Joanna NellCritiques

“It's never too late to grow old disgracefully....”

This is a humorous domestic drama set in an Australian retirement village. Joanna Nell is an English born author and doctor and now lives in Sydney. The main character is 79 year old Peggy Smart, whose life as a widow has become rather mundane and beige, punctuated only by popping pills out of the blister packs and watching elderly eligible widower Brian walk past in the mornings, and fending off her childrens’ attempts to consign her to a nursing home. Then her old school friend the glamorous fast-living Angie Valentine appears at the village creating a whirlpool of colour and excitement around her. Angie soon turns Peggie’s life and wardrobe upside down and helps her challenge some of the roles that have been set for her, particularly that of a frail, invisible older woman.

I enjoyed this story, it was fun, and made some insightful points about aging, although it was fairly slow moving. My only complaint was there was probably too much medical minutiae not really necessary to the flow of the story.

I really enjoyed this book and appreciate the accuracy provided by a geriatrics specialist.

A lovely story about Mrs Henry Parker and her life aboard a cruise ship. A wonderful character and plot. The most enjoyable of Nell's four novels that I have read.

An enjoyable light read.

In comparison with Nell's other books, I found this one a little less entertaining, and the plot less interesting. The character development was stronger as was the storytelling in my opinion.½

Another good read by this author, although not quite as enjoyable as The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village.

I found this novel to be less entertaining, less comical and in places a little more repetitive.

It was however a reasonable portrayal of life in an aged care facility. The characters are believable and the author has done a great job in bringing them to life.½

A delightful tale of the ladies (and men) of Jacaranda Retirement Village.

The author has done a great job with the characters and situations found in the retirement village. A very enjoyable light read.

In my U3A reading group, where I am almost the only crime fiction addict, their job, I tell them, is to interest me in reading something outside my genre. And occasionally they do.

It helped that I had already read and enjoyed another by this author.

Hattie Bloom is determined that her stay in the Woodlands Nursing Home will be short, and thinks constantly of the owls in her big tree at home. But as the local health authorities assess her home they produce a report that says there is a lot of work to be done. And Hattie becomes involved too in the life of others in the Nursing Home.

A very enjoyable novel showing a lot of empathy for those who find themselves in Hattie's predicament.½

This was a light read for my local library challenge. I struggled to engage with it initially, however it did improve.
A few laugh out loud moments but a little predictable.½

An entertaining read, and some very believable characters.

Hilary is the volunteer manager of the cafeteria, 76 years old, recently separated from her husband, and now living with her older sister. She runs the cafeteria on an exceedingly tight budget.

Her assistant is Joy, 74 years old, always a smile on her face. Her husband of 53 years, Len, has recently had cancer and is now at home on remission (?). Joy tries to feed new ideas to Hilary, trying to make her think the ideas are hers.

Chloe, 17 years old, is the third volunteer in the trio, still at school, and destined to follow her parents into medicine. Chloe has a few problems of her own, and is not really looking forward to working with the two "oldies".

This was a lovely read, and covered a number of issues including what happens when progress at the hospital challenges the very existence of the cafeteria.

Highly recommended.½

This is a lovely comfort read (perfect for conditions in Oz at the moment!
Meet the ladies who volunteer at the canteen of St Jude's Hospital. Hilary, who has just ended her marriage & moved in with her extremely entitled older sister, Nancy. Joy whose greiving for her lost husband Len & whose love of flamboyance makes it a cinch to find her in a crowd & Chloe, the 18 year old high school grad supposedly on her way to medical school, just like her parents. Each have her own issues but when they discover the canteen is under threat of closure they must come together to save it.
This is a lovely book as I said before. It plods along but is certainly not boring! One thing I love about Joanna Nell's books is the little snippets of information about the past she slips into the stories. I now know what 'spend a penny' means (can you imagine having to pay to go to the toilet?!) Joanne is a master of hilarious descriptions & one liners too eg, 'she (Chloe) backed away from the table with a solemn nod, as if she'd just laid a wreath'. Or, 'Middle aged fathers like Mark Foster put the 'men' in menopause' I have yet to discover the pitfalls of menopause but I'll take her word for it! I found it a little predictable at times but overall it's a very enjoyable story.
If you're having a hard time with the pandemic (& who isn't?) give this a go!

The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital is an endearing and entertaining novel from bestselling Australian author Joanna Nell.

Though the decor is tired, the menu uninspiring, and the coffee bland, The Marjorie Marshall Memorial Cafeteria has served the visitors and employees of St Jude’s Hospital nobly for fifty years, its profits funding a variety of projects to benefit patients. Staffed by volunteers, septuagenarian Hilary Halliday has held the position of manager for a decade and runs a tight ship, but with her personal life recently upended, her role at the cafeteria has become a life raft, which is why she is rocked to discover that management is contemplating closing the cafeteria in favour of a popular ‘whole food’ cafe franchise.

The storyline of The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital is told through three characters - Hilary; probationary volunteer Joy, with a penchant for blue eyelash falsies and bright clothing, of similar age to Hilary; and seventeen year old student Chloe Foster-Pearson, reluctantly volunteering at the behest of her surgeon mother. Each slowly reveals their private struggles as they face uncertain futures. I enjoyed the process of getting to know these well drawn characters, very different from one another, who become united by their determination to save the cafeteria.

The themes of family, friendship, change, and identity are prevalent in The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital. Nell also sensitively explores issues related to ageing, particularly for women. There is a little dig at the commercialisation of hospital care, and the Millennial folly of style over substance.

Written with warmth and humour, The Tea Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital is a charming and cheerful read.½

This lovely story will pull at your heart strings as the clever Mrs. Henry Parker copes with daily life aboard a cruise ship. Now an elderly woman, she is struggling with a failing memory and her husband is missing.
The multiple timelines alternate between her stories of the past she shares with befriended passengers, and snippets of current day memories that she can't quite make sense of. All the while searching for her beloved Henry.
Part love story, part a reflection of life, the author approaches the subject of dementia with poignancy, respect, and uplifting moments.
A beautifully written and endearing novel.

I really enjoyed this story. After a fall & a heart attack, Walter & Hattie end up 'in prison' better known as Woodlands Nursing Home until they are fit enough to look after themselves again. This story plods along but is by no means boring. I loved getting to know Hattie & her vast knowledge of birds as well as her zeal for protecting the owls in her tree. Walter, oh Walter! I really sympathised with them when I learned about some of the issues elderly people face when they realise they need assistance in the twilight of their lives. How humiliating to have the most basic decisions taken out of your hands. Anyway, this book is really sweet & sometimes downright hilarious, a lovely light hearted but thought provoking read :O)

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, which is sweet, respectful and funny, and written with great heart. The characters were magnificent and the setting was perfect for the level of shenanigans that they get up to. If I ever get to go in a nursing home, I sincerely hope it is Woodlands and that the fabulous Sister Bronwyn is in charge of the nightshift.

The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home is a charming novel proving you’re never too old for a fresh start from Joanna Nell.

After 89-year-old Miss (never Mrs or Ms) Hattie Bloom breaks her hip from a fall in her backyard, she is dismayed to be told she must spend four to six weeks convalescing at the Woodlands Nursing Home. A recluse, far more more comfortable with birds than people, she is desperate return to the sandstone cottage she was born in, particularly concerned for the welfare of a pair of nesting owls in a tree her new neighbours are threatening to fell. When an ill-timed escape attempt is frustrated by a traffic jam, Hattie resigns herself to the temporary encroachments on her privacy and independence, agreeing to repairs on her home that might let her leave her sooner.

Ninety-year-old Walter Clements, recovering from a car accident, is also determined to return to his suburban home sooner rather than later. To that end, the former driver instructor agrees to humour his daughter and the DON (Director of Nursing) and undertake an assessment to show he is capable of safely managing a mobility scooter. Walter is outraged when a few small mistakes, which includes running over his examiner’s foot, destroying an antique table, and knocking over newcomer, Miss Hattie Bloom, scuppers his chances.

It’s not the most auspicious start to a relationship but nevertheless a friendship slowly blossoms between Hattie and Walter, despite their oppositional temperaments. Where Hattie is reserved and aloof, Walter is loud and gregarious, they actually remind me a little of my own grandparents (and coincidentally my grandfather was also named Walter). Both are well-developed characters, depicted with authenticity and warmth. Hattie, a naturalist and author, who has spent almost her entire life alone by choice, slowly opens up as she becomes enmeshed in the fabric of Woodlands. Walter is occasionally inappropriate, a little bewildered by today’s mores, fond of a glass or three of whiskey, and an incurable optimist, though not without regrets. Though he hopes to go home, he is making the best of his time in Woodlands.

Nell draws on her experience as a GP visiting nursing homes, to provide some insight into the routines, successes and failures of institutional care. Woodlands certainly seems better than many which have made news headlines due to abuse and neglect, however it’s still an institution and as such rules and regulations often override common sense practice. This is evident when night nurse Bronwyn is fired after her aged black lab Queenie, accidentally knocks over and injures one of the residents. Bronwyn is a favourite of many of the Home’s residents, not the least because of her unofficial night time ‘club’, the Night Owls, that provides and encourages activities for the sleepless.

Hattie and Walter’s antics are delightful, though not without a hint of poignancy. They bond over their plan to have Bronwyn reinstated, assisted by Murray, another resident who has become a close friend of Walter (men are severely outnumbered in Woodlands) but is bedridden. Nell doesn’t shy away from portraying the difficult realities of ageing, and Murray’s approaching demise, and his desire to go home one last time, is treated sensitively.

The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home is a witty, charming, and heartwarming novel, recommended for the old, and not so old alike.½

This was a lovely bit of fun to read, you might need to be - of a certain age to appreciate it though!

Once again I have ventured outside my usual crime fiction genre.
But this came to me so highly recommended I felt I could not miss it. And it is a delightful read.

Peggy Smart has reached the age that I am approaching, and she feels a bit as if she is over the hill and that there isn't much left for her. That is until her childhood friend Angie turns up. Peggy always envied Angie. She seemed to have life on a string. Peggy though was forced into becoming a secretary and then she married early. Angie disappeared from her life, went overseas and re-appeared only occasionally. But now she lives in a unit just 3 doors away in the retirement village, and instantly she challenges Peggy to get more out of life.

I really warmed to this book and to some of Peggy's predicament. An enjoyable read.

An enjoyable book, although I disagree with the ‘funny’ tag on the cover. Peggy is slumping into old age in a retirement village, her self esteem too low (courtesy of growing up with a critical mother) to encourage widower Brian even though he obviously likes her. An old friend - well mostly a friend, they have a bit of a past - turns up and steam-rollers her into a makeover of clothes and attitude. I found the depictions of fuzzy memory and loss of independence a bit depressing (maybe my own old age is starting to loom) but ultimately a pleasant story about refusing to ‘go gentle into that good night.’

I was quite torn by this book. It was funny and entertaining but I also found it easy to put down. I was easily distracted by other things and it ended up taking me a week to read. I wasn’t drawn into the story or the characters, just a mere bystander.

I couldn’t relate to Peggy, a frail 79 year old. My mother at 80 and my mother-in-law at 89 are both active, vibrant and extremely self reliant people.

I really enjoyed the politics of the retirement village which elicited quite a few giggles and Peggy’s crush on Brian was sweet and this was one plot line I was eager to see through to the finish.

At times I felt quite saddened by Peggy’s circumstances and her inner thoughts and at other times she had me in fits of laughter.

Nell covers many women’s health issues in a humorous, but never demeaning, way.

Peggy’s constant thoughts of “looking after” Brian, ironing his clothes, cooking his meals had me rolling my eyes and wondering if Peggy really wanted to gain any independence.

The introduction of Angie, Peggy’s best friend from school days, was a breath of fresh air; at last salvation. Angie had lived a wild, crazy life and the two hadn’t seen each other for 50 years but they instantly reconnected, old friendships are like that. I loved Angie....and then I didn’t! You will have to read the book to find out why.

Even though I struggled to love this book I would suggest you read it if you have an ageing parent, you may learn some empathy, or if you are approaching the retirement home stage, you will learn to speak up, play up and never stop having fun.