out spoken one the one to go for what she wanted never lost for words and she went onto travel the world with her job and Peggy married Ted and settled down and now Angie is still the beautiful, vibrant person she was and she steps in to improve Peggy’s life but Peggy is unsure about all of this and worries a little. Meeting up with Peggy again for Angie was what she had wanted there is a secret that needs to be told and Angie will do anything for her friend Peggy
This one had me laughing out loud with tears running down my face as Peggy gets herself into a few scrapes but Angie is there and when the tables are turned Peggy is there for Angie. This is a beautifully written story with all of the emotional feels that will keep you turning the pages, the characters are rich, vibrant and alive, truly there is much laughter and there are tears as this journey of friendship and aging gracefully with fun, it is never too late to find love and enjoy life. This a must read. A story that I highly recommend, huge congratulations on a fabulous debut and I look forward to many more books from MS Nell.