“Along with naming me Marguerite after her favorite daisy, Mama gave me three things: Red hair that hasn’t faded. A love of nature. And a belief that somewhere between heaven and earth there is magic.” At age fifty-five, Meg’s life is too filled with loss for her to remember what magic feels like. All she has left is a yard brimming with plants that are wilting in the scorching Iowa summer—and … scorching Iowa summer—and a bone-deep feeling that she’s through with living.
Meg has something else too: a bottle of mysterious pills, given to her years ago by an empathetic doctor. He promised that they would offer her dying mother a quick, painless end in exactly twenty days. Though her mother never needed them, Meg does. But a strange thing happens after Meg swallows the little green pearls . . .
Now that she’s decided to leave this world, Meg is rediscovering the joy in it. She sheds everything she no longer needs—possessions, regrets, guilt—and reconnects with those she cares for. Finally confronting the depth of her grief, she’s learning that love runs deeper still. But is it too late to choose to stay?
“A book to hold against your heart long after the last page is turned.”
—New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs
“Twenty reminds us to live with our hearts wide open even when they’ve been broken, and how to love even when it hurts.”
—Julie Cantrell, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Perennials
“Written with such strong and heartfelt faith in the magic and power of never-ending love, it will renew your own.”
—Judy Reene Singer, author of In the Shadow of Alabama
more
TWENTY is a captivating book detailing the (potentially) final twenty days of fifty-five year old Meg’s life. Tired of being lonely and having experienced more than her fair share of loss, Meg takes pills that should kill her twenty days after ingestion. In the mean time, she learns to look at things differently and appreciate the life she has been given. Engle’s story is eloquently written and thought provoking. I experienced a wide range of emotions alongside Meg, and it changed my perspective of how I view my own life. Some readers might find Meg somewhat exasperating, but I enjoyed every minute reading her story. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read this title. The opinions expressed here are my own. #BetweenTheChapters #TwentytheNovel
This was a very well-written book. The chapters are short, as is the book. All that being said, that doesn’t mean it’s an easy book to read, because it’s not. And maybe that’s because of my personal situation. As I was reading, I’d get through a chapter and have to put it down because it is such a difficult book to read—and no, I’m not talking vocabulary. The subject is death—and life. There is a lot of poignancy to the story as well as imagery that goes with the subject. It is a strong book. A good book. But not an easy book.
What I liked: the character of Meg. I know her. All too well. Also, I found it interesting that there is a discussion section at the back for book clubs and others to question and discuss this book.
What I didn’t like: I’m not sure I liked the ending. The not knowing. And yet… if I’m truthful, I will admit that the ending is perfect for the book. The author did the story justice in ending it the way she did.
Recommendation: As I said, this is a very strong book and well-written, but it is a book with a very sensitive subject—suicide. Euthanasia. Life. But mostly, death. Be forewarned about that. I do recommend it, but you need to be aware of that.
Thanks to the publisher for providing this book.
A very inspirational story about life, grief, and love. It’s about how we can find happiness in the littlest of things when we think our days are numbered. In this story that number is 20. In the process of tying up loose ends Meg experiences a lightness of heart, learns to let go of her grief, and how to love again.
I wanted to read this book from the moment it became available and I read the synopsis. Here’s why…Meg, the main character is 55 years old, has suffered tremendous loss and pain and has decided she has nothing left to live for. I identify with Meg. I’m 55 years old and have felt the same way. I thought by reading this book I would get some answers. And I did. Although a fictional character, Meg makes you think about what life is really all about and what you would miss if you were gone.
After taking 20 little green pills, Meg has 20 days left to live, so she has decided to declutter her house, let go of her loss, regrets, grief and anger and has started looking at life in a whole new light. She begins to see the beauty and joy of life all around her.
There is a wonderful message about the joy of living in this story. It is also inspirational and gave me a kind of spiritual awakening. It was definitely a thought provoking quick read. I couldn’t put it down because I had to know what was going to happen in end.
My only complaint is the ending. I think it could have been written differently (because it left me without closure) so I’m hoping there is a sequel.
I received this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
If you’re looking for a great book to read for book club, choose this book! It’s a fast read with so many thoughtful ideas and topics to talk about with others. Written over a 20 day span, this is the story of finding life after giving up. One of the most important ideas of the story is realizing it’s never to late to take charge of your life and do all the things you never feel you have time for, or will do later, or are afraid to do. Our tomorrow’s aren’t promised, so what are we doing to have the best life today?
Told through the eyes of Meg, we learn of her past heartache and loss, and discover how tough life is perceived to be through her eyes. She takes her future into her own hands and ingests medicinal pearls given to her years before which promise to give her 20 days to finish life as she sees fit, and then… the end. But will it be the end, maybe the pearls no longer work, what should she expect, what does the end really mean? You’ll find yourself being thoughtful while reading, connecting with the characters, and wondering what you might do in the same situation.
A work of fiction that at times moved me to tears. How often do we take life for granted, until tragedy strikes? This is a must read if you are one of those people.
This story touched my heart in so many ways, I found it to be a story of hope, grief and disillusionment and love. This book made you really stop and think what you might do in the same situation. Can something that has been done, been undone? Only time will tell. I found the premise of the story very different yet and enjoyable read. I personally believe anyone that reads the book can take something from the book. I received the book from the Publishing Company, and this is my honest review. This is one of the times I wish there were a half star rating, for me this would rate a 4.5 stars.
I really loved this book. The story of Meg’s life was interesting, and easy to read. But what I liked even more was the way the book made me think about what is really important in life. Meg is facing a crisis, and as she works through it, she thinks a lot about her life and makes some changes that make her happier. I enjoyed following her thought process, and seeing her take action gave me some good ideas about things to try in my own life.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good story, and anyone who is looking for some new ideas and things to think about to improve your life.
I received an arc of this book. It was a beautifully written story of a womans decision to take a pull that would end her life in 20 days. It goes through telling all the Joys and pain that she had to endure through her life.