Book Recommendation – How The Penguins Saved Veronica

It seems that I am reading faster than I can write recommendations. I’ve read at least four books that I want to write about, and will get to them. I know some blogger friends write about 4 or 5 books in one post, but I’d rather do them one at a time. I appreciate your patience.

The title of the book is what peaked my interest – How the Penguins Saved Veronica.

When my wife and I got married, we went to an aquarium in Tampa. They had a penguin exhibit and for a few extra bucks, we got to see them up close and personal. My wife loves penguins, so she was in heaven.

That experience is what came to mind when I saw the title of the book, so I had to read it. Here is the Goodreads synopsis:

A curmudgeonly but charming old woman, her estranged grandson, and a colony of penguins proves it’s never too late to be the person you want to be in this rich, heartwarming story from the acclaimed author of Ellie and the Harpmaker.

Eighty-five-year-old Veronica McCreedy is estranged from her family and wants to find a worthwhile cause to leave her fortune to. When she sees a documentary about penguins being studied in Antarctica, she tells the scientists she’s coming to visit—and won’t take no for an answer. Shortly after arriving, she convinces the reluctant team to rescue an orphaned baby penguin. He becomes part of life at the base, and Veronica’s closed heart starts to open.

Her grandson, Patrick, comes to Antarctica to make one last attempt to get to know his grandmother. Together, Veronica, Patrick, and even the scientists learn what family, love, and connection are all about.

This was truly a heartwarming story. You really wouldn’t know by the way it starts off, but it is a book about family. It is a story of dealing with the past and how time in nature can lead to healing.

Veronica is a “set in her ways” kind of character. There is an issue in her past that she has avoided almost all of her life. Her time with the penguins brings her to the point where she trusts someone enough to talk about her past. Through this, the reader comes to understand why she is so set in her ways. The reader also comes to understand how strong she is because of her past.

The story is an uplifting one about finding family and healing personal wounds. It lived up to the praises I read about it prior to reading it.

4 out of 5 stars.