Away With The Penguins (also titled How The Penguins Saved Veronica) is the second novel by British harpist and author, Hazel Prior. When home help, Eileen Turner brings forth from Veronica McCreedy’s back room a padlocked wooden box, she unwittingly sets in motion a series of events no seer could have predicted.

On seeing the box, Veronica (please call me Mrs McCreedy) is taken back some seventy years, not that she has any intention of divulging the private contents to a very curious Eileen. But internet-savvy Eileen is useful for finding someone to investigate the possible existence of as-yet-unknown family.

After all, Veronica is almost eighty-six, and has to consider the dispersion of her considerable wealth after she departs this life. Not that there’s any sign of that happening: Veronica is hale and healthy, with an excellent memory, she continues to assure everyone (even if they know otherwise): “My memory is faultless. I can recall dozens of lines of Hamlet from my schooldays.”

When those enquiries bear some not-at-all-satisfactory fruit, Veronica looks elsewhere for a beneficiary to her estate. Environmentalist Robert Saddlebow’s latest program, The Plight of Penguins, directs her focus onto the poorly funded researchers of Adélie Penguins on Locket Island, Antarctica, but she needs to check for herself that they are worthy of her largesse. Eileen dutifully arranges flights and ferries.

Meanwhile in Bolton, twenty-six-year-old Patrick is virtually unemployed (save Mondays at the bike shop), has just broken up with his girlfriend, and been evicted from their flat, when a letter drops into his mail box. Apparently, he has a grandmother, but she’s not the sweet, cuddly, baking-type granny he’d hoped would soothe his broken heart.

This old woman is stern and steely, cantankerous, and he quickly realises he hasn’t made a good first impression (he’d been consoling himself about the break-up by smoking a joint). Later encounters are little better, but he realises he would like to know more about the family he never knew.

Patrick is surprised when Granny V entrusts him with a (clearly significant) relic from her past. And when he hears she’s away with the penguins, he wonders how the scientists at the field centre are coping with an eighty-six-year-old who’s spicy as a vindaloo and stubborn as a wild goat.

This is a charming tale about a somewhat reclusive old woman whose past has broken her trust in humanity. It takes a harsh climate and a flock of fascinating arctic birds to break down her resistance. It’s perhaps a little predictable and what happens in the Antarctic does require a degree of suspension of disbelief, but it’s still a delightful, feel-good read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK.

Completely delightful! Avoids all sense of cliché about a wealthy widow in a stately seaside mansion, crusty-mannered and bitter, and instead creates magic with her soul. Prior writes with pure realism, great depth of description so that you feel like you're not just watching the movie of this story, but you're right there in it. I adored this book and love penguins even more. A very worthy read.

A lovely, heartwarming read

I really enjoyed the story told in this book. The characters are very likeable and it flows really well. It’s light hearted and easy to read.

You have a prickly, set in her ways elderly lady along with a ‘bum’ younger person and some scientists. You watch their characters develop and change throughout the book and learn all about their interactions. All with knowledge about penguins and their environment.

A sweet book in the vein of A Man Called Ove. A mostly fast and easy read aside from the last quarter, which dragged a little, which pulls down my rating to a 3.5/5.

To be honest, I have more criticisms, but at a time like this, they feel a bit inappropriate.

Eighty-five-year-old Veronica McCreedy had no one in her life, until she decided to set the right authorities on a search. Veronica lived in an old mansion called The Ballahays, in Ayrshire, was quite wealthy and had no idea who she would leave her considerable fortune to. She’d had a harsh childhood in the war years, and not all her memories were fond ones. But when a grandson was discovered, a young man by the name of Patrick, Veronica decided to meet him. Patrick lived in Bolton, and when she arrived, he obviously hadn’t expected her. Veronica was nonplussed and her opinion of her grandson was low.

Veronica was stubborn, a person who was determined to always have her own way. So when she decided to go to Locket Island in the Antarctic, she wouldn’t be dissuaded by the scientists on site. She wanted to meet the Adelie penguins and nothing would stop her. The programs on TV had sparked her interest; her love of wildlife and the outdoors cemented it. What would happen when she arrived at Locket Island and met Mike, Terry and Dietrich? And the loveable, delightful Pip?

Away with the Penguins by Hazel Prior was a delightful read. I really enjoyed the setting of Locket Island, meeting the penguins and watching as they grew from babies through to teenagers. Veronica was a spritely, spirited and prickly old dear who grew on me until I was cheering her on. An entertaining read, Away with the Penguins is one I recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit that I struggled to get into this book, as I did not warm initially to the main character Veronica. However, it was well worth it to keep going, as the story split to tales of old and new, showing how Veronica became the person she is, and showing that you are never too old to change a little. Not to mention the wonderful penguins, Pip is adorable!

Veronica McCreedy is a lonely and quite misunderstood woman, who despite great wealth only has her cleaning lady Eileen for company.
After watching a documentary on penguins, she decides that it is her mission to help save them and on another whim she decides to find a long lost family member.
I did find some of the story line a bit far fetched, for example the seemly way of ease Veronica ended up with the research group but some how all the characters just snuck up on you, so in the end you just wanted everything to work out.
Really, it was a delightful story that swept me away gently.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

Curmudgeonly octogenarian, Veronica is a wealthy, reclusive loner living out her days in Ayrshire, Scotland supported by her long-suffering housekeeper, Eileen. However, a chance viewing of a documentary about penguins inspires Veronica to take a trip to Antarctica. As she embarks on this life-changing journey and events unfold, the reader learns more about Veronica's past and we are swept along with her on her cathartic journey of self-discovery. I confess that I wasn't immediately won over as I read the opening chapters but I persevered and I am so glad that I did because I was richly rewarded as I was drawn into an incredibly moving, well-written story full of warmth and poignancy. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance review copy. I have never heard of Hazel Prior before, but I will read future titles by her without any hesitations whatsoever. Definitely an incredibly memorable read.

Away with the penguins is an absolutely beautiful book of which I enjoyed reading every single word. At first glance 85 year widow Mrs Veronica McCreedy does not appear to be a particularly loveable character, but by the end of the book I was left feeling like I really wanted to be her friend.
Mrs McCreedy is a loner who lives in a mansion with visits only from her housekeeper and her gardener for company. She is going deaf but is not losing her marbles as her ability to recite Shakespeare proves! She loves watching wildlife documentaries and when the Adelie penguins in Antarctica need her help, how can she she refuse?
This is one of my favourite books so far of 2020. Hazel Prior has created such wonderful characters, writes so beautifully and the storyline is just perfect. I wanted the book to last longer! Highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely deserving of 5 stars! Star🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

A beautiful, beautiful book. As said by other reviews, not something I would usually choose to read but the reviews won me over. The characters are real and genuine and you fall in love with them all (even Mike!)

Pip the penguin is the cement that holds this tale together and it’s the most heartwarming, uplifting, thoroughly enjoyable book to be reading in these desolate times. Order it, devour it and enjoy it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for a fair and honest review.

I absolutely adored this story!

I thought that the writing style was gorgeous, it was relaxed and such a lovely read.

The plot was well developed and it was an easy read, I really liked the characterisation in the book and the different characters I thought worked really well and their interaction made the book for me. Vanessa is a fantastic character!

I thought that the story was well written and I loved the setting and it has penguins – what is not to like! This is the second book that I have read by this author and they have both been fabulous but I have to say that this one has slightly pipped the other as my favourite.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, I really enjoyed it and loved every page – very highly recommended!!

I was invited to read this book by the Publisher. It is not my usual type of book, and I probably would not have picked it up in a bookshop. I am so glad that I was offered the chance to read it. It is definitely worth reading it is a quirky and uplifting story.
The main characters Veronica and Patrick are not instantly likeable, but as the story progresses, they begin to change, and show that underneath the surface, they are not as grumpy as they appeared to be in the beginning of the book. The penguins are great, and it was interesting to read about them.
Overall, I highly recommend reading this book.

Prior's books are heartwarming comfort reads. We follow an old woman travelling to Antarctica which allows her to look back and slowly make peace with her life. Penguins are a really good touch, makes everything cuter :)

Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

Away With the Penguins features a curmudgeonly old woman, three penguinologists, a long lost relative, and a colony of Adélie penguins in Antarctica. It tells the story of Veronica McCreedy, an 86-year-old woman who goes to visit a penguin colony in Antarctica as she seeks to find meaning to her long and unhappy life. During the course of the novel, we find out about Veronica’s life story and why she is the way she is. We witness how she gradually (very, very gradually) warms to those around her and the impact the penguins (in particular, an orphaned penguin chick she names Patrick) have on her attitudes and beliefs. At times a little slow and repetitive, Away With the Penguins is a story that catches you unawares with the delightful changes brought about in Veronica’s personality. This novel is filled with humor, a little romance, and an important (yet subtle) message about the environment. Overall, a heartwarming story.

First of all, I'd like to thank Random House UK and Netgalley for sharing an ARC in exchange for a fair review. '

Veronica McCreedy is a crotchety 85 year old woman, living alone in a mansion by the sea. She has Eileen as her housekeeper and assistant but she mostly keeps to herself. She sees a program about penguins on tv and becomes obsessed. She decides she is going to Antarctica to see the penguins and will bequeath her money to their cause when she dies. Even though she's been told they can't accommodate her there and that it won't be safe.

It's a really lovely story about Veronica finding joy in her life after many years of being alone. She's a frustrating character at times but she really changes with this trip and changes the few people around her at the same time. Not to mention we get to learn a lot about the penguins.

I give this a solid 4 stars.

Thank you to Random House, Hazel Prior and NetGalley for a digital review copy - my thoughts are my own.

This is one of my favourite books of the year. Veronica McCreedy is a wonderful older lady who makes major changes to her life after being hidden away from the world, mostly at home.

Hazel Prior has created a wonderful cast of characters and interspersed the story with facts about penguins. The story looks at how life events have changed Veronica and how spending time with a small group of scientists and thousands of penguins can change your outlook.

I loved this book and will be buying a copy to give to my daughter. In this current time of uncertainty and anxiety, this book is uplifting and I would love to see it turned into a TV drama.

Veronica McCreedy had reached "mid-octogenarian status". She lived in Ayrshire, Scotland in her mansion by the sea. Irregardless of the weather, she took a daily walk along the rugged Ayrshire coast, having a "particular liking for rocks, waves, and wilderness...[the] landscape empty of human beings". At age fifteen, ..."all my dreams evaporated into thin air...Life is now a trail of insignificant events..." "Human company is necessary at times, I admit, but it is almost irksome in one way or another."

Eileen, Veronica's housekeeper, found Veronica to be sarcastic, a bit deaf, perhaps losing her marbles as she wrote remainders to herself in brown pencil on her bathroom mirror. Veronica insists that all doors be closed upon entering or exiting a room. "Eileen. Door." She tasks Eileen with the job of an Internet search to "unearth documentation regarding long-lost relatives." Upon meeting her newly discovered grandson Patrick, she thinks, "How is it possible that this disgraceful, smeary, drug-befuddled creature could be my own grandson?" Patrick meanwhile thinks, "She is stiff, stuffy, formal...I seem to have ended up with a curmudgeon of a granny."

Veronica enjoyed watching wildlife documentaries on the telly. She had become quite taken with the documentary series "The Plight of Penguins" as presented by host Robert Saddlebow, a conservationist raising awareness of the plight of the eighteen species of penguin, many endangered. Veronica was fascinated by an episode featuring Amelie penguins and the three scientists living on Locket Island, South Shetlands, Antarctica Peninsula. The scientists documented and recorded the behavior and migratory patterns of the Amelies. Terry's Blog, often accompanied by photos, was a very informative addition to their research. "Much of a penguin's life is spent at sea. Under water, they are real masters of movement. They swoop, soar and perform incredible acrobatics. They can stay underwater for fifteen minutes without a breath..." Veronica writes herself a note on the bathroom mirror "...a locket, an island, somebody called Adele and...and penguins?..." "I must try to do something before it is too late...something with my life...a mission...that inspires me...not just something with my money...".

Veronica was bound and determined to fund the penguin project on Locket Island, but, only after a three week visit to Antarctica to assess the validity of the project. "...I want to examine each of [the penguin's] expressions and try to work out their characters, their reason d'etre. I am seized by a desire to be close to them". The three person scientific team was exasperated, at first, with Veronica's unannounced appearance.

Life changes are on the frigid, beautiful horizon for Veronica, the scientists and a special penguin named "Pip". Armed now with knowledge gleaned from old diaries, grandson Patrick and Granny V might just connect with each other after all.

This reader is at a loss in trying to describe the overpowering feelings and emotions generated by "Away With the Penguins" by Hazel Prior. This work of fiction covered topics such as World War II, adoption, conservation, climate change, and opening your heart after unspeakable sorrow. Author Prior has written a "gem" that will continue to stay with me. This is my favorite read of 2020. It is an uplifting tome I highly recommend.

Thank you Transworld Digital, Bantam Press and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Away With the Penguins".

Away With the Penguins is a charming tale of family, second chances, and well...penguins, from Hazel Prior.

“I must try to do something before it’s too late. Not just something with my money but something with my life, whatever dregs are left of it.”

Veronica McCreedy is a brusque, eccentric, and wealthy old woman who lives alone in a large house on the south west coast of Scotland, with only her ‘daily’, Eileen, and a part-time gardener for company. One evening her favourite television programme is replaced with a documentary about penguins, and inspired, Veronica makes an extraordinary decision that will change her life.

The story primarily unfolds from the point of view of Veronica, and her estranged grandson Patrick. Prior’s character development is skilful crafted, initially neither of the protagonists are particularly likeable, but as their pasts are revealed, and the story progresses, they become much more appealing characters.

Veronica’s adventures in Antarctica are delightful and poignant. The scientific team of Locket Island are rather horrified to have an octogenarian in their midst, but Veronica is unconcerned, and is determined to rise to the challenge, handbag on her arm.

Patrick is a bit of a loser, essentially unemployed and recently single, his first (second and third) contact with ‘Granny V’ does not go well, but he eventually redeems himself.

Unsurprising, Away With the Penguins includes strong messages about environmental issues, such as pollution, wildlife conversation and climate change, and of course, the importance of penguin research. I delighted in learning more about penguins, and the Adelie penguins in particular. Pip, the penguin chick that Veronica adopts, is an adorable element of the story.

An entertaining and uplifting story, Away With the Penguins is a lovely read, I finished the last page with a smile on my face, and hope in my heart.

Oh what a beautiful book!! It was in the category of 'can't put down' not because it was thrilling or keeping you guessing, just because it was beautifully written, humourous in parts, touching in others. There are characters you dislike, others you just love and others you learn to love.

I simply adored this book and would recommend it to anyone not matter what genre of book you normally read.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

A very quirky, unusual story about an 85 year old lady and penguins!

Veronica is a wealthy, fairly eccentric lady who doesn't particularly like people and hasn't anyone to leave her money to when she dies, and is wondering what to do with it.  She discovers a grandson she didn't know about, but decides he's not worthy of it, and so after seeing a program on the TV decides to leave it all to penguin research and flies out to the Antarctic and lands herself on the poor penguin scientists in the middle of nowhere with really basic accommodation, promising to leave her money to them if she can stay and see the penguins for a few weeks.

This was a very amusing, and slightly sad in parts, book with great descriptions of penguins that was really interesting.  I  haven't really thought that much about them before, but they sound like really amazing creatures.  Veronica is a formidable woman who is very hard to say no to so there are certainly some interesting parts of the story!  Her grandson also grew on me, as initially I found him irritating (worked one day a week/lived on benefits/moped around feeling sorry for himself/smoked cannabis), but he also ended up in the Antarctic and he turned out to be a nice guy.

I wasn't too sure I'd like the story to start with, but it grew on me as I got further into the book.  Something a little bit different that ended up a very enjoyable read.