United by their terminal diagnoses and the realization that they likely have fewer days ahead than behind them, they decide to work on a project during their art therapy sessions: to create 100 paintings, each representing a year of their lives.
This endeavor moves beyond being a diversion from their situation within the hospital’s walls and blossoms into a deep meditation on life’s fleeting beauty. Ms. Cronin uses a simple art project to explore a shared century, delving into the joys, sorrows, and pursuit of meaning that unite us all. The paintings become the heart of her evocative narrative.
The book illustrates how friendship and art turns the hospital from a somber place into a vibrant gallery. The hospital itself becomes a character, expanding beyond its original purpose as an institution that cares for the sick, into a place displaying and celebrating the indelible mark of the main characters’ friendship.
Youth and Age
Lenni, with her natural curiosity and youthful questions, and Margot, with her seasoned insights, serve as perfect foils to each other. Each offers readers deep reflections on life, death, and the essence of meaningful connections.In one such passage, Margot convinces Lenni to “run away” late one night. She leads Lenni outside and turns her face skyward. “Do you know that the stars we see the clearest are already dead?” Margot says.
This has the potential to come across as a rather depressing or morose sentiment. Instead, Ms. Cronin transforms the scene into an exploration of the immortality of the soul. “They’ve been gone for who knows how long, but we can still see them. They live on,” Margot says.
Stories Told Through Brushstrokes
Ms. Cronin uses a strong narrative approach in “The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot,” blending past and present through the paintings. The result is an opportunity for readers to delve deeper into the lives of the characters, resulting in a compelling and robust narrative.For example, while Lenni was away from the arts and crafts room recuperating from surgery, Margot painted the first place she “really, truly loved,” describing it as “dirty and crooked. Like all the best characters.”
Or, as Lenni paints “a row of cars, small and like dots. Red, silver, blue, white,” Ms. Cronin shifts to the pivotal scene where a 16-year-old Lenni, gazing out at a row of parked cars from her doctor’s office, learns of her terminal diagnosis.
Paintings are often compared to windows that offer a glimpse into the subject or the artist, emphasizing the potential for deep emotional and insightful revelations.
Painting is a quiet, slow pursuit. It takes patience and time to create any work of art (writing a novel included), and at first glance, it might seem an antithetical hobby for someone with so little time left. However, centering the narrative around an art project is an imaginative way of exploring one’s legacy and how we choose to leave our mark on the world.
Friendship, Mortality, and the Art of Living
The bond between Lenni and Margot may challenge the conventional limits of age and circumstance in friendship. But their relationship, forged in a hospital setting, sends readers a powerful message: That genuine human connections can flourish even in the most unlikely places.Their connection further supports the book’s central theme of living fully, regardless of the time we may have left. Lenni and Margot’s determination to celebrate each moment and find beauty and meaning amidst the challenges of their conditions resonates powerfully.
Ms. Cronin goes the extra mile, taking readers deeper into our vulnerability as the foundation of lasting relationships and transformative journeys.
“The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot” explores the human connection, resilience, and the essence of our existence that will challenge you to appreciate the present and recognize the value of every experience, no matter how small.
It is a simple, yet meaningful realization that we are often more alike than different, if only we take the time to observe. Anyone looking for a well-crafted, beautifully told, heart-tugging tale will fall in love with Lenni and Margot’s story.
