The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

Synopsis

79-year-old Martha Andersson dreams of escaping her care home and robbing a bank.

She has no intention of spending the rest of her days in an armchair and is determined to fund her way to a much more exciting lifestyle. Along with her four oldest friends - otherwise known as the League of Pensioners - Martha decides to rebel against all of the rules imposed upon them. Together, they cause uproar with their antics protesting against early bedtimes and plasticky meals.

As the elderly friends become more daring, they hatch a cunning plan to break out of the dreary care home and land themselves in a far more attractive Stockholm establishment. With the aid of their Zimmer frames, they resolve to stand up for old aged pensioners everywhere - Robin Hood style. And that's when the adventure really takes off . . .


Review

I love all this fiction that is coming out recently that is focused on the older generation, as not only are they treated quite badly by society, I think they are a voice generally ignored in fiction too and I think both these things are what the author here is trying to get across in this book.

I thought this was a really fun, amusing read, whilst also getting across the message that older people are not children and should definitely not be underestimated!

I don't have a favourite character in this because I loved them all equally. Each of the five pensioners had such strong, unique personalities that really stick in your mind. I think I do have a bit of a soft spot for Brains though, as I liked his nickname and his skills with electrics and obviously Martha as she gets them into and out of all their little mischief making adventures.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the mischief they got up to and that no one ever suspected them because they were 'old'. it actually made the younger generation look ignorant because they never thought to blame them, even when the evidence was staring them in the face. 

If you are looking for something along the lines of The One Hundred Year Old Man or The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, this may take your fancy, but this one is unique in it's own way and I don't think it should be compared to those books as I think that would be unfair.

So a fun, uplifting book that will definitely make you look at the elderly a little differently :)

4/5

The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules is available from Amazon UK and Waterstones and obviously all great bookshops.