Away with the Penguins

“A curmudgeonly but charming old woman, her estranged grandson, and a colony of penguins proves it’s never too late to be the person you want to be in this rich, heart-warming novel. Veronica is estranged from her family and wants to find a worthwhile cause to leave her fortune to. When she sees a documentary about penguins being studied in Antarctica, she tells the scientists she’s coming to visit, and won’t take no for an answer. Her grandson, Patrick, comes to Antarctica to make one last attempt to get to know his grandmother. Together, Veronica, Patrick, and even the scientists, learn what family, love, and connection are all about. Heart-warming is definitely the right way to describe it – it’s the age-old melting of a heart which has hardened through a life of hardship, loss during the way, abusive relationships, and then a learning to trust, love, and rely on others – with some cute, cuddly penguins thrown in. It’s a fun, jolly, gently, warm read – I raced through it. If you’re looking for a light, uplifting read then this is your one!”