Away with the Penguins

by Hazel Prior

I absolutely love penguins!!

After spending a year living on the Falkland Islands, I completely fell in love with these rather comical creatures who have very definite personalities and a curious outlook on life.

‘Away with the Penguins’ was recommended by a friend as a gentle, fun read. I was intrigued by the title and hoped that penguins would indeed feature and I was not disappointed! They play an important role in the book, with one in particular standing out from the crowd.

Eighty-five-year-old Veronica McCreedy is the main character. She is a difficult woman, set in her ways, does not suffer fools gladly and has lots of money! She lives in a large house in Scotland and has a ‘daily,’ Eileen, well accustomed to her quirky manner, who comes to help look after her. Veronica watches a documentary about a study of penguins in Antarctica and decides that they need her and her money. To make sure, she will visit Antarctica herself! .After getting Eileen to e mail the scientists out there of her imminent arrival and length of stay, Veronica sets off on what will become a journey of discovery.

As the story progresses, we begin to learn more about Veronica, her difficult childhood and past and why she has become the character that she is today. Her relationships with the scientists, her grandson and with her new penguin friend Pip, reveal different layers and we see her heart begin to melt, in spite of all that she has experienced, as she learns to trust, love and rely on others.

Despite Veronica’s initial crankiness and her stubborn outlook on life, by the end of the story, the reader wants her dreams to come true and for her to ultimately be happy. Along the way we learn through scientist Terry’s blog about the Adelie penguins and the problems they face in their cruel and harsh living conditions.

Veronica reminded me very much of a couple of friends, about the same age, that show the same dogged determination in all that they do and make me hope that I too can be a ‘Veronica’ when I reach the same grand age!!

‘Away with the penguins’ is a delightful adventure: funny, sad, heart-warming and gentle but with an important underlying message.

As the book itself says it is ‘never too late to be the person you want to be.’