Book description
The hilarious international bestselling novel that has had pensioners ditching their sticks and zimmers to follow the age-defying, youth inducing antics inside The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 1/4 Years Old . . .
'Terrific. This geriatric Adrian Mole made me laugh' Woman and Home
'Funny and touching' BBC…
Why read it?
2 authors picked The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old, translated by Hester Velmans, is a delightful exploration of aging, filled with humor and wit.
As someone living in a multigenerational home and providing care to aging parents, I found Groen's honest depiction of life in his eighties deeply relatable and touching. The book offers a unique perspective on the joys and challenges of growing older, which resonated with me as I navigate the daily realities of caregiving.
Groen's diary entries, filled with his observations and experiences, serve as a heartwarming reminder that age is just a number. Highly recommended for…
I simply couldn’t resist the combination of the title of this book – a nod to Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 ¾, which I enjoyed many years ago – and its ironic setting of an Amsterdam aged care home. The novel is supposedly an exposé by an anonymous care home resident, although the author was subsequently revealed as Dutch writer, Peter de Smet. Told in the form of a diary, the book portrays the frustrations, indignities, and occasional small victories of Hendrik and his buddies in the Old-But-Not-Dead-Yet club as they fight to…
From Joanna's list on older characters who will warm your heart.
If you love The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen...
December on 5C4
Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!
On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…
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