Love Evie, the heroine - she has real spirit, and although I know it's fiction, I feel sure that many other elderly folks who've been moved into "homes" must long for their freedom like Evie did. Thankfully Evie has sufficient spirit and resources to make a break for it, and her adventures make for an enjoyable read.

Didn't like some of the other characters, but I can see that they are probably based on keen observation of how some people behave.

All in all a good read, perfect for reading in the sun.

My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in return for my honest review.

I read this on holiday and it was fine for holiday reading ,undemanding and light hearted.
Totally unbelievable ,and I found Evie,the main character,quite irritating and her drippy son even more so,but if you're looking for light reading in the Old People Behaving Badly genre,then this is for you.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I loved Evie and her zest for life and all the characters in the Sheldon Lodge Care Home. Funny read

Not my usual type of book but I was impressed with Evie for "escaping" from the care home and going travelling all on her own. Made me think I should be getting out and about more.

Evie has moved into a care home. She is only 75 and cannot see why she is in there when she looks round at all the other residents. So she decides to leave and carrying on living her life.

Trouble is she doesn't tell anyone. A trip from Ireland to Liverpool and a lot of luck on the way finds Evie with money to burn and making her way across France.

Brendan is Evie's only son. His marriage is in crisis, his career is stagnant and he appears to have lost the zest for life and the love of everything.

When he discovers his mother's disappearance he sets out to bring her home. Just as he thinks he is getting closer, it seems he is actually further away.

We follow Evie as she makes her way across France, discovering new friends young and old as well as new tastes in food, music, culture, wine and a simpler way of living. She has nothing to lose and tells it how it is, whilst her abruptness might be despised by many, it brings her a new lease of life. I enjoyed this part of the book, I felt I was reading almost a travelogue and a self-help book all rolled into one. 

Then you get to Brendan's story and I wanted to cry,because I could see the deep depression he was in and I felt it. I felt he was trapped and could not find any joy in life anymore. Despite being a beautiful part of the world looking for his mother. Maura, his wife was rather irritating at the beginning but as the story progresses as they go to France to find Evie, I changed my mind about her, ironically just as Evie does.

This is a beautifully subtle novel which deals with many emotions: fear at getting old, at losing someone or something. A deep-rooted sadness which looks like it will consume once it has got hold. Balancing it out with joy, love, trust and admiration for others who can help you find your own self and your own way.

I thought this was a seasoned author with many novels to her name. No this is her debut. Her characters are strong and weak, they have their faults and the author has not been afraid of exposing the harsher side of ageing but she also shows that life goes on and in fact you can start or restart living it at any age.

‘A Grand Old Time’ appealed to me on so many different levels. Firstly because it is a romantic comedy and secondly because I just love the idea of an elderly lady growing old somewhat disgracefully and rebelling by challenging the stereotype of the nice little old granny in a nursing home. I absolutely loved reading ‘A Grand Old Time’ but more about that in a bit.
I have to say that Evie Gallagher sounded like a right old hoot. Life with her would be anything but boring. She has moved into a nursing home but she quickly realises that it isn’t for her. She wants to be out and about and doing stuff rather than just sat in a chair in the dayroom watching the television day in day out. When she escaped from the nursing home, I almost started humming the theme tune to ‘The Great Escape’ because it felt as though the nursing home was like Colditz and that Evie had escaped the guards. Evie is a game old bird in that she tries anything once and nothing is off limits. She’s the sort of granny I would have loved to have had as she sounds like a right laugh. After her great escape, Evie goes wild in that she bets on a horse for the first time, she flies on a plane on her own for the first time, she shops for Ireland and she gets a pretty radical haircut. That’s just some of her behaviours. She certainly had me chuckling along. She has one son, Brendan who is married to Maura. She loves Brendan to bits but I get the sense that Evie tolerates her daughter in law. Brendan panics when his mother goes AWOL, as you might expect, and he is worried sick about what she is up to. The roles have certainly been reversed in the relationship between Evie and Brendan, with Brendan taking the role of parent and Evie becoming a naughty child. This had me nodding along in agreement as I find myself doing the same sort of thing with my own mother. Brendan and his wife Maura have been desperate to have children and their apparent failure to conceive has placed the marriage under a great deal of pressure. Their sadness and grief over their lack of children seems to have driven a wedge between them. I had real concerns that Brendan and Maura had fallen out of love with each other. Will Evie succeed in her quest to live an exciting life with lots of laughs and romance? Will Brendan and Maura track Evie down and bring her back to Ireland? Does Evie want to go back to Ireland? Is Brendan and Maura’s marriage over for good? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as my lips are sealed and I am not going to tell you.
‘A Grand Old Time’ is one of those books that does what it says on the tin. By that I mean that it is described as being a laugh out loud, feel-good, heart-warming, romantic comedy and this perfectly describes the book. In fact I couldn’t have described it better myself. The author’s writing style is such that you can’t fail to be drawn in to the story from the first word on the first page and before you know it you are hooked on the story. The characters are so well written that you can’t help but take to them and I found myself really caring about what was happening to them. In fact, the characters were so well written that they seemed to come alive and be real. I became seriously addicted to reading ‘A Grand Old Time’ and because I was rooting for Evie and I wanted to see what big adventure she got up to next I had to keep reading on and on and on and you get the picture. ‘A Grand Old Time’ has a serious message too and that is that life doesn’t have to end just because you are old, it can actually be the beginning of a whole new life/ chapter in your life story and you don’t have to conform to stereotypes of the elderly.
I absolutely loved everything about this book. The only negative thing about the book is that it had to end. I loved the writing style, the story and the characters so much that I just wanted the book to continue. I would definitely recommend this book to others. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is 5* out of 5*.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a glorious book about getting old and alone, living in a care home in Ireland and deciding it wasn’t for her. Then walking away from the care home, winning a bet and moving countries and living a new life. Making new friends, enjoying life and finding a new partner.
Whilst her son and his wife try to find her and you can see how their lives together deteriorate, whilst his mother’s flourishes. It is only at the end that you find out what happens to them all. An entertaining read.
Recommended.

This is a lovely story which is a pleasure to read. Evie sounds like an amazing character. I could visualise her driving around France in her camper van. What a lovely way to spend your time. Living life to the full and making new discoveries.

A gorgeous tale of a woman's coming of age, however she starts it at the age of 75! Evie escapes from the nursing home, not knowing what she wants, but knowing she still isn't ready to give up on life yet. She has some adventures and travels and meets people along the way. What makes this story is that her son, who is worried about her, has his own mid life crisis of indecision about his marriage while in the search for his mother. Parallel journeys along different paths with some good turns along the way. Very enjoyable

I was sent a copy of A Grand Old Time by Judy Leigh to read and review by NetGalley.
This was an amusing, poignant, feel-good story of life and love. Judy Leigh has given us well rounded characters and, for me at least, the inspiration to get the most out of life!
The protagonist is 75-year-old Evie Gallagher who we first meet festering in a care home. She is certainly not ready for this, with most of the other residents being 20 years older than her, and one day she decides to do something about it.
Evie packs her few possessions and quietly leaves, not telling anyone that she’s going, least of all her son Brendan and his waspish wife Maura. Once she’s back out in the real-world Evie’s little jaunt rapidly turns into a great adventure leaving Brendan and Maura frantically following in her wake.
Descriptive and nicely written this is a great little story and a perfect holiday read!

I'm in two minds about this book, because I genuinely loved Evie from the very beginning. She's witty and charming but also mischievous. Reading about her exploits for the first several chapters was great fun and I think if the book had carried on a bit more solidly in that vein I would have enjoyed it immensely. Unfortunately the side plot with Brenden and Maura felt like it plodded on, and I felt no particular sympathy for either of them. Frankly the villagers that we met later in France seemed more interesting. Gripes aside, I thought Evie was completely lovable and even though her blissfully naive adventures are a bit far fetched even for fiction and yes, even though everything ends with a fairly standard neat bow, I'd still recommend this as an enjoyable feel-good type easy read.

This was a book I received from Netgalley. It makes a pleasant change to read a book where the main character is in her seventies and a female to boot. In truth you could be mistaken for thinking that Evie was actually in her thirties and her son Brendan seventy five.

It is a rather charming story, somewhat old fashioned in it's delivery which tends to make it seem rather emotionless and at times long winded but maybe that is part of it's charm. Overall a very pleasant read.

“A Grand Old Time” is Judy Leigh’s debut novel and as soon as I’ve spotted it and read the synopsis I just knew I want to read it. I had a feeling I’m going to adore the main character Evie – basically I love characters like hers, already a little older than your average characters, experienced but not trying to teach the whole world their only truths, not patronizing and behaving as if they were knowing everything better. Besides, anyone who buys a camper van on the spur of the moment is really high on my list.

Our Evie is seventy – five and living in Sheldon Lodge, a care home. She’s unhappy there. She feels she has still a lot to live and see but the care home just clips her wings and makes her sad. She wants excitement. So Evie runs off on a road trip across some countries – just my kind of a girl. She wasn’t afraid to take a risk and I liked it so much in her.
I am not sure how we should feel about Maura. I had a feeling the author wanted us to dislike her, especially at the beginning, and buddy up with Brandon instead. However, I was on Maura’s side to be honest. Yes, at the beginning she came across as a little spoiled and whingy and demanding but the more I got to know her and the more I got to know Brandon I found myself changing my mind. It was Brandon who was spoiled and whingy and demanding, and if the world’s attention wasn’t focused on Brandon he was offended. So basically it was also more Brandon’s than Evie’s journey to finding himself and it took him a lot of time (A LOT) to eventually realise what is really important for him. He was just like a little child, with his “Mammy” and moods. He liked to see himself as a knight in shining armour, be a saviour to his mother and his wife, not seeing that they don’t need a rescue, they only need him and his love.

It was a very descriptive story. There were not many dialogues, more inner monologues, and it took me some time to get into the flow of the story. I think I prefer when there are more dialogues and conversations, it just makes the reading quicker – and though the book was mostly a fast – paced one, there were too many passages that felt too slow and the tale dragging a bit. However, when I got used to the way the book was written, it didn’t bother me and in the end I can say that I really like Judy Leigh’s writing style. It’s rich, but not over – done, and she brilliantly balances humour with seriousness and mixes funny moments with the most poignant ones.

This book takes us on a journey from Dublin to Liverpool, from France to Spain, and you really couldn’t be sure where Evie is going to stop, find new friends and something new to learn. The lifestyles of the French and Spanish friends are really well captured and realistically and vividly brought to life by the author. Sure, there were things that happened oh so conveniently on Evie’s way, and yes, those unpleasant situations were probably made to counter – balance the Irish luck and make the journey a little more believable, but even with the things happening just like at your beck and call it was a lovely and warm story.

Altogether, “A Grand Old Time” was a charming and unpredictable story, with a great cast of characters, very vivid and colourful. It was full of hope and despair, humour and emotions story about exploring life, love, friendship and relationships. I loved to see the twinkle in Evie’s eye again, how she started to breath out again – life really doesn’t end at 75!

Evie Gallagher was depressed and lonely after the death of her husband but the move to a residential home in search of more company has proved to be a mistake. One morning she packs a bag, cleans out her bank account & gets on the boat and sets off on an adventure.

After an amazing stroke of luck in Liverpool she goes to France and buys a campervan and explores the country, making friends wherever she goes. For many people the idea of a seventy five year old woman travelling the country on her own is a ridiculous notion but Evie is a determined lady.

Meanwhile in Dublin, her son Brendan is tired of life and can't seem to work out how to make Maura, his wife, happy any more. When he realises that Evie is missing and her communication is patchy at best the couple set off to 'rescue' her.

I loved Evie! She should be a role model for all of us who are past the first flush of youth. She reminds us that the main thing that stops us doing things are our own inhibitions and the expectations of others. This was a fabulous book. I laughed & I cried & I was sorry when I reached the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read and review this refreshing book.

5☆ I Loved Evie... She has a Passion and Zest for life... I want to go travelling with her!

At 75 years young Evie has a real zest for life and Sheldon Lodge care home is zapping the life right out of her!

Lol i love Evie.... she's quick witted, independent, loveable, sarcastic, clever and had me laughing out loud pretty much the whole way through!
Her swearing made me giggle she reminds me so much of my Nan. Speaks her mind, but has a heart of gold and likes the odd tipple!
I so want to party with Evie it would be a Hoot!!

Her son Brendan, hen pecked by his wife Maura. Under the thumb and in a loveless Marriage. 
Brendan is 39years old a P.E Teacher who also Teaches English at a secondary school.
Maura a receptionist at the local G.P surgery.

Evie really is having a fabulous adventure.
With a made up alter ego, She steps into a back alley betting shop. Places five hundred euros on Lucky Jim (after her late husband) And wins over fifty thousand euros, by backing the outsider.

Now On a plane to Liverpool from Dublin and drunk on champagne.
Evie has a new Alter Ego... she is now Rock Star Bono's Mum lol
Evie is brilliant! Her Alter Egos just keep getting wilder! She's full of mischief!
She even has a Alter Ego called Eartha Windass, who is an Actress making Pornographic films. I laughed so hard I had tears!! She has such a vivid imagination.

Evie also has had some tragedy as we uncover along the way. Her marriage to Jim left her with three miscarriages. Her forth pregnancy was the lucky birth of Brendan.
You see the number 4 is Evie's lucky number. Ever since her father gave her a four leaf clover.

As Evie settles in with Kat and Maddie who she meets in France as they rescue her.
She realises she wants to travel and when she spies a Campervan she buys it and sets out on an adventure around France visiting the Vineyards, Mountains etc..

Unbeknownst to her, Brendan and Maura are hot on her heels.
Brendan is determined to track her down. Whilst Maura has other ideas... she's hoping it will rekindle their love for one and other in the beautiful romantic city of France.

I want to take time to applaud Judy Leigh for creating such loveable memorable characters. That made me laugh and cry and laugh again.
Judy really created the ambience of the places Evie visited perfectly.
They was beautifully descriptive and I felt like I was actually part of the story alongside Evie.

As much as Grand Old Time is a hilarious, heartwarming, crazy Mishaps and Mayhem it also highlights a very important message no matter what age you are loneliness is agonising and depressing.
Also it highlights no matter what age you are you can still be young at heart and have a passion and zest for life. Just because you reach a certain age doesn't mean you can't have fun!

Next time you see someone who is of the older generation maybe say hello or give a smile and acknowledge they exist. That might be you one day needing a friendly smile. A smile goes a long way when you are lonely.

It really made a refreshing change to read a heartwarming story from the older lady.
I have had relatives go into care homes and they are all so very different.
I believe Evie did the right thing breaking free. She wasn't ready to be tied down.

Grand Old Time truly is a gem of a book.
One that has made an imprint on my heart that I will remember for a very long time.
I can't wait to tell everyone about Evie and her crazy adventures.
She truly is an inspiration and I hope I'm like her at 75!

If you read one book that is a little different this month let it be Grand Old Time! You won't regret It!

Evie Gallagher is 75 and is quietly living out her days in a care home. Until she reminds herself that she is only 75 and, despite being very recently widowed, she isn't dead yet. She walks out of the home and, helped by a big win on her very first visit to a bookmakers, into a new adventure. First she travels from her native Dublin to Liverpool and then on to France, ending up in a small village near Carcassonne. Along the way she meets a variety of people who help her to realise that she still has plenty of life left to live. By contrast her son Brendan, and his wife Maura, seem to be getting older by the minute: their marriage seems to be a matter of habit rather than love, neither of them is happy and they are, understandably, concerned about Evie herself when she disappears from the care home. They decide to follow her to France, with the intention of rescuing her - bringing her home to her old, safe life - only to find that she has other ideas. For Evie seems to have found the love and happiness that Brendan and Maura have lost. She has also been reminded (despite what some are still trying to tell her) that 75 isn't old - it certainly isn't too late to start living.

This is a feel-good book, but not without its moments of sadness. We all hope to live to a healthy and happy old age (although we won't all manage this) but many will get too caught up in everyday pains and sorrows to achieve this. We can't all escape to live in the South of France but I hope to keep Evie's energy and joie de vivre in mind as the years creep up on me. She makes growing old disgracefully look so much fun!

Evie Gallagher is a hero! Breaking stereotypes, showing age is no barrier to adventure or love. How she ended up in an old folk's home is ridiculous, healthy at a relatively young 75. I love how she comes to the realisation that she had never achieved her potential, but it didn't mean her life had been a bad one. I laughed out loud so may times, and I mourned with Evie too. I felt sorry for Brendan, always too serious. The book also showed human decency is still flourishing with all the help Evie got on her travels, and I'd love to visit O'Driscoll's pub, sounds just like a bar I frequented during a year in Brittany! Such an enjoyable read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this poignant story. I laughed and cried in equal measure. Evie is seventy-five, and goes into a decline after her husband Jim dies. Her son Brendan arranges for her to go into Sheldon Lodge, a care home, and she hates it, and becomes even more depressed. One day she decides she has had enough, and 'escapes', and makes her way into Dublin, where her adventures begin.

Brendan is a teacher and his wife Maura is a doctor's receptionist, and their marriage is cracking up. Brendan is very inarticulate, he doesn't know what he wants and just cannot talk about it. He has become friendly with a woman who teaches at the same school as him, and that really hasn't helped the situation. The deepest sadness though has been the fact that they have not been able to have a child, although there does not appear to be anything wrong with either of them. Brendan is an only child and is a bit of a 'mummies boy - Evie had several miscarriagesbefore he was born.

When Evie disappears Brendan panics, and when news reaches them that she is in France he wants to rush off, on his own, to rescue her, and bring her home to Dublin. He is quite resentful that Mayra insists on going with him, and making a bit of a holiday of the trip. Meanwhile Evie is having the time of her life. She gets into a few scrapes, but mostly meets lovely people who help her. There is a farce-like quality to the middle of the story, with Brendan and Maura arriving at the places she has just moved on from, or them not knowing quite where she is because she has spelt it badly in her text (oh! The joys of predictive text)

More disappointment for Brendan when he eventually catches up with his mother, Evie's life has changed beyond measure, and she is staying where she is, no intentions of going back to Dublin ever again. Eventually he has to return home, he has a job interview to attend. Maura refuses, she stays with Evie, to give Brendan space to work out what he really wants, and they have no contact for several weeks.

There is a lot of sadness and much emotion in the last quarter of the book, but it ends on a positive note, with issues resolved or accepted. So very well worth reading. The author has a deft touch,these people become very real, and the situations very believable. A delightful story, I will look out for this author again.

Well the book lives up to it’s title, I had a grand old time reading this.....all at once as I could not put it down. Not only am I the target audience as an older reader of over sixty, but I do love camper vans and wine!
The concept of the story will appeal to all and it is reassuring to feel that an adventurous life can happen at any time even when it seems like all is over. As the blurb suggests it is life affirming, funny and nicely written and allowed me to spend a relaxing afternoon during a very wet and unpleasant day.

What a lovely book. From the start the I fell in love with Evie and her rebellious ways. Judy Leigh described the old people's home so well and the characters in their really came to life. No wonder she wanted to escape!
The story continues in the same vein with Evie really rebelling about what older people should do. She meets such wonderful people who assist her during her escapades. Ay one reading this can set up their own bucket list based on it. What a character to reach that age and going solo doing some of the things that she did, rebelling all the way about her age. She had a very quick repartee and responded so well to being told that she sang like a frog! Her son Brendan and her daughter in law Maurie were so self centred at the start with Brendan being a first class wimp. The story is as much about them as about her and so would appeal to all ages. I Loved everything that Evie did and tears came to my eyes when disaster struck so near the end but what a great author to bring it back so well and to end on the high that the whole book had been. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this wonderfully funny book.