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Start giftingThe Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village
Narrator
Deidre Rubenstein
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Length
11 hours 36 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“The story of two friends, Peggy and Angie, who are reunited at their retirement village fifty years after they’d lost touch, is an absolute heart-warmer. Joanna Nell brings an incredible sense of character, wit, and charm to these lovable folks as they navigate the later years of their lives. With humor and much vitality, Peggy and Angie find themselves in a multitude of shenanigans, but all the while reminiscing of their youth and lamenting their age, only to prove age is only a number. ”
— TJ • Anne’s Secondhand Bookshop
Joanna Nell's life-affirming debut is a moving, funny, heartwarming tale of love and community in the spirit of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and Grace and Frankie
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. Following a very minor traffic accident, things have turned frosty with her grown-up children and she is afraid they are trying to take away her independence.
The highlight of Peggy's day is watching her neighbour Brian head out for his morning swim. She 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.
'Lively and whimsical ... with some serious points to make about ageing, love, community and friendship' Sydney Morning Herald
'This heartwarming story about growing old gracefully - and disgracefully ... is a funny, witty and thoroughly enjoyable read for all ages' Daily Telegraph
'I haven't been this entranced by a character since Eleanor (Oliphant, of course). This book is a joy - 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. I loved this uniquely endearing book' KELLY RIMMER
'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' FIONA PALMER
'The perfect blend of funny and moving: had me laughing and crying in this ultimately uplifting story' NATASHA LESTER
Joanna Nell is a British-Australian writer, GP and advocate for positive ageing. Her essays and short fiction have won multiple awards and been widely published in magazines, journals and literary anthologies. Her first five novels, The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village, The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker, The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home, The Tea Ladies of St Jude's Hospital and Mrs Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year, were national bestsellers. Joanna lives on Sydney's Northern Beaches.
Reviews
The perfect blend of funny and moving. Peggy Smart had me laughing and crying in this ultimately uplifting story I loved it! I want to be Peggy when I'm older. With many laugh-out-loud moments, this book celebrate life in the later years and is sure to make you see "getting old" in a different light. A refreshing, funny, realistic and warm read It is a hoot! I don't think I've laughed out loud at a book as much since I read Marian Keyes' Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married. Regardless of your age, I can highly recommend you snuggle up with Peggy Smart and her band of old-timers who have a lot to teach us about growing old, and it's not about doing it gracefully I loved this warm and witty story of an older woman learning to stand up for herself, and found myself cheering for her to succeed. A terrific feel-good read It was so refreshing to read about characters at this stage of their lives. It touched my heart and will have real staying power in the hearts and minds of readers Review This is a funny, witty and thoroughly enjoyable read for all ages. This is an enjoyable, easy read This novel is bound to be the feel-good book of Christmas giving as it is a book to love whether you are in your late teens or into a new century. Guaranteed to be a word-of-mouth hit well into 2019 The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village is an uplifting look at growing old 'disgracefully' and not letting society (or your own flesh and blood!) make you think you can't do what you want to...even at almost 80 years old! In Joanna's book, age is irrelevant unless you area cheese, and her characters navigate their trials and tribulations with a collective spirit and a refreshing disdain for their disapproving onlookers. an uplifting story about aging, spiced up with a dash of mystery, sex, fast cars and brandy. You might have to wear sensible shoes but you can still enjoy champagne. This novel shows that older people still enjoy sexual relationships; that friendship is vitally important; and that accumulated life experiences allow them to face their certain future with huge dignity. This novel shows that older people still enjoy sexual relationships; that friendship is vitally important; and that accumulated life experiences allow them to face their certain future with huge dignity. Expand reviewsCrystallineBloom® is proud to partner with Libro.fm to give you a great audiobook experience.