The Golden Oldies' Book Club

I found The Golden Oldies Book Club by Judy Leigh to be rather surprising. I was expecting the read to be lighter and more humorous than it was. Instead the story revolves around a group of women, many of whom are senior citizens, who are trying to plan the next step in their lives. One has a marriage that is tottering, another has a cheating husband who has left her for another woman. The village librarian is single and comes to realize that she has been too judgmental in the past, while another still dreams of the man who left and went to London to became a well know rock ‘n roller. Th main character runs an apple farm that produces cider and always puts others ahead of herself, from her grandchildren to her 95 year old mother.

The show more humor seemed to always come from this 95 year old and her endless streams of “Dad” jokes. I also found that the book gave me far too much information about the growing of apples and the producing of cider. I stuck with it and read about the group’s trip to France along with a yearly calendar of events at the farm, and a few of their meetings as a book club. The year encourages the women to take chances and change their lifestyle, whether it be retiring, leaving the country, or welcoming a new man into their life.

From a book club French exchange trip, to the many celebrations at the farm, this is the year that everything changes, that lifelong friendships are tested, and for some of the women, finally to get the love they deserve. show less

Many thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due to be released on December 6, 2022.

As the story begins, we meet seventy-two-year-old Jeannie Sharrock. A lifelong resident of Combe Pomeroy, she runs her family’s orchard and cider business. Divorced from her philandering husband years ago, who has since relocated to Spain, she now lives with her ninety-five-year-old mother Violet, and her teenage grandchildren who stay with her while finishing up with school after their father, Jeannie’s son moved to Spain with his wife. Jeannie has a lot on her plate and does feel overwhelmed but tries to shoulder all her responsibilities with a smile on her show more face. She enjoys meeting up with her book club at the local library, hosted by Ruth, the librarian and retired university admissions officer who moved to Combe Pomeroy eight years ago. Ruth is lonely and yearns for new experiences, Verity is experiencing trouble in her marriage to Mark, Danielle is dealing with the breakdown of her marriage after her husband’s infidelity and Aurora still nurses a broken heart from decades ago. When a discussion on "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" leads to a short trip to France, the ladies of the group find some respite from their own troubles affording them time to ponder over their current lives and gain perspective on what they want for themselves in the future. Once back, each of them tackles their problems with a renewed zest, making changes with support from one another. We follow Ruth, Aurora, Verity, Danielle and Jeannie through several ups and downs, misunderstandings and celebrations, making up for missed opportunities and finding new ones, proving that you’re never too old to make new friends, find love or go on an adventure!

The Golden Oldies’ Book Club by Judy Leigh is a heartwarming novel about love and friendship, community and companionship, and of course how the love for books and reading can bring people together. I loved the flow of the narrative, the small-town setting and the cast of interesting characters. Violet is an endearing character whose love for telling jokes (some of those puns were hilarious ) results in some amusing exchanges with her daughter and her great-grandchildren. I also enjoyed the literary discussions among the members of the reading group and the heated exchanges between the misogynistic male participant and the female readers made for some interesting moments. Overall The Golden Oldies’ Book Club by Judy Leigh is a lovely heartwarming story that left me with a smile on my face. Perfect for those wanting a light feel-good read! show less