Away with the Penguins cover art

Away with the Penguins

The heartwarming and uplifting Richard & Judy Book Club pick

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Away with the Penguins

By: Hazel Prior
Narrated by: Nigel Pilkington, Nicolette McKenzie, Ayoola Smart
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £11.20

Buy Now for £11.20

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

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.


Readers love Hazel Prior!

‘Oh I so adored this beautiful, unique book!’

‘A complete pleasure from start to finish.’

‘A touching, absorbing and uplifting story.’

‘Tender, heartwarming and sensitively written.’

© Hazel Prior 2020 (P) Penguin Audio 2020

 Animals Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Literature & Fiction Romance Small Town & Rural Women's Fiction Comedy Feel-Good Heartfelt Funny

Critic reviews

This year's Eleanor Oliphant . . . Funny, bittersweet and wholly original.
A glorious, life-affirming story. I read it in a day. I’m going to buy it for so many people this year!
I love this gorgeous book. Unflinching, stubborn, funny and moving, Veronica is an unlikely heroine who will sneak in and capture your heart.
A warm and witty journey of self-discovery. Prior proves that it’s never too late to become the person you were meant to be.
A warm-hearted and life-affirming tale about ageing, human kindness, old-fashioned values and protecting our planet.
A touching, uplifting tale.
Love is not simple; it is the most complex of all the experiences we encounter. Caring for an orphaned penguin liberates the love Veronica had withheld for decades. At the age of eighty-six, the world is all at once at her feet. I commend this novel as a work of art, written in a prose so fluent that it all but reads itself to you. And the creation of the character of Veronica, just by itself, deserves high praise.
All stars
Most relevant
I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. I was struggling taking breaks because I was so gripped on the storyline

An uplifting and inspirational story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
What an absolutely delightful read. It's not my usual type of read and I throughly enjoyed the escape from everyday life and to life of the penguins. The characters were all intriguing and quirky. Highly recommend you give this one a read.

I listened to this one via Audible. 10 and a half hours done in 3 days as I just couldn't stop listening to it.

What an absolutely delightful read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Enjoyed this from the first word to the last... discovering all the characters that the narrators brought to life,as the story evolved ... I felt like I was there within the story... so delightful. Well worth a listen.

What a tale

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Easy to listen to and a good story, also food for thought. Thoroughly enjoyed. Long live the penguins!

Fun and informative

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This book was a breath of fresh air. I haven't read anything like it and was transported to another world. Veronica will stay with me for a long time. Loved every minute of this clever, heartwarming and uplifting story.

adored adored adored!!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews