Book Description:
Veronica McCreedy can’t resist the promise of adventure . . .
Nine-year-old Daisy and nearly ninety-year-old Veronica make an unlikely pair of friends.
Fiercely independent and impeccably dressed, Veronica has lived an incredible 87 years. Most of them alone, in her huge house by the sea. But with the arrival of brave and resilient Daisy into her life, Veronica finds she has a renewed thirst for adventure – and that they both share a passion for penguins!
So when Veronica and Daisy are invited to travel to the other side of the world together and visit the penguins of the southern hemisphere, they both jump at the chance.
Veronica had thought her days of new friendships, family and love were over, but perhaps it’s never too late for one more adventure?
My Thoughts:
This novel follows on from Away with the Penguins and although it can be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend reading the other one first to see where it all began. And of course, to meet Pip!
Veronica is back along with my other favourite characters that I met and fell in love with in the previous novel. Veronica is eighty seven and I have to say I hope I am as nimble and active as she is when I reach that age. I was yet again envious that she gets to travel thousands of miles whilst being amongst such wonderful wildlife in the form of penguins.
Daisy very much steels the limelight at times throughout the story. Her zest and innocence was endearing to read and I found myself tearing up a couple of times at the experiences she has had to go through and the bond with her new found friend, Petra the penguin.
We follow the characters through various ups and downs whilst they each face personal issues. The author’s writing style makes you feel like you are with good friends and whilst I am not sure if there is anymore to come from these characters, they are close to my heart and would love to catch up again with them sometime in the future to see what they are all up to.
Call of the Penguins is a wonderfully captivating read with a deeper meaning behind it. It’s thought provoking and it made me for one, realise just how much damage we are doing to not only our planet but our wildlife also. I love how the author highlights such a current topic by writing about it in a way that I think will impact her readers without even realising. As much as I loved Away with the Penguins, I loved this one even more. The only downside is when you get to the end of the book and it is time to say goodbye to the characters. This is one cast that will stay with me for a long time to come. A meaningful and beautiful story.
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