This is the sequel to the book ‘Away with the Penguins’. It doesn’t disappoint and is equally uplifting and thoughtful. I would suggest the books are read in order.

Hazel Prior returns to the delightful world of penguins and the wealthy 87 year old Veronica McCreedy, living in Ayr at The Ballahays, with her helpful assistant Eileen. She has the bright and boisterous 9 year old Daisy, daughter of Gavin, bicycle shop owner and friend of Patrick, Veronica's grandson. Daisy has been undergoing cancer treatment, painful and exhausting, which Veronica has helped her to endure by exhorting her to think of the penguins, the two of them forming a close bond as a result. Patrick has fitted in well in his role at Locket Island in the Antarctic with its Adelie penguins, where one of them, Pip, continues to hold a special place in all their hearts. His relationship with Terry has turned out well and he has become the essential Mr Fix It, helping with the research, and a great cook to boot.

However, Patrick's paranoia and insecurities sees him break off his relationship with Terry, and head to Vancouver, Canada, to find out more about his father, Veronica's son, Enzo, who had been given away as a baby by a nunnery. Patrick had felt this constant hole in his life, and feels a desperate need to find out more about his father, who had died in a climbing accident. He is to find out far more than he ever anticipated, knowledge which challenges what he thought he knew about his mother and father. Veronica, a penguin ambassador, finds herself jetting around the world as she becomes a co-presenter with Sir Robert Saddlebow on a nature documentary on birds, with Veronica focusing on penguins. Daisy joins her after she writes to a programme that grants wishes to children suffering serious illness.

All of them, including Terry, end up reconnecting at Bolder Island in the Falklands, negotiating some troubled waters, mental health issues, and having to face the devastating issue of humanity's use of plastics which endanger ocean life and seabirds. The inclusion of Daisy as a character is genius, her love of penguins is infectious, particularly her love of the Rockhopper penguin, Petra, and Tony the Macaroni. If you adore penguins as much as I do, you will appreciate the central focus on the wide variety of penguins covered in this novel and the humans who love them too. This is a beautifully engaging, lovely and entertaining read, a wonderful sequel to Away with the Penguins, there is heartbreak, tragedy, and conflict in relationships which threaten friendships, such as Veronica's with Robert, and will Patrick and Terry be able to resurrect their love? Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

This book is the sequel to "Away with the Penguins" by the same author. If you haven't read the first book then I suggest that you do so before embarking on this. Nothing will make any sense otherwise.

Veronica MacCreedy has been involved with penguins for a couple of years now. She supports a project financially, having visited in the first book. In this book we have the continuation of her story as she is asked to do a documentary on her beloved penguins. We also follow Patrick as he seeks out his roots and Daisy as she continues her cancer recovery.

I didn't feel that this book was as good as the first one. I was just about happy to allow the whimsical story of an elderly woman heading off to the desolate cold of a penguin research station, finding her grandson and befriending a young cancer survivor in book one. However a second book just didn't work. It attempted to bring the story back down to earth and become more real and believable which, of course, it isn't. This really smacked of the author attempting to jump on the back of a successful book with a second when in reality a sequel shouldn't have been written. Some things are best left alone. Okay - my view & not everyone's but that is what I feel.

Not a book I feel able to recommend.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

Such a joy to be in the company of Veronica and the penguins again. I was worried that I wouldn’t feel the magic like I did in the first book but it was still there. I enjoyed Veronica’s flirting and the fragility of her hopes and desires vs her fierce determination to get what she wants. This is another poignant, cheeky and lovely read. I’d happily read a third tale of Veronica’s travels!

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

It is lovely to be back in the company of the formidable 87 year old Veronica, or Mrs McReedy as she prefers to be known.
Call Of The Penguins, written by Hazel Prior, is the second to feature our curmudgeonly central character. Away With The Penguins was such a charming book, and I am very happy to find this book is equally as lovely.
Call Of The Penguins sees Veronica taking on a new mission, in her own unique way. At an age when many if her contemporaries would be watching Countdown, she is off on another important adventure.
Veronica’s absolute belief in her own ability and memory, despite the apparent moving of her possessions raised a smile in me, and will be so familiar to many. Despite the light nature of the book, there are some poignant moments too. Whether it’s the reference to the micro plastics entering the penguin food chain, or Daisy’s explanation of why very few things make her nervous these days. The occasion of the hymn sung, on a far away hillside, would bring a lump to the throat of most readers.
The writing flows so well, that it’s so very easy to read, I found myself flying through the book. If you were to read Away With The Penguins first, it would give you a better understanding of the background of the characters, but it’s not a necessity. Hazel very naturally writes in all the details you need to know, so you can enjoy Call of the Penguins to the maximum.
If you are looking for a life affirming, warm, comforting book, to help you feel cosy as the days get colder; I highly recommend Call Of The Penguins. This is such an enchanting 5* read, with a very important underlying message for the future.

This was a lovely follow up to Away with the Penguins and could easily be read as a stand alone as the events of the first book are retold.

All the wonderful characters are back, along with a few new ones.

Veronica embarks on a new penguin adventure and Patrick flees Locket Island after his romance with Terry ends.

Such a heartwarming read, thank you to Netgally and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Veronica McCreedy we first met In Away with the penguins is once more embarking on adventures with penguins but this time as a presenter on a television programme funded by her erstwhile friend and filmed in the Falkland Islands. This is very much a sequel and we meet again all the characters at home and fromLocket Island. The book abounds with personal storylines linked to the main characters bringing joy, laughter and tears as Veronica tries to bring resolution. Underlying the personal conflicts there is a much deeper environmental current running linked to the use and misuse of plastic.
A melee of well crafted characters in a delightful story with a deep meaning

I know I will be in the minority here when I say I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first one.
I feel it should have been left as a stand-alone novel.
I struggled to get through this and although I still loved the characters as much as I did in the first novel, I felt parts of the story were just for padding out.
I truly wanted to love this as much as the first but sadly it wasn’t to be.

This story seems so fun and entertaining on first glance, but in reality it is much more dramatic and carries extremely important topics discussed in our society.
I have not read the first book by Hazel Prior "Away with the Penguins", but I am starting it straight away after this one!
Call of the Penguins is a must read for everyone in order to understand the value of the nature and how to help it!
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the e-arc in exchange for honest review!!

With grateful thanks to NetGalley, Random House UK and Hazel Prior for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the follow-up to the wonderful Away with the Penguins and is once again an absolutely glorious, uplifting read. I adore the characters that Hazel Prior has created - they are all wonderful and inspiring in their own ways. In these days of limited travel, this is an armchair journey of the very best kind, taking the reader to Antarctica, South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, Canada and Scotland.
Hazel Prior's writing is beautiful - I have read and adored all her books and hope she continues to write many more.
This book made me both laugh and cry, which to me is always a sign of a truly excellent read.
Such a fabulous book.

I read the Call of the Penguins very closely to finishing Away with the Penguins. While still a nice read it was definitely infer to the first book. I felt that it lacked depth - of story and character. A story for the sake of it in places.
Pleasant just didn't quite hit for me in the same way the first did.

I loved Away With The Penguins and although I really wanted a follow up book, when it happened I worried I wouldn't love it as much. However this is another absolutely charming read. It opens after Veronica's exploits on Locket Island in the first book became a bit of an internet sensation. Her new relationship with grandson, Patrick, and his girlfriend, Terry, have opened her up to emotions that she thought were long gone. And young Daisy, now holidaying with Veronica to recover from a round of chemotherapy, is also bringing new perspectives to Veronica's life.
Veronica gets the opportunity to feature in a television documentary and Daisy is included in the trip. The story alternates between Veronica's, Patrick's, and Terry's POV so we get an inside look at where misunderstandings are happening and the consequences. A big part of the story involves Patrick being dispatched to the US to find out more about the man Veronica loved and lost and who was Patrick's father.
There are some twists and turns in this book which I wasn't expecting since the first book was so straight forward and charming and funny. They add an extra dimension, but there is still plenty of humour, along with some powerful ecological messages. These did come across as a bit preachy at times, but certainly got the point across.
Veronica is one of my favourite fictional characters. Long may she reign!

I fell in love with this story just like the first “away with the penguins”. I love the character of Veronica, she may come across fierce and tough but the truth is she keep her feeling hidden away, she has a story to tell and is feeling rather lost and this adventure finally gives her some answers and closure to the life she has kept secret to so many for so many years. This story is full of love, heartache and friendship and I loved going on adventure with the characters!! I liked how the story flashed from each different character, throughout the story. It was another Brilliant read written by hazel and i can’t wait to see what she has in store for us in the near future!!

It was lovely to revisit the memorable cast of characters from the first book, and to see how their stories developed. A comforting easy read, with penguins!

I so wanted to like this book but I just could not get into ot after the first one. I found it dull and repetitive.

Full Stop: I did not read the first book because I didn't know there was a second book, I simply thought THIS was the first book, just a different edition. DOH! It didn't take away my enjoyment of reading this, although I did struggle a tiny bit to catch up. I just loved Veronica so much, she is fiesty and so wise. Daisy is the other main character and was just as endearing and captivating to read about. I loved the relationship these two women eventually form and the storyline sucked me right in. I am all for saving wildlife and the environment, without getting too preachy about it. There is also something to be said for heartwarming stories such as this. They are so charming and never fail to lift my spirits and my mood. I learned a lot as well and that is ALWAYS a bonus. I will definitely be picking up book two.

Such a cute and feel good read that I read quickly, it was such a quick, easy and enjoyable read that i couldnt wait to get to the end and find out how it ended, but that I also didnt want to end.

As somebody that loves Penguins, I absolutely adored Away with the Penguins when I read it last year and was thrilled to hear there was a sequel.

I didn’t know if it was possible to love Call of the Penguins as much but it took no time at all for me to step back into Veronica McCreedy’s incredible life; it almost felt like I hadn’t left at all.

I liked that the main focus of this book was in an entirely different part of the world, introducing different species’ of penguins while still getting updates about the penguin colony in Antarctica. This added a fresh dynamic to the book, so it wasn’t just repeating its predecessor.

The story oozed positivity whilst tackling some difficult issues and highlighting some real problems in the world. Veronica was once again an inspiration at 87, paired with the amazingly strong Daisy, who at the age of 9 is going through something no child should have to, while maintaining her bubbly optimism and zest for life.

I honestly loved this book as much as the second one, and have my fingers crossed for a third!

I was thrilled to receive an early digital copy of this delightful, beautifully written book. The lovely previous book 'Away With the Penguins' ( also published with the alternate title 'How the Penguins Saved Veronica) is one of my favourites. I was pleased when I learned there would be a second chance to meet the wonderful, memorable, and unique characters once more. 'The Call of the Penguins' can be read as a standalone, but readers' enjoyment would be enhanced by also reading the first book for a better understanding of what led them to the present situation.

This book contains humour, human drama, heartache. romance, family history, genealogy, dark secrets, mystery, misunderstandings, emotions on edge, temper flair-ups, kindness, adventure, excitement, a tangled family tree, illness and love of penguins. It also carries an important environmental message, and what we can do to improve our planet.

What we know about Veronica; At the age of 87, Veronica was a stubborn, cantankerous, feisty woman who lived alone in an imposing mansion except for a daily hired woman, Eileen. Veronica had been friendless for most of her long life and had no known living relatives. After a lifetime of disappointment and loss broke her spirit, she learned to expect the worst in people. She is a very wealthy woman who became entranced watching a documentary film describing research on Adelie penguins by an underfunded three-person team on Locket Island in Antarctica. Her concern over the plight of the penguins resulted in her deciding to use her vast wealth to save them by funding the project, but only if they agreed to allow her to visit the Antarctic base to decide if the project was worthwhile. She was an unstoppable force in her determination. Her excitement in actually seeing the colony of penguins herself awakened an adventurous spirit.

Both books feature resilience and redemption and the theme that it is never too late to change one's perspective, behaviour and attitude.

This book begins with Veronica, now age 87, at home at her imposing estate. Enchanting memories of the captivating penguins and people she met on the journey fill her with pleasure, but she also has dark secrets and losses from her distant past. It seems the joy from her recent adventure must sustain her in her old age. Her housekeeper still extends a helping hand and friendship. Veronica is caring for a 9-year-old girl, Daisy, who is recovering from chemotherapy after a long illness. She is a loud, exuberant child, enthusiastic and delightful despite her serious illness. She and Veronica have formed a special bond.

A much honoured and respected producer of nature documentaries is heading to Australia and the Falkland Islands to film sea birds and environmental issues. He wants Veronica to participate in the filming of the sections about penguins. She does not hesitate in agreeing to another chance to see
her beloved, fascinating penguins. Unknown to her, Daisy has written to a TV show that grants wishes to children suffering from serious illnesses. Daisy's wish was to accompany Veronica on her journey. She is excited that the TV show granted her request.

We also learn what has been happening on Locket Island, the Antarctic base Veronica previously visited. The three-member research team added a fourth worker. This was Veronica's previously unknown grandson, whose existence was only recently discovered. He is a man in turmoil and has left the island and his romantic relationship in a fit of anger and misunderstanding. Veronica funds his travel to Vancouver, Canada to learn about his father who deserted him and led to his life in foster homes. The man was also Veronica's lost son and both have been tormented by the mystery of his life.

it is up to Veronica to attempt to untangle broken relationships and work on new friendships while watching Rosie's delight in observing the penguins and her own joy in encountering them again. The emotional toll of the human relationships is causing her much stress, interfering with her part in the filming in the Falklands. Will she return from her journey with more happy memories? The ending back home strongly hints that there may be more adventures and more penguins in her future. If so, I can't wait!
I highly recommend this lovely book. The atmospheric writing imparts a vivid sense of the settings and paints a strong visual picture in the reader's mind.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the ARC in return for my honest review.

Following her grand adventure on Locket Island in Antarctica, staying at a research station and raising an orphan penguin called Pip, octagenerian Veronica McCreedy is back home in Scotland, leading a quiet life. But when she is invited by wild life presenter Sir Robert Saddlebow to co-host a documentary program on seabirds, she jumps at the chance of a new adventure.

After filming Little penguins in New Zealand, they travel on to the Falklands where they are joined by none year old Daisy, the daughter of a friend of Veronica’s grandson Patrick. While undergoing treatment for cancer, Daisy followed Veronica on the Locket Island blog and fell in love with baby penguin Pip. Whenever she felt ill during her cancer treatment, Veronica would tell her to ‘Remember the Penguins’. Now Daisy’s wish to see penguins for herself is being fulfilled by a make-a-wish foundation.

Meanwhile, Patrick is experiencing his own adventures. After falling in love with Locket Island (when he went to ’rescue’ Veronica) and Terry, the woman who runs it, Patrick stayed on as a volunteer. However, due to poor communication he has suddenly left, leaving Terry to wonder about what went wrong. Veronica decides that rather than moping around, this would be a good time for him to search for information about the father he never knew (Veronica’s long-lost baby son) and sends him off to Canada.

This is a delightful sequel to the wonderful ‘Away with the Penguins’. There are lots of penguins and penguin facts along with many ups and downs for Patrick and Veronica on their travels. Daisy is a charming little girl and her relationship with a special penguin is a delight to read about. Hazel Prior is a gifted story teller and this is an enjoyable read with some very engaging characters.