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The Trip of a Lifetime
'I always thought memories were unchangeable. Set in stone, shaped by the years. But there are always others too, ones you haven't let yourself remember . . . ' The wilful and eccentric Lola Quinlan is off on the trip of a lifetime, taking her beloved granddaughter and great-granddaughter with her. More than sixty years after emigrating to Australia, she's keeping a secret promise to return to her Irish homeland. But as she embarks on her journey, the flamboyant Lola is still hiding the hurtful reasons she left Ireland in the first place. What - and who - will be waiting for her on the other side of the world? The Trip of a Lifetime is a big, bold, beautiful book about the light and dark times of life, and all the wonders in between. Moving from the Clare Valley of South Australia to the lush Irish countryside, this is a delightful, emotional story about a colourful and huge-hearted family that you'll want to call your own. Author BiographyOne of the stars of Australian fiction, Monica McInerney is the author of the internationally bestselling novels A Taste for It, Upside Down Inside Out, Spin the Bottle, The Alphabet Sisters, Family Baggage, Those Faraday Girls, At Home with the Templetons, Lola's Secret, The House of Memories and a short story collection, All Together Now. Those Faraday Girls was the winner of the General Fiction Book of the Year prize at the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards. In 2006 Monica was the ambassador for the Australian Government initiative Books Alive, with her novella Odd One Out. Monica grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley of South Australia and has been living between Australia and Ireland for twenty years. She and her Irish husband currently live in Dublin. - The Trip Of A Lifetime By Monica Mcinerney (Paperback)
464 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 28, 2017
317 people are currently reading
1209 people want to read
About the author
Monica McInerney
46 books1,129 followerswww.monicamcinerney.com
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Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of twelve novels including The Godmothers, The Trip of a Lifetime, Hello from the Gillespies, The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and Those Faraday Girls (named General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards) and a short story collection, All Together Now. Her first children's book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat, will be published in Australia/NZ in November 2021.
Monica, 56, grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia, where her father was the railway stationmaster and her mother worked in the local library. Before becoming a full-time writer she worked in children’s television, tourism festivals, book publishing, arts marketing, the music industry and as a waitress, a hotel cleaner, a Kindergym instructor and a temp. For nearly thirty years she and her Irish husband have been moving back and forth between Australia and Ireland. They are currently in Australia.
Visit her website at www.monicamcinerney.com
facebook.com/monicamcinerneyauthor
instagram.com/monicamcinerneyauthor
Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of twelve novels including The Godmothers, The Trip of a Lifetime, Hello from the Gillespies, The House of Memories, Lola's Secret, At Home with the Templetons, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and Those Faraday Girls (named General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards) and a short story collection, All Together Now. Her first children's book, Marcie Gill and the Caravan Park Cat, will be published in Australia/NZ in November 2021.
Monica, 56, grew up in a family of seven children in the Clare Valley wine region of South Australia, where her father was the railway stationmaster and her mother worked in the local library. Before becoming a full-time writer she worked in children’s television, tourism festivals, book publishing, arts marketing, the music industry and as a waitress, a hotel cleaner, a Kindergym instructor and a temp. For nearly thirty years she and her Irish husband have been moving back and forth between Australia and Ireland. They are currently in Australia.
Visit her website at www.monicamcinerney.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 240 reviews
May 28, 2018
I knew that Monica McInerney has many fans of her books, but I had never read her, so I picked this one to start with. I didn't realise that this was part of a series, but it worked perfectly fine as a standalone. This is an emotionally affecting family drama, set in the Clare Valley in South Australia and in Ireland, with a trip down memory lane that is the trip of a lifetime. The larger than life 85 year old Lola Quinlan is a woman with bags of personality and grit, who feels the time has come to finally get to grips with her past and all her buried family secrets. She wants her only son, Jim, and the family to know the truth about her life. Lola's life had its difficulties and hardships, at the age of 20 she left Ireland to settle in Australia, with her marriage turning out to be short lived.
Lola makes the decision to return to Ireland to confront her past, taking her granddaughter, Bet, an editor and her great granddaughter, Ellen, with her. Just like in real life, Lola's plans do not all turn out as she had envisaged. Ireland is a much changed place from what Lola remembered and circumstances lead to Jim joining her. Geraldine, Lola's daughter in law is not an easy woman to put up with, resentment overflows from this unhappy character and her wall of disbelief. This is a lovely story of family, past and present, with its share of fraught relationships related with warmth and humour. Lola palpably feels the freedom gained from the release of burdens carried for so long. The author creates wonderfully diverse and relatable characters that have the ring of authenticity about them. I found this an enjoyable and entertaining read that I raced through and am so pleased to have read Monica McInerney at last. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.
Lola makes the decision to return to Ireland to confront her past, taking her granddaughter, Bet, an editor and her great granddaughter, Ellen, with her. Just like in real life, Lola's plans do not all turn out as she had envisaged. Ireland is a much changed place from what Lola remembered and circumstances lead to Jim joining her. Geraldine, Lola's daughter in law is not an easy woman to put up with, resentment overflows from this unhappy character and her wall of disbelief. This is a lovely story of family, past and present, with its share of fraught relationships related with warmth and humour. Lola palpably feels the freedom gained from the release of burdens carried for so long. The author creates wonderfully diverse and relatable characters that have the ring of authenticity about them. I found this an enjoyable and entertaining read that I raced through and am so pleased to have read Monica McInerney at last. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.
September 9, 2017
3.5 Stars
My first Monica McInerney novel, and such a compelling and delightful read, full of wonderful and likeable characters and a family saga that was entertaining and real and a book I really looked forward to picking up each night
The Wilful and eccentric Lola Quintan is off on a trip of a lifetime taking her beloved grandaughter and great - grandaughter with her. More than sixty years after emigrating to Austrialia, she's keeping a secret promise to return to her Irish homeland to confront hurtful reasons why she left Ireland as a young woman and to put the past to rest.
Beautifully written and wonderful sense of time and place as the setting takes place in The Clare Valley wine region in South Australia and Ballymore Eustace in Kildare. A family saga, with family secrets and intrigue that makes a novel like this wonderful Autumn by the fire reading. I fell in love with the characters of Lola and Bett and of course Des, we all know a DES who means well but just becomes too familiar and yet no one has the heart to tell him when he is overstepping the mark as Des is the type to take offence easily.
I believe that Lola has featured in other books by Monica McInerney but The trip of a lifetime read as a stand alone novel and I felt that the author gave me enough background information on the family to keep me satisfied.
A very realistic story, perfectly paced with terrific characters that made me wonder why I have not read this author's work previously as I really enjoyed this novel.
Readers who enjoy Maeve Binchy novels or family saga style novels should check this book out as its an easy and very enjoyable read.
. My thanks to Penguin Books for an opportunity to read this Novel in return for an honest review
My first Monica McInerney novel, and such a compelling and delightful read, full of wonderful and likeable characters and a family saga that was entertaining and real and a book I really looked forward to picking up each night
The Wilful and eccentric Lola Quintan is off on a trip of a lifetime taking her beloved grandaughter and great - grandaughter with her. More than sixty years after emigrating to Austrialia, she's keeping a secret promise to return to her Irish homeland to confront hurtful reasons why she left Ireland as a young woman and to put the past to rest.
Beautifully written and wonderful sense of time and place as the setting takes place in The Clare Valley wine region in South Australia and Ballymore Eustace in Kildare. A family saga, with family secrets and intrigue that makes a novel like this wonderful Autumn by the fire reading. I fell in love with the characters of Lola and Bett and of course Des, we all know a DES who means well but just becomes too familiar and yet no one has the heart to tell him when he is overstepping the mark as Des is the type to take offence easily.
I believe that Lola has featured in other books by Monica McInerney but The trip of a lifetime read as a stand alone novel and I felt that the author gave me enough background information on the family to keep me satisfied.
A very realistic story, perfectly paced with terrific characters that made me wonder why I have not read this author's work previously as I really enjoyed this novel.
Readers who enjoy Maeve Binchy novels or family saga style novels should check this book out as its an easy and very enjoyable read.
. My thanks to Penguin Books for an opportunity to read this Novel in return for an honest review
August 25, 2017
This book has all the warmth and charm of Monica McInerney’s other novels. It tells of Lola Quinlan, now in her eighties. Before she dies, she decides it is time to take a trip back to Ireland. She has not been back since she left as a young pregnant married woman. With Lola on her trip, are one of her granddaughters and a great granddaughter. As often happens though, even the best laid plans do not always work according to plan as life intervenes.
It is a story of family, first and foremost, of secrets kept and the price paid for keeping this secrets. The setting in Ireland, as well as in the Clare Valley of South Australia is well portrayed. As for the characters! They are so relatable. Carrie, one of Lola’s granddaughters reminded me very much of someone I knew years ago. That’s the thing the characters are so real. It’s like being absorbed into a big family with all its personalities, foibles and frictions. The cover is as bold and colourful as Lola, the main character. Having read all of Monica’s other books, I could hear echoes from other stories about the Quinlan family and it was just a joy to catch up with them all again here. This is a great story from a writer who excels at revealing family.
It is a story of family, first and foremost, of secrets kept and the price paid for keeping this secrets. The setting in Ireland, as well as in the Clare Valley of South Australia is well portrayed. As for the characters! They are so relatable. Carrie, one of Lola’s granddaughters reminded me very much of someone I knew years ago. That’s the thing the characters are so real. It’s like being absorbed into a big family with all its personalities, foibles and frictions. The cover is as bold and colourful as Lola, the main character. Having read all of Monica’s other books, I could hear echoes from other stories about the Quinlan family and it was just a joy to catch up with them all again here. This is a great story from a writer who excels at revealing family.
August 22, 2017
This was my first Monica McInerney novel.
To be honest, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did; I was just curious to see for myself why so many people love her books, not to mention it's the Better Reading book club novel for this month.
The central character of this novel is Lola Quinlan, eighty-five-year old. She'd left Australia sixty-five years ago. She's still doing fine for her age, but she knows her time is limited, so she decides it was time she went back to Ireland, to the place where she lived for the first twenty years of her life. Through recollections, we find out about Lola's life, which wasn't the easiest. Her parents were cold and strict. Her marriage with her only son's father lasted less than a year. Lola's kept things from her son and she thinks it's the right time to tell him the truth.
While the trip back to Ireland is not what Lola thought it would be, it was still beneficial. It's liberating to have no more secrets.
Monica's McInerney writing is very natural. The characters come alive, their stories are very relatable. Lola is the heart of the family, she's a loving, charming figure, but that doesn't mean that everyone loves her.
The major themes of this novel are escaping the confines of family and society, love, family, loss and grief, regrets, melancholy, and immigration.
At over 15 hours, this was a pretty long audiobook, but I never got bored. It made me ponder, it made me smile and weep. While the story has been done before, McInerney's writing style and very realistic characters made this novel worthwhile my time.
This novel goes towards the Aussie Authors Challenge 2017 on http://bookloverbookreviews.com/readi...
To be honest, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did; I was just curious to see for myself why so many people love her books, not to mention it's the Better Reading book club novel for this month.
The central character of this novel is Lola Quinlan, eighty-five-year old. She'd left Australia sixty-five years ago. She's still doing fine for her age, but she knows her time is limited, so she decides it was time she went back to Ireland, to the place where she lived for the first twenty years of her life. Through recollections, we find out about Lola's life, which wasn't the easiest. Her parents were cold and strict. Her marriage with her only son's father lasted less than a year. Lola's kept things from her son and she thinks it's the right time to tell him the truth.
While the trip back to Ireland is not what Lola thought it would be, it was still beneficial. It's liberating to have no more secrets.
Monica's McInerney writing is very natural. The characters come alive, their stories are very relatable. Lola is the heart of the family, she's a loving, charming figure, but that doesn't mean that everyone loves her.
The major themes of this novel are escaping the confines of family and society, love, family, loss and grief, regrets, melancholy, and immigration.
At over 15 hours, this was a pretty long audiobook, but I never got bored. It made me ponder, it made me smile and weep. While the story has been done before, McInerney's writing style and very realistic characters made this novel worthwhile my time.
This novel goes towards the Aussie Authors Challenge 2017 on http://bookloverbookreviews.com/readi...
September 9, 2018
The dreaded out of marriage pregnancies which once stigmatised women, forced into unsuitable and often violent marriages, or abandoned by the man pushing them into poverty and often preyed upon by unscrupulous people. How the times have changed for single mothers. The history of Ireland’s treatment of such women is well documented. Fleeing Ireland after a forced marriage which in a way serves for Lola to escape from a strict and controlled family life, she finds herself no better off trapped in a bad relationship on the other side of the world. This author has given Lola a much better and fortunate outcome. This read is about family relationships centred around Lola who with her strong character is able to change her life around through hard work and making fortunate connections. However she carries a secret with her and in old age still has not divulged the truth to her son. Carrying a secret is a burden to anyone and in Lola’s case her decision to return to Ireland is the catalyst to at long last revealing the truth which as it happens is only by accident. The descriptions of the Clare Valley and of Ireland are true to any travel brochure and give the book lovely backgrounds. Lola is a great grandmother and the author has all of the generations of the Australian family included which makes it a busy book with all the different personalities, suffocating attitudes, jealousies, grief it’s all in this read. The introduction into the Irish personalities adds another busy dimension again, moving the reader back and forth from Australia to Ireland. This is a pleasant read but I feel a little more editing and less family would be in order.
October 6, 2019
This was a lovely, absorbing novel about people, mostly.
Told mostly from the point of view of Bett, a young woman with a family and a job she loves as editor of the local newspaper. She lives in Clare, the town in the center of the Clare Valley, a gorgeous wine growing, tourist friendly part of South Australia which I luckily got to visit years ago. Bett's life aside from her job and wrangling her twin toddlers, revolves to a significant extent around her family. Her eccentric grandmother Lola who was heavily involved in raising Bett and her two sisters, lives nearby.
Lola may not be the main character exactly, but the story and the action do revolve around her to a fair extent. One day, Lola tells Bett that she has decided to visit Ireland, where she was born but has never returned to since leaving it as a new bride. Lola's family know little enough about her home back in Ireland, they know as little about her husband, who died during the war. Now, Lola want's to return and she wants Bett and her great grand daughter to come with her. This will be the trip of the lifetime but as readers we also see the vulnerable side of Lola hidden from her family behind her willfulness and we know that Ireland is going to be hard for her.
Secrets lurk throughout the story, the secrets Lola is keeps, others that are being kept from her. The village of Clare is in turmoil over s murder series about to be shot there, and there are secrets about that also.
This very human, quite charming story managed to create real, flamboyant and deeply sympathetic people with ordinary/extraordinary backgrounds that were deeply enjoyable to read about. The challenges faced by the different characters were as absorbing to them as any experience is to the person living it. The author managed to walk that line of making a story suspenseful without sacrificing realism. Antagonistic without any character becoming a caricature and sympathetic without being saccharin.
I really enjoyed this book, the fun story, the understated Australian setting and now I really want to go visit the Clare Valley again!
Told mostly from the point of view of Bett, a young woman with a family and a job she loves as editor of the local newspaper. She lives in Clare, the town in the center of the Clare Valley, a gorgeous wine growing, tourist friendly part of South Australia which I luckily got to visit years ago. Bett's life aside from her job and wrangling her twin toddlers, revolves to a significant extent around her family. Her eccentric grandmother Lola who was heavily involved in raising Bett and her two sisters, lives nearby.
Lola may not be the main character exactly, but the story and the action do revolve around her to a fair extent. One day, Lola tells Bett that she has decided to visit Ireland, where she was born but has never returned to since leaving it as a new bride. Lola's family know little enough about her home back in Ireland, they know as little about her husband, who died during the war. Now, Lola want's to return and she wants Bett and her great grand daughter to come with her. This will be the trip of the lifetime but as readers we also see the vulnerable side of Lola hidden from her family behind her willfulness and we know that Ireland is going to be hard for her.
Secrets lurk throughout the story, the secrets Lola is keeps, others that are being kept from her. The village of Clare is in turmoil over s murder series about to be shot there, and there are secrets about that also.
This very human, quite charming story managed to create real, flamboyant and deeply sympathetic people with ordinary/extraordinary backgrounds that were deeply enjoyable to read about. The challenges faced by the different characters were as absorbing to them as any experience is to the person living it. The author managed to walk that line of making a story suspenseful without sacrificing realism. Antagonistic without any character becoming a caricature and sympathetic without being saccharin.
I really enjoyed this book, the fun story, the understated Australian setting and now I really want to go visit the Clare Valley again!
March 31, 2018
I read this as a stand alone book, not realising at the beginning that it was the third in a series about Lola and her family. Set partly in Australia and partly in Ireland I found it really slow moving. There was a good mix of characters but the plot didn’t really hold my interest.
October 22, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from Penguin Ireland in exchange for an honest review.
Lola Quinlan is 85 years old when she decides to return to her home country of Ireland after over 60 years away with her granddaughter and great granddaughter. However, Lola quickly realises there’s some memories of Ireland she may need to confront, and finally talk to her family about her past.
This was a fun, family-orientated book that I quite enjoyed, and I would recommend people who have read and loved The Alphabet Sisters to read this too as it focuses on the same family, just five years later. I really enjoyed seeing where the sisters had gone in the past five years since the events of The Alphabet Sisters.
Lola is just as mad and eccentric as ever, and I enjoyed seeing the family adventures in Ireland. There wasn’t as much Ireland as I would have liked, and I was surprised at the direction the book took but it wasn’t an overly unpleasant turn either. One of my favourite things about this book was the hired chauffeur Des. He was hilarious, and I just felt like his gift of the gab, and his penchant for putting his foot a bit too over the line in friendly helpfulness and earnestness so funny and typically Irish.
There were parts of this I didn’t like - mainly the relationship between Geraldine and Lola at the end. I was a bit disgusted that Geraldine raised doubts over Lola’s story about Edward and why she left him. And I felt a bit flat that near the end of the story there was the unpleasant exchange between Beth and Geraldine and that Geraldine was still so awful. I’m not sure if it’s a hint that another book could come focused on Geraldine and Jim, but I didn’t like those scenes at all and I really dislike Geraldine as a character.
Lola Quinlan is 85 years old when she decides to return to her home country of Ireland after over 60 years away with her granddaughter and great granddaughter. However, Lola quickly realises there’s some memories of Ireland she may need to confront, and finally talk to her family about her past.
This was a fun, family-orientated book that I quite enjoyed, and I would recommend people who have read and loved The Alphabet Sisters to read this too as it focuses on the same family, just five years later. I really enjoyed seeing where the sisters had gone in the past five years since the events of The Alphabet Sisters.
Lola is just as mad and eccentric as ever, and I enjoyed seeing the family adventures in Ireland. There wasn’t as much Ireland as I would have liked, and I was surprised at the direction the book took but it wasn’t an overly unpleasant turn either. One of my favourite things about this book was the hired chauffeur Des. He was hilarious, and I just felt like his gift of the gab, and his penchant for putting his foot a bit too over the line in friendly helpfulness and earnestness so funny and typically Irish.
There were parts of this I didn’t like - mainly the relationship between Geraldine and Lola at the end. I was a bit disgusted that Geraldine raised doubts over Lola’s story about Edward and why she left him. And I felt a bit flat that near the end of the story there was the unpleasant exchange between Beth and Geraldine and that Geraldine was still so awful. I’m not sure if it’s a hint that another book could come focused on Geraldine and Jim, but I didn’t like those scenes at all and I really dislike Geraldine as a character.
August 20, 2017
The Trip of a Lifetime by Monica McInerney was an automatic buy for me having loved all of Monica’s previous books. And in truth I hadn’t even read the blurb when I bought it – so was pleasantly surprised to be following on from The Alphabet Sisters and Lola’s Secret that I had read many years ago and this book follows on in the Quinlan series. I loved the two settings, the Clare Valley in South Australia and the green hills of the Ireland. It was like revisiting an old friend and although it was not a “compelling pageturner ‘ it was certainly a nice read to curl up with and see where old friends are – Monica has a gift of transporting people to a setting for sure! I loved being back with Lola and her amazing wit and love for her family…4 stars for me.
January 28, 2018
This was a real joy to read.
Loved the characters, particularly wonderful Lola and the secrets that unfolded. If you're after a feel good book oozing with warmth, emotion and at times light hearted and funny I recommend you read this. I could not put this down. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Loved the characters, particularly wonderful Lola and the secrets that unfolded. If you're after a feel good book oozing with warmth, emotion and at times light hearted and funny I recommend you read this. I could not put this down. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
September 20, 2017
Marked down due to Carrie and Geraldine being seriously s*% annoying characters.
Erase them and I'd bump this to a 4.
Love a split narrative and a trip to Ireland :)
Erase them and I'd bump this to a 4.
Love a split narrative and a trip to Ireland :)
February 20, 2018
Yet again Monica McInerney has opened up a world of family, love, warmth, and heartbreaking secrets that will sweep you up and hold your attention until the very end of the story.
Lola is a quirky, stubborn, and absolutely wonderful woman in her eighties who decides it is time to return to Ireland for a trip that she needs to make. Going along for the ride is Lola's granddaughter and great-granddaughter. It has been a long time since she has set foot on the Emerald Isle but as memories from the past resurface, secrets will be set free and the importance of family will take centre stage even more.
The characters are very relatable and I quickly fell in love with Lola and her beloved family. Moving from past to present, Lola's life and the truth about what happened to her help to show us how she has become the woman that she is today. As always, the settings of Australia and Ireland are described with breathtaking detail and make you feel like you are there which is such an important part of a good story.
THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME by Monica McInerney is a superb story of family and recognising our past no matter how much it may hurt, and I thoroughly recommend this book to fiction fans the world over.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.
Lola is a quirky, stubborn, and absolutely wonderful woman in her eighties who decides it is time to return to Ireland for a trip that she needs to make. Going along for the ride is Lola's granddaughter and great-granddaughter. It has been a long time since she has set foot on the Emerald Isle but as memories from the past resurface, secrets will be set free and the importance of family will take centre stage even more.
The characters are very relatable and I quickly fell in love with Lola and her beloved family. Moving from past to present, Lola's life and the truth about what happened to her help to show us how she has become the woman that she is today. As always, the settings of Australia and Ireland are described with breathtaking detail and make you feel like you are there which is such an important part of a good story.
THE TRIP OF A LIFETIME by Monica McInerney is a superb story of family and recognising our past no matter how much it may hurt, and I thoroughly recommend this book to fiction fans the world over.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.
February 1, 2018
Lola has organised a trip back to her homeland with one of her daughters and grandaughters. She's lived in Australia for a long time and thinks the time has come for her to revisit the places she remembers. She wants them to experience the trip without being glued to social media which brings challenges to the different generations. As a keen photographer I can understand some of the reservations about experiencing everything opposed to being behind a screen!
Lola is hiding secrets and we wonder whether this trip will bring them tumbling out. I loved the family dynamics and the way that life back in Australia was important to the storyline aswell.
I also loved the feel of the Irish community- the fact that a village or town will only be so many degrees removed from whoever you need to find.
I love Monica's books and have read several before- as soon as I finished this one I ordered more for my kindle and look forward to reading more. Her writing style is lovely and you get drawn into the family feeling as though you know everyone and have stopped off for a cuppa and a catch up.
Lola is hiding secrets and we wonder whether this trip will bring them tumbling out. I loved the family dynamics and the way that life back in Australia was important to the storyline aswell.
I also loved the feel of the Irish community- the fact that a village or town will only be so many degrees removed from whoever you need to find.
I love Monica's books and have read several before- as soon as I finished this one I ordered more for my kindle and look forward to reading more. Her writing style is lovely and you get drawn into the family feeling as though you know everyone and have stopped off for a cuppa and a catch up.
February 9, 2022
It's just so good! Draws you in until the last moment and leaves you satisfied. Good thing I bought another one of her books at the op shop today 🙃
July 15, 2017
A very enjoyable read! Started reading it when there was a 'Curl up with the Quinlans' reading weekend followed the next day with a talk by Monica herself! Love how Monica talks about family and emotions that go with it all! It's all so real! What a wonderful life adventure Lola has had with her trip of a lifetime!
May 30, 2018
Fun story but not very well written. Too much "telling" and very clunky plot devices at points.
July 18, 2017
The Trip of a Lifetime by Monica McInerney is part of the Quinlan series, the Alphabet Sisters and Lola's Secret.
It's a colourful, sometimes dark and serious read into Lola's life and recollection of the past set in two different places, the Clare Valley in South Australia to the lush, green hills of the Irish Countryside.
As with all of Monica's books, it's full of wit and charm, warmth and understanding as you delve into Lola's past and secrets.
It's the Trip of a Lifetime, Lola must take before it's too late ~ so, Lola can rest contented on the green hills of home, wherever that may be as home is where the heart is, not always in the past.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, The Trip of a Lifetime by Monica McInerney.
It may not always be what you expect!
It's a colourful, sometimes dark and serious read into Lola's life and recollection of the past set in two different places, the Clare Valley in South Australia to the lush, green hills of the Irish Countryside.
As with all of Monica's books, it's full of wit and charm, warmth and understanding as you delve into Lola's past and secrets.
It's the Trip of a Lifetime, Lola must take before it's too late ~ so, Lola can rest contented on the green hills of home, wherever that may be as home is where the heart is, not always in the past.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, The Trip of a Lifetime by Monica McInerney.
It may not always be what you expect!
March 1, 2018
This is the first time that I have read a book by Monica McInerney. It will not be the last if this is anything to go by.
Once I had got past the first few pages I found the book totally enchanting.Found some parts went on to much and lost me but over all a good read
The characters and the way in which they develop and unfold was a joy to read.
This is a book which is very amusing in places, it is also very moving in places. I loved the sense of time and place which Monica McInerney has captured, both in the historical sections and the modern sections of the story.
Once I had got past the first few pages I found the book totally enchanting.Found some parts went on to much and lost me but over all a good read
The characters and the way in which they develop and unfold was a joy to read.
This is a book which is very amusing in places, it is also very moving in places. I loved the sense of time and place which Monica McInerney has captured, both in the historical sections and the modern sections of the story.
July 9, 2017
What a beautiful story about family, secrets and the history upon which we build.
This is the tale of Lola Quinlan returning home to Ireland for the first time in sixty years. She takes with her a daughter and grand-daughter who are excited to learn more about this important matriarch in their lives. What they find is surprising and emotional.
I loved the descriptive nature of this book. Monica's love of family and community really shine through in this book.
This is the tale of Lola Quinlan returning home to Ireland for the first time in sixty years. She takes with her a daughter and grand-daughter who are excited to learn more about this important matriarch in their lives. What they find is surprising and emotional.
I loved the descriptive nature of this book. Monica's love of family and community really shine through in this book.
January 13, 2018
My son gave me this book for Christmas 2017.
I really enjoyed this book. It's the story of 85 year old, Lola, who travels back to Ireland for the first time since emigrated to Australia when she was 20. This is a follow on from The Alphabet Sisters and Lola's Secret, however you can read and enjoy it if you haven't read those other two books.
There are enough secrets to keep the reader guessing, and it was an incredibly enjoyable holiday read.
I really enjoyed this book. It's the story of 85 year old, Lola, who travels back to Ireland for the first time since emigrated to Australia when she was 20. This is a follow on from The Alphabet Sisters and Lola's Secret, however you can read and enjoy it if you haven't read those other two books.
There are enough secrets to keep the reader guessing, and it was an incredibly enjoyable holiday read.
February 4, 2018
The Trip of a Lifetime by Monica McInerney is simply a wonderful heartwarming tale of family, memories and love. The characters are warm and friendly and find yourself absorbed into the story with each turn of the page.
Wonderfully written with the fabulous Lola as the lead character, this book will make you, laugh, smile, possibly shed a tear but ultimately make you feel warm inside.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK Michael Joseph and the author for the chance to review.
Wonderfully written with the fabulous Lola as the lead character, this book will make you, laugh, smile, possibly shed a tear but ultimately make you feel warm inside.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK Michael Joseph and the author for the chance to review.
July 25, 2017
Another lovely book by Monica McInerney. I have enjoyed all of her books and this was an easy read and interesting to switch between Clare, SA and Ireland as I have visited most of the places described.
August 4, 2017
It has been a while since Monica McInerney's last book but it has been well worth the wait. The Trip of a Lifetime is fantastic and emotional following the lives of the Quinlan's once again, I loved it.
November 22, 2017
I won this book as in a first reads giveaway.
I enjoyed this book and thought the characters were written well. I enjoyed the story right until the end. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.
I enjoyed this book and thought the characters were written well. I enjoyed the story right until the end. I would definitely recommend this book to my friends.
January 30, 2018
A worthy sequel to Lola's Secret
July 17, 2024
4.5 stars
This book follows on from The Alphabet Sister’s and Lola’s Secret.
Enjoyed catching up with the Quinlan family again.
You gotta love Lola. What a grandmother!
After 65 years living in South Australia, Lola travels back to her homeland, Ireland with her granddaughter and great granddaughter. Secrets are revealed.
A warm, sweet and spirited tale.
Listened to the audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Ulli Birve
Duration: 15 hrs, 42 min. 1.25x Speed
This book follows on from The Alphabet Sister’s and Lola’s Secret.
Enjoyed catching up with the Quinlan family again.
You gotta love Lola. What a grandmother!
After 65 years living in South Australia, Lola travels back to her homeland, Ireland with her granddaughter and great granddaughter. Secrets are revealed.
A warm, sweet and spirited tale.
Listened to the audiobook via BorrowBox
Published by Bolinda audio
Read by Ulli Birve
Duration: 15 hrs, 42 min. 1.25x Speed
October 12, 2017
Actual rating 3.5 stars
January 20, 2019
I have been a fan of Monica McInerney for several years now and was excited to read this as The Alphabet Sisters is definitely one of my favourites of hers. Yes, the plot was quite slow-moving but I don't think it could have been anything else, given the context of the story. It was a lovely and enjoyable book that really moved me in places and I loved getting lost in the story.
April 29, 2019
Lola Quinlan, 85 year old resident of the Clare Valley in South Australia takes a trip back to her native Ireland where she creates a spectacle in her loud outfits and family secrets are revealed. I didn’t realise this was the third in a series of the same characters until I’d finished the book but it didn’t matter. It’s all a bit predictable but nice and light, sweet and a good read.
August 8, 2017
A lovely book - I want a great grandmother like Lola!!
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