Away with the Penguins: The heartwarming and uplifting Richard & Judy Book Club pick
Mar 2020 · Random House
4.7star
13 reviewsreport
Ebook
416
Pages
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About this ebook
**Don't miss Granny McCreedy's brand-new adventure in Gone with the Penguins - available to pre-order now!**
A Richard & Judy Book Club and BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick.
A truly feel-good book club read - a #1 bestseller in ebook and audio!
'This year's Eleanor Oliphant . . . Funny, bittersweet and wholly original.' Daily Express
Veronica McCreedy is about to have the journey of a lifetime . . .
Veronica McCreedy lives in a mansion by the sea. She loves a nice cup of Darjeeling tea whilst watching a good wildlife documentary. And she's never seen without her ruby-red lipstick.
Although these days Veronica is rarely seen by anyone because, at 85, her days are spent mostly at home, alone.
She can be found either collecting litter from the beach ('people who litter the countryside should be shot'), trying to locate her glasses ('someone must have moved them') or shouting instructions to her assistant, Eileen ('Eileen, door!').
Veronica doesn't have family or friends nearby. Not that she knows about, anyway . . . And she has no idea where she's going to leave her considerable wealth when she dies.
But today . . . today Veronica is going to make a decision that will change all of this.
'I love this gorgeous book. Unflinching, stubborn, funny and moving, Veronica is an unlikely heroine who will sneak in and capture your heart.' Trisha Ashley
Readers are falling in love with Away with the Penguins:
'Without a doubt the most delightful, joyous and uplifting book I've read so far this year . . . be prepared to fall in love.' *****
'A gloriously quirky and life affirming story of hope.' *****
'Oh how I loved this absolute gem of a book. Both heartbreaking and heartwarming.' *****
A Richard & Judy Book Club and BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick.
A truly feel-good book club read - a #1 bestseller in ebook and audio!
'This year's Eleanor Oliphant . . . Funny, bittersweet and wholly original.' Daily Express
Veronica McCreedy is about to have the journey of a lifetime . . .
Veronica McCreedy lives in a mansion by the sea. She loves a nice cup of Darjeeling tea whilst watching a good wildlife documentary. And she's never seen without her ruby-red lipstick.
Although these days Veronica is rarely seen by anyone because, at 85, her days are spent mostly at home, alone.
She can be found either collecting litter from the beach ('people who litter the countryside should be shot'), trying to locate her glasses ('someone must have moved them') or shouting instructions to her assistant, Eileen ('Eileen, door!').
Veronica doesn't have family or friends nearby. Not that she knows about, anyway . . . And she has no idea where she's going to leave her considerable wealth when she dies.
But today . . . today Veronica is going to make a decision that will change all of this.
'I love this gorgeous book. Unflinching, stubborn, funny and moving, Veronica is an unlikely heroine who will sneak in and capture your heart.' Trisha Ashley
Readers are falling in love with Away with the Penguins:
'Without a doubt the most delightful, joyous and uplifting book I've read so far this year . . . be prepared to fall in love.' *****
'A gloriously quirky and life affirming story of hope.' *****
'Oh how I loved this absolute gem of a book. Both heartbreaking and heartwarming.' *****
Ratings and reviews
4.7
13 reviews
Claire McPartlin
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March 16, 2020
A very quirky, unusual story about an 85 year old lady and penguins! Veronica is a wealthy, fairly eccentric lady who doesn't particularly like people and hasn't anyone to leave her money to when she dies, and is wondering what to do with it. She discovers a grandson she didn't know about, but decides he's not worthy of it, and so after seeing a program on the TV decides to leave it all to penguin research and flies out to the Antarctic and lands herself on the poor penguin scientists in the middle of nowhere with really basic accommodation, promising to leave her money to them if she can stay and see the penguins for a few weeks. This was a very amusing, and slightly sad in parts, book with great descriptions of penguins that was really interesting. I haven't really thought that much about them before, but they sound like really amazing creatures. Veronica is a formidable woman who is very hard to say no to so there are certainly some interesting parts of the story! Her grandson also grew on me, as initially I found him irritating (worked one day a week/lived on benefits/moped around feeling sorry for himself/smoked cannabis), but he also ended up in the Antarctic and he turned out to be a nice guy. I wasn't too sure I'd like the story to start with, but it grew on me as I got further into the book. Something a little bit different that ended up a very enjoyable read.
3 people found this review helpful
Cathy Albertelli
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May 15, 2025
beautiful story , how circumstances make us realise what we really have and need
Wendy Giaimo
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March 8, 2020
An easy to read, heartwarming story.
About the author
HAZEL PRIOR lives on Exmoor with her husband and a huge ginger cat. As well as writing, she works as a freelance harpist. Hazel is the author of Ellie and the Harp-Maker, the #1 ebook and audiobook bestseller Away with the Penguins and its follow-up, Call of the Penguins. Life and Otter Miracles is her fourth novel.
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