10% off all books and free delivery over £40
Buy from our bookstore and 25% of the cover price will be given to a school of your choice to buy more books. *15% of eBooks.

The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 83 Years Old

View All Editions

The selected edition of this book is not available to buy right now.
Add To Wishlist
Write A Review Read An Extract

LoveReading Says

LoveReading Says

One of our Books of the Year 2016.

Poignant, moving and funny, I chuckled my way through this delightful (but no longer secret) diary from the rather lovable Hendrik Groen.


Hendrik has reached the age where his address book is depressingly empty and his life has become an endless string of funerals and conversations concerning bowel movements, the latest list of ailments and euthanasia. The care home he lives in is like a waiting room for death and so in an effort to keep his own sanity he decides to write his memoir. He intends to record it all, the mystery of the fish murderer, the suspicious activities being carried out by those who run the establishment and last but by no means least the happenings of THE-OLD-BUT-NOT-DEAD club.

 
Hendrik is an endearing character who I very much enjoyed spending time with in this gentle read that left me feeling a little sad but hopeful. Snippets of the life he lived and what remains of it filter in throughout the book and have a greater sense of poignancy as they merge in with the everyday happenings of the here and now. When we are old we are still very much the person we have always been, hopefully reading this will remind us all that behind each and every elderly person lies a story. ~ Shelley Fallows

September 2016 Debut of the Month.

Sarah Broadhurst's view...

An old people's home in the Netherlands is the setting for this satire but it could be anywhere except for the small amount of political references. But Margaret Thatcher and Nelson Mandela's deaths are commented upon too. With a vast cast of residents and all kinds of worries and problems we concentrate mainly on a group of friends who form the 'old-but-not-dead club' where each member organises an outing. They do more than most old people ever think of: take a cookery lesson, wine-tasting, painting, synchronized swimming, tai chi, bowls, golf and such. Hanging over the home is the threat of renovation, therefore change. Our narrator is determined to get sight of the regulations and decides to challenge the board. Solicitors become involved. His three closest friends have a dramatic and sad year which is sensitively portrayed. The action takes place over that year and is written in diary form. Personally I feel that if you are involved with the elderly you might find this all a bit disturbing despite it's amusing style. ~ Sarah Broadhurst

Sarah Broadhurst

eBooks of the Month
Debut Books of the Month

Find This Book In

Primary Genre Modern and Contemporary Fiction
Other Genres:
Recommendations:

About

Press Reviews

Author

You Might Also Like...

He Wants

Alison Moore

Ebook (Epub)

Digital. Available Immediately. Country restrictions apply.

£14.95

Improvement

Joan Silber

Paperback

In Stock

£8.09 £8.99

A Well Tempered Heart

Jan-Philipp Sendker

Paperback

In Stock

£8.99 £9.99

The Unfinished Business of Eadie Browne

Freya North

Hardback

In Stock

£15.29 £16.99

Hillstation

Robin Mukherjee

Ebook (Epub)

Digital. Available Immediately. Country restrictions apply.

£4.99

Watermelon

Marian Keyes

Paperback

In Stock

£8.99 £9.99