Author: Joanna Nell
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Genre: General Fiction
Year of Release: 2019
Release Date 23rd July 2019
Rating 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Synopsis
The life of 79-year-old pensioner PEGGY SMART is as beige as the decor in her retirement village. Her week revolves around aqua aerobics and appointments with her doctor. Following a very minor traffic accident, things have turned frosty with her grown-up children and she is afraid they are trying to take away her independence. The highlight of Peggy’s day is watching her neighbour Brian head out for his morning swim. She dreams of inviting the handsome widower – treasurer of the Residents’ Committee and one of the few eligible men in the village – to an intimate dinner. But why would an educated man like Brian, a chartered accountant no less, look twice at Peggy? As a woman of a certain age, she fears she has become invisible, even to men in their eighties. But a chance encounter with an old school friend she hasn’t seen in five decades – the glamorous fashionista ANGIE VALENTINE – sets Peggy on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.
Review
Welcome to Jacaranda Retirement Village where the décor is beige, aqua aerobics and Dr appointments are the weekly highlights for most other residents at the village, however, for one resident in particular Ms Peggy Smart her highlights include watching her neighbour, Brian, an accountant turned treasurer of the Residents’ Committee head out for his morning swim. To worried he will think her the old invisible woman she feels she has become, she has put off asking him over for a quiet dinner just the two of them, she stays silent on the matter.
Peggy believes there’s no use getting your hopes up anyway when your daughter will be showing up any day whisking her away to the nursing home as Peggy is becoming more frail with every passing minute. The little car accident she had recently did nothing to help matters with her now-grown children; she may as well start by saying her farewells now, it’ll be easier on everyone in the village.
That is until an old school friend of Peggy’s by the name of Angie Valentine moves into the Village, why would someone as glamourous as Angie need to move to Jacaranda Retirement Village? Peg wants to know but Angie is keeping that a secret, Angie would much rather focus on improving Peg’s wardrobe and appearance than share anything that’s happened to her in the five decades since the pair last saw each other. If only Ted was still here, he’d know what to do and Basil Peggy’s beloved dog is certainly being of no help, he has landed Peggy in rather a sticky spot thanks to his antics.
Will Peggy find her way, or will she and Basil spend the remainder of their days together at the nursing home watching life pass them by?
I have always been drawn to stories that surround the elderly and the aged care community, so when I saw this on the shelf, I knew I had to investigate it further; I wasn’t disappointed having already loved The Ladies of St Jude’s Hospital I was finally ready to meet Peggy Smart.
I believe Author Joanna Nell found the perfect heroine in Peggy Smart to tell this tale she’s a character you can’t help but take into your heart, someone you end up caring a great deal about, there were times though I wish Peggy were a little more assertive when it comes to her own wants and desires, but I think we can all feel like that sometimes, especially when reflecting on past experiences.
I was hoping for more conflict in certain parts of this book and whilst I appreciate Peggy Smart wasn’t motivated that way, I wanted, I needed to her finally stand up for herself and be assertive and whilst this does occur slowly as the story progresses, I wanted it faster.
“A ship is safe in harbour,’ he would say, ‘but that’s not what ships are for.”
― Joanna Nell, The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village
I found the characters I connected to most were Brian and Peggy their venture into romance was fun to witness and made for a fantastic albeit cute trope. I also had a little chuckle at the friendship Peggy had with Angie Valentine at times their little disagreements were so true of friendships was also another great trope that wasn’t cringeworthy to read about.
I found Peggy’s children were suffocating know-it-alls who should remember they too will one day be older and dare I say more fragile. They made for the perfect characters you love to hate as a reader. I cannot go by and not give Basil a special mention what a spectacular minor character he played.
The Jacaranda Retirement Village makes for such a pleasant read if you’re in the mood for a light Contemporary Fiction that you can fully immerse into whilst taking your time this might be worth looking into. I found myself making my way through this quite quickly but felt no pressure to fly through it, sometimes those books make for a more memorable read in my opinion.
The more books I read the more I feel I can appreciate a story you might see the destination throughout the journey, and that’s Ok because life is full of too many unknowns as it is. I rather felt comfortable knowing that things were going to be uncomfortable at times but ultimately OK in the end.
A warm read that will ultimately pull at your heart strings. I remember feeling somewhat a little at a loss after reading this one I didn’t want to leave Peggy behind I often wonder about her now.
Mature reader’s if you enjoy Australian Authors Sophie Green, Rachael Johns or Sandie Docker then Joanna Nell is going to fit right into your bookshelf, you’ll fall in love with Joanna’s witty writing and three-dimensional characters that will remind you of people you know, that find themselves in situations you’ve been in or know someone who has.