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Away with the Penguins

The heartwarming and uplifting Richard & Judy Book Club pick

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Away with the Penguins

By: Hazel Prior
Narrated by: Nigel Pilkington, Nicolette McKenzie, Ayoola Smart
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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

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.


Readers love Hazel Prior!

‘Oh I so adored this beautiful, unique book!’

‘A complete pleasure from start to finish.’

‘A touching, absorbing and uplifting story.’

‘Tender, heartwarming and sensitively written.’

© Hazel Prior 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Animals Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Romance Small Town & Rural Women's Fiction Comedy Feel-Good Heartfelt

Critic Reviews

This year's Eleanor Oliphant . . . Funny, bittersweet and wholly original.
A glorious, life-affirming story. I read it in a day. I’m going to buy it for so many people this year!
I love this gorgeous book. Unflinching, stubborn, funny and moving, Veronica is an unlikely heroine who will sneak in and capture your heart.
A warm and witty journey of self-discovery. Prior proves that it’s never too late to become the person you were meant to be.
A warm-hearted and life-affirming tale about ageing, human kindness, old-fashioned values and protecting our planet.
A touching, uplifting tale.
Love is not simple; it is the most complex of all the experiences we encounter. Caring for an orphaned penguin liberates the love Veronica had withheld for decades. At the age of eighty-six, the world is all at once at her feet. I commend this novel as a work of art, written in a prose so fluent that it all but reads itself to you. And the creation of the character of Veronica, just by itself, deserves high praise.
All stars
Most relevant
What a great story! It worked well to have 3 narrators. I’ll be looking out for more by the dame author.

Delightful

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A truly delightful story with wonderful characters and penguins. What more could we ask for?

Delightful

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A wonderful story with a charming character development. It was delightful to hear about the main characters' past and her journey through Antarctica. Having 3 different narrators really helps keep track of everyone but also they each bring their characters to life, allowing you to really picture everything thats happening. I really enjoyed this book.

A heartwarming story

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Easy to listen to. A beautiful, sweet little story. Great narration. I adored it.

A beautiful story

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Absolutely loved central character Veronica and she was really made to come to life in sound of narrator's voice.

Fun book, worth a listen.

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