Cards on the table – this novel is a delight. Yes, it's set in a nursing home peopled by humans of the elderly persuasion. It is honest, hopeful, sad and hilarious. I'll tell you why.
Hattie Bloom is nearly 90 years of age. She has lived alone for most of her life, observing the bird life in her garden and counting the feathered ones as her friends. She would say she's been happy. Following a fall from a ladder while defending a family of owls from a chainsaw-happy neighbour, Hattie finds herself recuperating from the dreaded broken hip at Woodlands. She is desperate to leave, hates the forced jollity of the staff and the infantilisation of the residents … until she stumbles upon the Night Owls, a clandestine club run by Sister Bronwyn and her labrador, Queenie, tailored for those who find they don't sleep at night. Introverted Hattie meets her polar opposite, loquacious retired driving instructor Walter Clements, and a love-hate friendship eventually ensues.
The drama begins when Sister Bronwyn's night-time activities are found out and banned, leaving her jobless and her fans bereft. Hattie and Walter, sick of the erosion of their independence and the repressive regime, join forces with Walter's ailing best mate to get Sister Bronwyn back, and unwittingly find out that there's more going on at Woodlands than they imagined.
There is much exploration of how care homes are geared up to cater for the elderly and if there might be more than one way. Sister Bronwyn and her unofficial therapy dog and understanding that the night can be wakeful and restless for many older people is an empathetic look at an alternative way. There is advocacy for the rights of the older person – to choose how they are cared for, how and where to die, as well as how and where to live. It's not over until it's over.
Don't shy away from gifting this beautiful novel to an older friend or relative. We often discuss representation in fiction – of genders, sexualities and ethnicities - and now, thanks to Joanna Nell (a doctor with much experience with this kind of care), we have the chance to peek behind those sliding doors and find adventures to look forward to in our later years.