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2000s: Veronica McCreedy is about to have the journey of a lifetime . . .
2000s: Veronica McCreedy is about to have the journey of a lifetime . . .
Veronica McCreedy lives in a mansion by the sea. She loves a nice cup of Darjeeling tea whilst watching a good wildlife documentary. And she’s never seen without her ruby-red lipstick.
Although these days Veronica is rarely seen by anyone because, at 85, her days are spent mostly at home, alone.
She can be found either collecting litter from the beach (‘people who litter the countryside should be shot’), trying to locate her glasses (‘someone must have moved them’) or shouting
instructions to her assistant, Eileen (‘Eileen, door!’).
Veronica doesn’t have family or friends nearby. Not that she knows about, anyway . . . And she has no idea where she’s going to leave her considerable wealth when she dies.
But today . . . today Veronica is going to make a decision that will change all of this.
You can visit The South Shetland islands of Antartica and see the penguins but you can’t visit Locket Island in the book…
The author says:
‘In fact you can’t go to Locket Island itself, which is the main setting for the story, because I invented it! I wanted to name the island to link in with Veronica’s past… and I enjoy creating locations, just as I enjoy creating characters. However, I’ve tried to stay true to the general climate and landscape of the South Shetlands. I’m not going to recommend taking a trip to that region unless you’re passionate about it because travelling so far isn’t good for the planet. Lancashire and Ayrshire (the other settings) are, of course, beautiful too, and much easier to reach!’
Cute and heartwarming but really poignant too
Read TheBookTrail’s bookreview of Away with the Penguins on the blog now
Destination/location: Anctartica, South Shetland islands, Lancashire, Author/guide: Hazel Prior Departure Time: 2000s
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