The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home

by Joanna Nell

The joyous, charming and utterly irresistible new novel from the author of mega-bestseller The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village

At nearly ninety, retired nature writer Hattie Bloom prefers the company of birds to people, but when a fall lands her in a nursing home she struggles to cope with the loss of independence and privacy. From the confines of her 'room with a view' of the carpark, she dreams of escape.

Fellow 'inmate', the gregarious, would-be comedian Walter Clements also plans on returning home as soon as he is fit and able to take charge of his mobility scooter.

When Hattie and Walter officially meet at The Night Owls, a clandestine club run by Sister Bronwyn and her dog, Queenie, they seem at odds. But when Sister Bronwyn is dismissed over her unconventional approach to aged care, they must join forces -- and very slowly an unlikely, unexpected friendship begins to grow.

Full of wisdom and warmth, The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home is a gorgeously poignant, hilarious story showing that it is never too late to laugh -- or to love.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Humor, Audiobook, Adult Fiction, Comedy, Australia

384 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2020

About the author

Joanna Nell is a UK born writer and doctor. Her short fiction has won multiple awards and has been published in various journals and literary anthologies. In 2016 she was awarded a residency at The Bundanon Trust. Her bestselling debut novel The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village was published by Hachette Australia and Hodder & Stoughton (UK) in 2018.
A former ship's doctor, Joanna now works as a GP with a passion for women's health and care of the elderly. She writes character-driven stories for women in their prime, creating young-at-heart characters who are not afraid to break the rules and defy society's expectations of ageing.
Joanna lives on Sydney's Northern Beaches, and as the mother of teenagers enjoys long walks with her dog and talking to herself.

Reviews

[Sandysbookaday (taking a step back for a while) · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCERPT: Hattie

Never one to dwell on the past, Hattie Bloom hurried from hers - the last few days of it, at least - and headed for the waiting taxi. She wouldn't look back, determined to put the whole unfortunate episode behind her. There were only so many sing-alongs, only so many games of carpet bowls and bingo that a sane person could endure. Legs eleven? She'd settle for two that actually worked.

The taxi driver held the small plastic bag of Hattie's belongings and her walking stick while she wrestled her unyielding limbs into the back seat. He was in his fifties, or perhaps forties after a hard life, and smelled strongly of onions. With his sweat-stained shirt and open- mouthed breathing, he wouldn't have been her first choice, but Hattie couldn't afford to be picky when it came to getaway drivers. This was, after all, her one and only chance to escape from Woodlands Nursing Home.

ABOUT 'THE GREAT ESCAPE FROM WOODLANDS NURSING HOME ': At nearly ninety, retired nature writer Hattie Bloom prefers the company of birds to people, but when a fall lands her in a nursing home she struggles to cope with the loss of independence and privacy. From the confines of her 'room with a view' of the carpark, she dreams of escape.

Fellow 'inmate', the gregarious, would-be comedian Walter Clements also plans on returning home as soon as he is fit and able to take charge of his mobility scooter.

When Hattie and Walter officially meet at The Night Owls, a clandestine club run by Sister Bronwyn and her dog, Queenie, they seem at odds. But when Sister Bronwyn is dismissed over her unconventional approach to aged care, they must join forces -- and very slowly an unlikely, unexpected friendship begins to grow.

MY THOUGHTS: Joanna Nell writes with her usual wit and warmth about the perils, pitfalls and joys of old age. Her books are proof that just because you may have lost the use of your legs, your mind hasn't necessarily accompanied them.

To Hattie, eighty-nine, reclusive retired ornithologist, human behaviour is a mystery. So when she finds herself in a residential 'care' home following a fall from a ladder while trying to save a family of endangered owls, she is like a fish out of water and can think only of escaping back to her dilapidated but comfortable home where all is quiet and peaceful, apart from those pesky new neighbours. She has nothing in common with the other residents (prisoners), who are either loud and gregarious, or somnolent zombies. But that's before she meets Sister Bronwyn, the night nurse who puts the 'life' back into assisted living, and who shows her that there is far more to her fellow 'inmates' than she could possibly guess.

If, like me, you have ever dreaded ending your days 'in care,' where you may feel like you're 'out of sight, out of mind', this may give you another perspective. It is a reminder that these people have not always been frail of body and/or mind; that they have lived full and productive lives, that they have stories to tell if we only take the time to listen, and that while they are still breathing, there's always time for one more adventure.

Like all of Joanna Nell's books, The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home is written with warmth, wit and empathy about people who could be us in a few years time. I found it very easy to relate to Hattie, and I could quite imagine one of my brothers as the golf mad, cheesy, loud, Walter. I laughed, cried and laughed some more, and as I closed the cover of this delightful read for the final time, I wondered what the author has in store for us next.

⭐⭐⭐.9

#TheGreatEscapeFromWoodlandsNursingHome #NetGalley

'What's the point of having his stomach stapled shut if his mouth still opens?'

'However old you feel, tomorrow it will seem young.'

THE AUTHOR: Joanna Nell is a UK born writer and doctor. Her short fiction has won multiple awards and has been published in various journals and literary anthologies. In 2016 she was awarded a residency at The Bundanon Trust. Her bestselling debut novel The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village was published by Hachette Australia and Hodder & Stoughton (UK) in 2018.
A former ship's doctor, Joanna now works as a GP with a passion for women's health and care of the elderly. She writes character-driven stories for women in their prime, creating young-at-heart characters who are not afraid to break the rules and defy society's expectations of ageing.
Joanna lives on Sydney's Northern Beaches, and as the mother of teenagers enjoys long walks with her dog and talking to herself.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hachette Australia for providing a digital ARC of The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home by Joanna Nell for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me introduce you to 89 year old Miss Hattie Bloom, she’s one smart lady, an ornithological expert, solitary, feisty and fiercely independent. Whilst trying to save a tree from being felled so that owls can continue to nest, she unfortunately breaks her hip and is now temporarily residing at Woodlands. In the next room is 90 year old Walter Clements who has a host of cheesy jokes, he’s golf mad, likes a snifter or three, thinks he’s Steve McQueen in ‘Le Mans’ and currently waiting the all clear to drive the ‘Tesla’, an electric wheelchair. Then there’s his lovely pal Murray and Sister Bronwyn who is fabulously subversive, phenomenally kind and so understanding. These are the freedom fighters of Woodlands determined to disrupt for better things and pineapple rings. This is their hugely entertaining story.

This is a delightful, witty, clever, funny, sardonic, joyful, sorrowful and emotional read and I love every word of it! It’s wonderfully written, with fantastically colourful, young at heart characters that would jump off the page if they could and they make such good company. It’s also pertinently observed and deliciously ironic especially if you have visited care homes all these characters or similar ones are there in all their faded glory. The jokers, the kleptomaniacs, the subversives, the happy and sad, lonely ones. I love the backstories of all these residents and it’s easy to forget once memories fade that these people may have had phenomenal careers or done amazing things which the author makes abundantly clear and kudos for that. I think this is an extremely important and powerful message. The ending feels just appropriately right and made me laugh and cry.

Ps. My dad was a care home resident, he didn’t like sing songs and said so but was ‘encouraged’ to join in. He had the last laugh, instead of blue birds flying over Dovers white cliffs, he substituted every naughty blue word he could think of (plenty) and got a red card!!! Go Dad! I guess this is why this story resonates so much and I have no doubt that he and fictional Walter would have been the best of pals.

Overall, an excellent and moving story which I highly recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton and Joanna Nell for the much appreciated arc for an honest review.

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanna Nell brings us another enjoyable romp through life in a retirement home with more than its fair share of outrageous characters. There is a staff member who organises night time revels, a subversive resident who puts detergent in the water fountain and even the budgie is an entertaining individual.

Beneath the humour though is an underlying story of this final, often unavoidable, stage of life, where failing health causes someone to enter a nursing home but still with hope of being able to return home later. Then comes the inevitable acceptance of how things must be and the need to make the best of it. I felt very sad for Hattie and Walter. 89 and 90 are not the best ages for such a huge change.

This is a very funny book with larger than life characters but it still has a lot of truths at its core. In some nursing homes the food is not good, there are staff who do not care and when you end up living in just one room there is not going to be enough room for all your books! So I laughed but felt a little uncomfortable at the same time.

My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[PattyMacDotComma · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5★
“ ‘Mum said you ran over the OT’s foot.’ James smirked.

Walter harrumphed.
‘People’s feet are too big these days. They used to be much smaller.’

Walter Clements is a new widower whose daughter has moved him into the home. She and grandson James visit often, but young teenager James spends his visits fooling around on his phone.

“Apparently it was all messages and photographs now. What would these kids reminisce about when they were old? Would they show their grandchildren the photo of their breakfast, or of themselves pouting into a bathroom mirror when they talked about the good old days?”

This visit, however, James is impressed with the Tesla, Grandpa’s racy scooter he’s trying to get permission to drive. The foot incident above is only one of the mishaps from his first attempt. Another was knocking over Miss Hattie Bloom. Hattie is there to recover from a fall.

“Ladders and hips alike. Both rotten and crumbling with age.”

She’s been desperately trying to save the big angophora tree which is home to some owls in her garden. New neighbours want to lop an overhanging branch, and she was protesting.

So she’s admitted to the home to convalesce. There Hattie meets the DON, Director of Nursing, who is always referred to as the DON, a sinister Mafia title, but she is, in fact, a decent woman who does her best to be upbeat.

Rooms at the Woodlands Nursing Home are named after Monopoly board game properties, also to be upbeat and lighthearted, but it seems to me more appropriate for a primary school than a nursing home.

“Depending on how you landed on this particular Monopoly square, the foyer and reception area represented either IN JAIL or JUST VISITING.”

It reminded me of a nursing home a friend of mine was in which was a series of hallways connected by circular ‘lounge-dining’ areas that branched off into more hallways leading to more circular areas, like a complicated system of arteries and capillaries. We were always completely lost when we visited, so if you weren’t confused when you moved in, they made sure you would be eventually. But I digress.

Walter and Hattie alternate chapters, headed with their first names. In life, however, they are always addressed as Mr Clements and Miss Bloom by each other and the other residents. But everyone is doing what they can to keep the residents happy and entertained – during the day.

“‘Morning, Walter.’ It was the activities coordinator with a clipboard. ‘Shall I put you down for the bus trip? The alternative is Twenty Questions at ten-thirty.’

‘It’s a veritable choose-your-own-adventure in here, isn’t it?’

The lifestyle coordinator, a softly spoken man in his sixties, clapped him on the shoulder. ‘That’s the spirit,’ he said.

Nights are another matter. Only one sister seems to understand that old people seldom sleep well all night. People wake up to use the bathroom and may have trouble falling asleep again. Aches, stiffness, memories, new wounds, homesickness. Most of us have been there at some time.

“The system” seems designed to keep people in their beds for uninterrupted hours all night long. Yeah, right. The “maverick night nurse”, as the author calls her, has ideas of her own for a Night Owls social club.

Let the fun begin!

It’s an entertaining read with some predictably poignant moments, but the idea of the Night Owls was new to me, and I love them! Somebody should start a protest movement in nursing homes and retirement villages for all the people who don’t want to be locked up in bed all night. In our own homes, we can fall asleep in front of TV if we want to or go outside and admire the moon and stars. Why not in our last homes?

Thanks To NetGalley and Hachette Australia for the preview copy from which I’ve quoted. (Some quotes may have changed, but I try to choose those that I enjoy and think share the spirit of the author’s writing.)

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hattie Bloom’s fall broke the almost ninety-year old’s hip, which found her recuperating in the Woodlands Nursing Home alongside other frail and elderly people. She desperately wanted to go home, back to her birds and the endangered owl which nested in the tree outside her home. Her meeting of Walter Clements, elderly, out-there, lover of food and his hidden stash of alcohol, wasn’t promising – Hattie decided to keep to herself…

Not many of the elderly folk slept at night – Sister Bronwyn ran the night shift with nurse Sameera, and The Night Owls meant Hattie and Walter had something to do to pass the long hours of darkness. Sister Bronwyn’s Labrador Queenie was a fan – treats – and they all loved Queenie. But unexpectedly Sister Bronwyn was dismissed, and nights were back to the way they were expected to be. Hattie and Walter hatched a plan, but would it work? After all, the elderly didn’t have much of a say in their final days, did they?

The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home by Aussie author Joanna Nell is heartwarming, realistic, at times sad, at times laugh out loud funny, a story of life – not in the fast lane (as Walter would have it) – for our elderly who are placed into nursing homes and often forgotten. Poignant and very readable, The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home is one I recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home by Joanna Nell

Synopsis /

At nearly ninety, retired nature writer Hattie Bloom prefers the company of birds to people, but when a fall lands her in a nursing home she struggles to cope with the loss of independence and privacy. From the confines of her 'room with a view' of the carpark, she dreams of escape.

Fellow 'inmate', the gregarious, would-be comedian Walter Clements also plans on returning home as soon as he is fit and able to take charge of his mobility scooter.

When Hattie and Walter officially meet at The Night Owls, a clandestine club run by Sister Bronwyn and her dog, Queenie, they seem at odds. But when Sister Bronwyn is dismissed over her unconventional approach to aged care, they must join forces -- and very slowly an unlikely, unexpected friendship begins to grow.

My Thoughts /

Just reading the title of Joanna Nell’s 2020 novel: The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home had me picturing scenes reminiscent of that famous 1963 American war film of a similar name, starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, and many other famous names. I was expecting motorcycles with sidecars and chase scenes (sans weapons of course 😊). What I got was something a lot more sedate, but no less entertaining.

In the author’s note, she writes:

In this novel, I deliberately wanted to tell the story from the point of view of those who are so often left ‘out of sight, out of mind’, and highlight the paradoxical demands of keeping vulnerable people safe while accommodating the right of an individual to maintain their independence.

Consider this goal accomplished.

At eighty-nine years of age, retired nature writer, Hattie Bloom finds herself in a nursing home, after a fall she experienced whilst working in her garden. Living on her own and with no-one to look after her, Hattie was told it was a safer option for her to be placed into the Woodlands Nursing Home whilst she was recuperating from her injuries. Hattie is an Ornithologist and has always preferred the company of birds over people and hopes that her stay at Woodlands will be a short-lived experience, however, life has a different plan.

Now ninety years old, Walter Clements was a driving instructor in his youth but now that privilege has been revoked. It seems, higher powers deem that old age and the ability to drive proficiently do not mix. Walter’s character comes across as conceited. He thinks he’s comedic and funny, but in reality, Walter’s jokes are sometimes in poor taste.

Hattie and Walter unite and form an unlikely friendship when Sister Bronwyn, Woodlands favourite nightshift nurse is stood down because of her unusual approach to aged care. Night-time can prove challenging for residents – unable to sleep, drowning in their own thoughts. But Sister Bronwyn’s approach has the residents looking forward to the darkness. Because with the setting of the sun and the change of shift, the Night Owls come to life.

What follows is a fictional story with a strong slant towards highlighting experiences of our older generation. Nell writes with warmth, wit, and respect. Although there are strong themes at play here, Nell has partnered them light-hearted fun and humour. Not to mention some very witty one-liners.

Like white-goods deliveries, most things in this place came with a vague timeframe.

Woodlands already cost her most of her pension and was eating into her savings faster than a nest of ravenous termites through a fallen log.

He hadn’t seen the staff congregate that quickly since they’d opened the champagne at the Christmas party.

Nell’s characters are relatable - full of wisdom and empathy. They show the world they can function effectively with love, in decision-making, and other mental and physical skills. They still have purpose and although at times, judgment may have gone a bit askew, the intentions come from a good place.

The older generation deserve our respect not our judgment. For we don’t know the roads they have travelled or the years of challenges they have faced and overcome. Age has brought with it limitations, but it shouldn’t diminish importance.

What a shame people didn’t increase in value when they got older and rarer.

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4 Stars⭐️

The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home by Joanna Nell is a delightful and hilarious journey into the goings on and shenanigans in a retirement home.

Hattie Bloom is an eighty-nine year old reclusive spinster, she lives alone and prefers birds to people. Hattie takes a fall off an old rotting ladder and finds herself in Woodlands Nursing Home to her utter dismay. She is desperate to return to her cottage once her hip has healed as she struggles with the lack of privacy and having to be around people and not her birds.

Walter Clement is an inmate at Woodlands, he’s ninety and a wannabe comedian, he’s also intent on passing a proficiency test to ride his shiny red electric mobility scooter otherwise it goes back to the showroom!

At night Hattie is introduced to ‘The Night Owls’ a nocturnal and unofficial social club run by Sister Bronwyn (and her furry friend) with cocktails, exotic dancing, poker and canapes!

Woodlands turns into chaos and Hattie and Walter become partners in crime when Sister Brownwyn is unfairly dismissed from Woodlands.

A sweet and heartwarming tale of friendships, sorrow and laughter.

I wish to thank NetGalley & Hachette Australia for providing me with an advanced copy to read in return for an honest review.

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hattie Bloom is 89 she lives alone in her run down cottage; she’s a nature lover and has an interest in birds. When she takes a tumble and ends up in Woodlands Nursing Home she absolutely hates it and there’s no such thing as privacy in aged care. Hattie’s not used to being around people, being told what to do; she can’t wait until her hip heals and she can go home. Aged care facilities can be boring and extremely monotonous places to live; they have a regimented schedule, tight budgets, endless cups of cold tea, and don’t mention the food.

Walter Clements is a real character, he’s funny, he likes to tell jokes and he thinks all the ladies find him charming. He wants to leave Woodlands, he hates taking the water pills they give him and they also limit his alcohol consumption. His path to freedom involves passing a test to use a mobility scooter safely and he assumes it will be a piece of cake for a man with his capabilities? Hattie and Walter are complete opposites and when they meet Hattie isn’t at all sure of what to make of Walter! Sister Bronwyn works the night shift at Woodland’s and she runs a secret club called The Night Owl’s. Many residents have a problem sleeping, are almost nocturnal and she brings her dog Queenie to work with her and they enjoy the harmless night time activities she organizes.

When Sister Bronwyn is dismissed from her duties, the oldies are devastated; they miss her, the camaraderie, fun activities and Queenie. Walter, Hattie and their friend Murray who’s unfortunately very ill and confined to his room are determined to get Sister Bronwyn reinstated. The ideas they come up with, plans they make and what they try is totally hilarious. I loved The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home; it’s a wonderful story about a group of older people and their determination to have the night nurse reinstated. It’s an absolutely delightful book to read, so funny, with lovable and enduring characters and it’s an uplifting story. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, five stars from me and I’m keen to read Joanna Nell’s other books.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“From years of careful observation Hattie had worked out how birds interacted. She’d learned their social hierarchies and their peccadilloes. She could read birds, and for decades, had reported their behaviour in what was essentially an ornithological gossip column or society page. Humans, on the other hand, remained an enigma.”

The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home is the third novel by Australian author, Joanna Nell. Eighty-nine-year-old Hattie Bloom (Miss) is desperate to return to Angophora Cottage and its eponymous tree: on the fence-line, it’s the basis of a dispute with her new young neighbours, but a source of joy for Hattie, home to a pair of nesting Powerful Owls.

It’s a small irony that it’s Hattie’s concern for said owls, and her neighbours’ fixation with tree-lopping, that have landed her in Woodlands Nursing Home, until her hip heals (apparently the ladder was rotten). Hattie’s first attempt at escape fails when a traffic jam prevents the taxi progressing off the grounds.

Walter Clements, a feisty ninety, has also failed. The Tesla scooter he has had delivered sits in a corner of his room, the keys confiscated after the assessment, on which the DON insisted, ended rather badly. Casualties were a statue, a valuable eighteenth-century table, the OT’s foot and the shin of one Miss Hattie Bloom. Walter is incredulous: as a former driving instructor, he has every confidence in his driving skills; and the Tesla will be so handy for nipping down to the bottle shop, once he is permitted to use it.

At Woodlands, sleep does not come easily (if at all) to Hattie, but on her next sleepless night, two new faces present: the sympathetic face of the night nurse, Sister Bronwyn, and her elderly black Labrador, Queenie. Sister Bronwyn invites Hattie to join the Night Owls, and when she does, Hattie is quietly impressed with this nurse’s laterally-thought-out solution to elderly insomnia.

When Walter isn’t keeping his terminally ill friend Murray, company at night, he heads to the Day Room where the Night Owls gather; he’s hoping to get a smile out of Hattie Bloom but he might need to update his comic repertoire. He reminds Hattie of a kookaburra: “always laughing at his own jokes.” But his effort to impress leads to an incident that sees everyone’s favourite nurse lose her job.

Sister Bronwyn is replaced by an agency night nurse: “Not so youngish close up. Her hair a shade too yellow and her face obscured by thick makeup that gave her the appearance of an overworked painting. She had precise eyebrows that looked as if they’d been drawn on with a calligraphy pen, and conspicuous lips that looked as if they’d been caught in some sort of suction device.”

Without the Night Owls, the many Woodlands insomniacs are agitated. But between them, Hattie, Walter and Murray have confidence in their plan to get Sister Bronwyn reinstated. After all: “Everyone expects so little of us, expects us to be completely incapable. That’s our secret weapon.”

Nell’s third novel is another delight. Her characters will quickly charm the reader with their opinions, attitudes, insights, humour and wise words. As might be expected from the Nursing Home setting, the pace is fairly sedate, until the last fifth, when the reader’s heart might be thumping right along with Walter’s.

For any reader familiar with them, either through friends, family, or personal experience, Nell’s depiction of a care facility and its residents, what plagues them but also what brings pleasure, will definitely strike a chord, and attest to Nell’s extensive knowledge of her subject.

Without getting too graphic, Nell draws attention to the losses that afflict the aged, especially when they enter such a facility, whatever the quality: dignity, independence, freedom, familiar surroundings, convenience and more; and how they so easily feel invisible, unimportant, insignificant. Funny and poignant, this is a truly heart-warming read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Hachette Australia.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody wants to grow old but nobody wants to be old...

What a wonderful light but serious, insightful and funny book this was. I enjoyed every moment reading it. It shows how we do age, but stay young in our mind. It shows that even at a late age, we can discover things about the world and about ourselves and that we can find new love and hope. It reminded me of the books with Hendrik Groen as the main character; it was interesting to see that in places so far apart (the Netherlands and Australia) people have so many similarities.

Thanks to Netgalley for this digital review copy.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I start, another amazing story from Joanna Nell it is filled with love, hope, fun, determination and the great knowledge and insight that comes from people who have made the great age of Ninety. I loved meeting Hattie, Walter, Sister Bronwyn, Queenie and the other fabulous characters in this story and I do hope that you pick this one up and enjoy it as much as I did.

Hattie Bloom is eighty nine years young and a retired nature author and much prefers the company of birds than people, she has been a loner for many years living in the house her father built watching the owls nesting in the beautiful Angophora tree in her yard and many other birds. When an accident with a ladder sees her in hospital and then sent to Woodlands Nursing home to recuperate, Hattie has no intention of staying, she is fiercely independent and is dreaming of escaping.

Walter Clements is ninety and thinks himself a comedian and is determined to go home from the nursing home as soon as he is given his motor scooter license and escape is always on his mind, but getting his license is harder than he thinks.

When Hattie and Walter meet he is trying hard to get to know her but she is not as welcoming as he would like and Hattie thinks that Walter is a loud and dangerous person, but the more time they spend together the more that Hattie realizes that she may actually enjoy talking to people.

Night times are hard for the older people to sleep and on their wanderings of a night Hattie and Walter meet night nurse Sister Bronwyn and her dog Queenie who runs The Night Owls a group that spend evenings together and have some fun with Sister Bronwyn who is a little unconventional in the way she treats patients but it must be kept secret the DON would not approve.

As their friendship grows Hattie and Walter plan an escape to help another “inmate” with heartwarming and moving conclusion. This story is beautifully written and with such awesome characters that became friends and I was cheering them on all the way, there were many laughs in this book especially when they take on some detective work, there were also tears of sadness and joy throughout the story. This is a poignant story that pulled at my heartstrings but also filled me with joy, I do highly recommend this story it is a must read.

Thank you Joanna Nell and Hachette Aus for my copy to read.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

At nearly ninety, retired nature writer Hattie Bloom prefers the company of birds to people. But when a falllands her in a nursing home, she struggles to cope with loosing her independance and privacy She dreams of escaping.

Fellow resident Walter Clements also plans on returning home as soon as he's fit to take chare of his mobility scooter. Hattie and Wattie meet at The Night Owls, a club run by Sister Bronwyn and her dog Queenie, for people with insomnia.

What a joy this book is to read. You will love all the characters who will make you laugh out loud, but they will also make you cry. The story is told from Hattie and Wattie's point of view in alternate chapers. This is a well written book and i loved reading about the antics the residentents got themselves into.

i would like to thank #NetGalley, #Hodder&Stoughton and the author #JoannaNell for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘My grandson told me there’s something called an app on it that ages your face and makes you look old.’ ‘There’s one of those in the bathroom,’ chuckled Murray. ‘It’s called a mirror.’

The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home is the third novel by Australian author, Joanna Nell and is another winning delve into aged care adventures. Having read Joanna’s previous two novels, I continue to be impressed how she shines the spotlight on this age bracket, achieving a balance between whimsical and enlightening.

‘That’s my point. We’re all past our use-by date in here.’ ‘I prefer to think of it as a “best before” date.’ Miss Bloom looked as surprised as anyone to hear her words spoken aloud.’

If you have ever had any dealings with ‘Seniors’ then you will surely find something to relate to in Joanna’s stories. This time around she shines the light on Nursing Homes (pre COVID) presenting a clever take on the escapades of some of the residents. The array of typical characters jump off the page with their witty dialogue and reflective moments. If you have ever been to an aged care home you will undoubtedly recognise not only the resident types but also their carers and the health and safety standards that often rule these lodgings. It is the backstories of some of these characters that prove memorable and force you to recall that they were young once, active and independent.

‘It’s hard to make yourself vulnerable, isn’t it? Feels wrong, I imagine. When you’ve been so independent all your life. Look at me. I was head of department at a high school. I am a justice of the peace, a father of two accomplished women and a grandfather. Now I need a twenty year old to wipe my backside.’

To counterbalance this, Joanna also details the heartfelt sorrows with a realistic portrayal of how some of our elderly spend their final days. It is here that Joanna truly makes her statement in a most empathetic manner with a message that is powerful and I hope heard by many. She ventures into the more serious themes of loss of independence in all its many forms and no longer being responsible for your own life decisions. With routine often being the cornerstone of such accommodations, it is the freedom and individuality that is often sadly lost. I adored Joana’s thoughts on the ‘Night Owls’ club and think that sometimes these ‘rules’ need bending.

‘The doors at the main entrance were locked, as was to be expected after hours, preventing the outside from getting in and the inside from getting out ... In theory, loved ones were free to visit at any time with permission of the nurse in charge. After-hours visits were not encouraged. Nor were after-hours excursions. Tonight, however, Hattie wanted to see the stars, if only for the reassurance that the universe was still infinite. Woodlands was crushing her, squeezing her chest like a pair of giant hands around her lungs. She had to hold on to the idea that life would return to normal, that one day all this would be behind her. She would get home, not just for the owls, but for her own sake.’

I applaud Joanna for continuing to highlight Seniors/retirees/elderly particularly after the disaster to this sector during the pandemic. This genre is anything but boring when you consider what these precious people have lived through. I love old people. Joanna offers all her knowledge and experience to bring not only humour to this category but also a real sense of realism and purpose. I call on people to read Joanna’s books which just keep getting better and better and remember that, even though ageing may be a harsh reality, it does not have to be at the cost of loss of character.

‘Everyone spoke affectionately, nostalgically, about their day, some elusive time they would only recognise when looking back in years to come. For most, it was when they were too young or carefree to realise that this was as good as it got and to enjoy it. But what if her day wasn’t already behind her? What if today was Hattie Bloom’s day?



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hattie Bloom is 89 and lives alone in a depilated cottage. She loves nature, especially birds. She likes them more than people. She loves watching them and letting the world go by. So, when she has a fall and breaks her hip instead of going back home to her cottage. She is sent to the Woodlands Nursing home to recuperate. At first, she is not happy being there. She hates being told what to do and is not used to being around people. All she wants to do is go home and see that owls that are nesting in the tree.
But things change when she meets Walter Clements and an eclectic group of characters and for once in her life, she is enjoying her life. It’s not the sterile boring place that she thought it would be. Especially when she meets Sister Bronwyn and The night owls. But things go wrong, and sister Bronwyn is fired. The residents of the Nursing home do all that they can to get her reinstated.
Jonna Nell has done it again with this lovely heartfelt story of The Great escape from Woodlands Nursing home. I have read her two previous novels and loved them, and this does not disappoint. I love how she brings each character alive and tells us that just because you are old doesn’t mean you are boring and you don’t have a life or feelings of what is around you. 5 stars from me.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/12 UPDATE... Everyone at Book Club thoroughly enjoyed this! No negative comments.



Read this with my Book Club.

What can I say? Loved this!
Full of compassion, humour, reality and sadness.
I think that I connected with this, because I too, have seen many of these things in my job as a registered nurse. During my career, I've always loved working with maturer and wiser adults and finding their hidden spark.

I can tell that the author has a background in medicine. Intelligent and well written.
A gentle, easy read with short chapters.

I'll let you know what my book club members think, after we next meet.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A slow television train ride of a book, with the inevitable dad jokes spread throughout. A fun, easy read, part of the burgeoning genre of old folks run wild. It does make some very valid comments on the needs of oldies and the demand to improve their quality of life.

[Claire Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐

This novel was an absolute joy to read, so many wonderful characters and so much humour throughout that I had a grin on my face most of the time. I have to say though, it definitely made me NOT want to have to move into a home when I get older lol.

Our two main characters Hattie Bloom and Walter Clements were so much fun to get to know and it was so much fun to watch them get to know each other. Initially, Hattie who has lived on her own for her whole life, except for her birds, wants nothing to do with the other residents in the nursing home, especially the loud and dangerous Walter Clements, but as Hattie starts to settle in she begins to see it might be quite nice to have a friend or two.

Neither Hattie nor Walter want to be in Woodlands Nursing Home, but due to an injury on Hattie's part involving a rotten ladder and a heart issue on Walter's, both are stuck in there for the time being. They both get up to some great shenanigans, if I were the nursing home staff I'd have been asking them to leave. Walter and his Tesla certainly provided some laughs, and I really liked the relationship between him and his grandson. 

The friendship between Walter and Murray, another resident who is dying was really lovely and allowed us to see the more sensitive side of this often inappropriate man. Later the friendship that forms between Walter and Hattie, teaching Hattie about friendship is also lovely. But when the three of them get together and start scheming, all bets are off on what might happen next. 

I enjoyed Sister Bronwyn, a night nurse, who had a very different and if I do say so, much better way of providing care for the residents than the generic way that most nursing homes run. I felt especially sorry for the DON who was just trying to do her job and keep everybody safe, health and safety being the most important thing when considering what the residents were and were not allowed to do. 

This novel covers many topics, aging, of course, loss of independence, the loss of being responsible for your own decision making, being put into a box, and treated the same as all the other residents despite being completely different and having different interests and needs. The routine inside the nursing home was quite rigid and for Hattie especially, she found this very hard to deal with. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, I have Joanna Nell's previous novel, The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker sitting on my shelf that I really must get to.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for a digital copy of this novel in return for an honest review

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘At Woodlands, time moved differently for the staff and the residents.’

Two of the residents of the Woodlands Nursing Home, Hattie Bloom and Walter Clements, seem to have only one thing in common: neither of them wants to be there. Hattie, who lived alone, was independent – until a fall. Walter is just waiting until he can take charge of his new mobility scooter, and then he is heading home. Walter, who sees himself as a comedian, is far too brash and loud for the very reserved Hattie Bloom. Both dream of escape.

Then, on one restless night, Hattie learns about The Night Owls. It is a clandestine club run by the wonderful Sister Bronwyn with the help of her dog Queenie. Many of the residents of Woodlands do not sleep well at night, so the activities Sister Bronwyn oversees are welcome. As is Queenie. But shortly afterwards, Sister Bronwyn is dismissed. Hattie and Walter would like to see her reinstated, and between them they work on a plan. At the same time, Walter’s friend Murray is dying. Can Hattie and Walter make his last days memorable?

This is a delightful novel, peopled with wonderful characters, facing many of the challenges that most of us will have (or acquire) some familiarity with. ‘Never get old’, my late father-in-law used to say. Unfortunately, if you live long enough, old age is inevitable. But it need not be boring.

Will Hattie settle into life at the Woodland Nursing Home? Will Walter ever get the keys to his Tesla mobility scooter? And what about poor Icarus, the budgie?

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.

‘Birds and humans alike needed to believe that things would always get better.’

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Vivi Widodo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanna Nell, you are officially my favorite Australian author.

Another story from Joanna about life in a nursing home, Woodland. You'll be having a few chuckles here and there, you'll enjoy the friendships among the residents of Woodland. I especially love the friendship between Walter and Murray. It's an easy slow reading but totally hooked me up from the beginning.

[Claudine Tinellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joanna Nell has done it again.

The author of The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village and The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker made me fall in love with a whole new set of characters in The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home. A heart-warming read filled with whip-smart dialogue, nuanced characters and laugh-out-loud moments, Joanna throws light on some of the more serious themes in this book in a thoroughly enjoyable and empathetic manner. I loved Hattie and Walter, Murray, Fanny and Queenie and could have happily continued following their adventures. Alas, all good things must come to an end. . .

I simply cannot wait to see what Joanna Nell does next.

Another five-star read from a brilliant Australian literary talent!

Thank you to Joanna and Hachette Australia for my ARC.

[Anna Loder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it! Loved Hattie, Walter and Murray so much, I could have read triple the length and been so happy. I love seeing their personalities and histories shine through turns of phrases and little everyday actions. I loved the story line and the mystery of Sister Who and the fun of the night owls. I loved this book so much, I’m so grateful I got to read an arc!!!

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“From years of careful observation Hattie had worked out how birds interacted. She’d learned their social hierarchies and their peccadilloes. She could read birds, and for decades, had reported their behaviour in what was essentially an ornithological gossip column or society page. Humans, on the other hand, remained an enigma.”

The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home is the third novel by Australian author, Joanna Nell. This audio version is narrated by Julie Nihill. Eighty-nine-year-old Hattie Bloom (Miss) is desperate to return to Angophora Cottage and its eponymous tree: on the fence-line, it’s the basis of a dispute with her new young neighbours, but a source of joy for Hattie, home to a pair of nesting Powerful Owls.

It’s a small irony that it’s Hattie’s concern for said owls, and her neighbours’ fixation with tree-lopping, that have landed her in Woodlands Nursing Home, until her hip heals (apparently the ladder was rotten). Hattie’s first attempt at escape fails when a traffic jam prevents the taxi progressing off the grounds.

Walter Clements, a feisty ninety, has also failed. The Tesla scooter he has had delivered sits in a corner of his room, the keys confiscated after the assessment, on which the DON insisted, ended rather badly. Casualties were a statue, a valuable eighteenth-century table, the OT’s foot and the shin of one Miss Hattie Bloom. Walter is incredulous: as a former driving instructor, he has every confidence in his driving skills; and the Tesla will be so handy for nipping down to the bottle shop, once he is permitted to use it.

At Woodlands, sleep does not come easily (if at all) to Hattie, but on her next sleepless night, two new faces present: the sympathetic face of the night nurse, Sister Bronwyn, and her elderly black Labrador, Queenie. Sister Bronwyn invites Hattie to join the Night Owls, and when she does, Hattie is quietly impressed with this nurse’s laterally-thought-out solution to elderly insomnia.

When Walter isn’t keeping his terminally ill friend Murray, company at night, he heads to the Day Room where the Night Owls gather; he’s hoping to get a smile out of Hattie Bloom but he might need to update his comic repertoire. He reminds Hattie of a kookaburra: “always laughing at his own jokes.” But his effort to impress leads to an incident that sees everyone’s favourite nurse lose her job.

Sister Bronwyn is replaced by an agency night nurse: “Not so youngish close up. Her hair a shade too yellow and her face obscured by thick makeup that gave her the appearance of an overworked painting. She had precise eyebrows that looked as if they’d been drawn on with a calligraphy pen, and conspicuous lips that looked as if they’d been caught in some sort of suction device.”

Without the Night Owls, the many Woodlands insomniacs are agitated. But between them, Hattie, Walter and Murray have confidence in their plan to get Sister Bronwyn reinstated. After all: “Everyone expects so little of us, expects us to be completely incapable. That’s our secret weapon.”

Nell’s third novel is another delight. Her characters will quickly charm the reader with their opinions, attitudes, insights, humour and wise words. As might be expected from the Nursing Home setting, the pace is fairly sedate, until the last fifth, when the reader’s heart might be thumping right along with Walter’s.

For any reader familiar with them, either through friends, family, or personal experience, Nell’s depiction of a care facility and its residents, what plagues them but also what brings pleasure, will definitely strike a chord, and attest to Nell’s extensive knowledge of her subject.

Without getting too graphic, Nell draws attention to the losses that afflict the aged, especially when they enter such a facility, whatever the quality: dignity, independence, freedom, familiar surroundings, convenience and more; and how they so easily feel invisible, unimportant, insignificant. Funny and poignant, this is a truly heart-warming read.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home is a charming novel proving you’re never too old for a fresh start from Joanna Nell.

After 89-year-old Miss (never Mrs or Ms) Hattie Bloom breaks her hip from a fall in her backyard, she is dismayed to be told she must spend four to six weeks convalescing at the Woodlands Nursing Home. A recluse, far more more comfortable with birds than people, she is desperate return to the sandstone cottage she was born in, particularly concerned for the welfare of a pair of nesting owls in a tree her new neighbours are threatening to fell. When an ill-timed escape attempt is frustrated by a traffic jam, Hattie resigns herself to the temporary encroachments on her privacy and independence, agreeing to repairs on her home that might let her leave her sooner.

Ninety-year-old Walter Clements, recovering from a car accident, is also determined to return to his suburban home sooner rather than later. To that end, the former driver instructor agrees to humour his daughter and the DON (Director of Nursing) and undertake an assessment to show he is capable of safely managing a mobility scooter. Walter is outraged when a few small mistakes, which includes running over his examiner’s foot, destroying an antique table, and knocking over newcomer, Miss Hattie Bloom, scuppers his chances.

It’s not the most auspicious start to a relationship but nevertheless a friendship slowly blossoms between Hattie and Walter, despite their oppositional temperaments. Where Hattie is reserved and aloof, Walter is loud and gregarious, they actually remind me a little of my own grandparents (and coincidentally my grandfather was also named Walter). Both are well-developed characters, depicted with authenticity and warmth. Hattie, a naturalist and author, who has spent almost her entire life alone by choice, slowly opens up as she becomes enmeshed in the fabric of Woodlands. Walter is occasionally inappropriate, a little bewildered by today’s mores, fond of a glass or three of whiskey, and an incurable optimist, though not without regrets. Though he hopes to go home, he is making the best of his time in Woodlands.

Nell draws on her experience as a GP visiting nursing homes, to provide some insight into the routines, successes and failures of institutional care. Woodlands certainly seems better than many which have made news headlines due to abuse and neglect, however it’s still an institution and as such rules and regulations often override common sense practice. This is evident when night nurse Bronwyn is fired after her aged black lab Queenie, accidentally knocks over and injures one of the residents. Bronwyn is a favourite of many of the Home’s residents, not the least because of her unofficial night time ‘club’, the Night Owls, that provides and encourages activities for the sleepless.

Hattie and Walter’s antics are delightful, though not without a hint of poignancy. They bond over their plan to have Bronwyn reinstated, assisted by Murray, another resident who has become a close friend of Walter (men are severely outnumbered in Woodlands) but is bedridden. Nell doesn’t shy away from portraying the difficult realities of ageing, and Murray’s approaching demise, and his desire to go home one last time, is treated sensitively.

The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home is a witty, charming, and heartwarming novel, recommended for the old, and not so old alike.

[Em__Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know if such fiction books have a collective name, but I’ve had a lot of fun reading books featuring older people that live in aged care homes, such as The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman and The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. It doesn’t take much scratching below the surface to realise these places are not an ideal place to live, but what appeals to me is the often plucky and remarkable characters you meet in the story. The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home by Joanna Nell introduces us to several such characters, focusing on Hattie Bloom and Walter Clements. They’re both 90-odd, are steadfast in their desire to go to their real homes, but are at the mercy of people who supposedly know best.

I think Nell has done a good job in illustrating the disingenuousness of the aged care system. Nell’s words are never aggressive, but certainly provocative, as she weaves into the story multiple examples of how aged care is managed to run efficiently, and with little money. The independence and desires of residents is, at best to be ignored, and at worst, to be threatened with guardianship by those in authority.

Enjoying all this, I did still feel there was something indefinable missing in the story. The blurb mentions residents banding together to help Sister Bronwyn, but this plot seemed weak, given it wasn’t properly addressed until late in the book. Much of the book has the characters making a fuss – if you will – before immediately backing down. It’s not until the final stages of the book, when the great escape happens, that the story is elevated into something that had me loudly cheering for the residents instead of just feeling melancholy.

I would also like to mention the set up of the Woodlands Nursing Home itself. It’s based on the game Monopoly. Resident rooms are labelled with one of the game streets, from ‘Go’ and collecting your $200, onto Whitechapel Road and around all the corners to Mayfair. So clever! Hattie Bloom, makes the observation that ‘depending on how you landed on this particular Monopoly square, the foyer and reception area represented either IN JAIL or JUST VISITING.’ Such insight really says it all.

This was my first Joanna Nell novel. I am glad I chose to read this book and I will be looking to add her other books onto my to-be-read pile.

3.5 stars

Review copy courtesy of Netgalley

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com

‘This was, after all, her one and only chance to escape from Woodlands Nursing Home.’

From the mega bestselling author of The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village, comes an enchanting new novel titled, The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home. A jovial caper and a touching tribute to our older population, Joanna Nell’s new novel is a story that holds multi-generational appeal.

Meet the motley crew of the Woodlands Nursing Home establishment. For residents such as eighty-nine-year-old Hattie Bloom, an ornithologist, Woodlands is a difficult place to reside. We learn that Hattie is used to her having own space and independence, which she cannot find at Woodlands. Fellow resident Walter Clements feels much the same as Hattie, and this would-be comedian longs to get back on his mobility scooter to regain his own independence. When Hattie and Walter cross paths via a unique night time activity club at Woodlands code named ‘The Night Owls’ they initially find it hard to connect. Eventually Hattie and Walter overcome their differences to hatch a very special plan of escape. The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home is about big ambitions, unfilled dreams, friendship, reliance and good humour.

It is wonderful to see such a considerate and thoughtful campaigner for the elderly, Joanna Nell, continue to inject such enthusiasm to this sub-genre. The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home is a contemporary fiction title, with a strong slant towards airing the experiences of our older generation in a respectful, graceful and insightful tone. With her signature mix of warmth, wit, understanding and heart, Joanna Nell’s third novel is not to be missed.

Yet again Joanna Nell has crafted some wonderful and enduring characters to populate her third novel. The key elderly figures of this tale offer an shifting form of narration. As a result, we are privy to the innermost thoughts and feelings of these characters. Nell certainly doesn’t hold back with these two! I loved both Walter and Hattie’s musings on life. I enjoyed this twosome’s grumbles, frustrations and their innate ability to rebel against the system, it sure was a breath of fresh air to come across two characters of this inclination. Nell’s cast do seem to have universal appeal and I am sure this book could be easily enjoyed by both younger and older generations alike. Supporting Hattie and Walter are the fellow residents and staff at Woodlands. We also hear from family members connected to the key protagonists. The inclusion of all these outside figures rounds the book off nicely. I liked the general interplay that occurred throughout the book between everyone. It really was a delight to spend my time with the folk at Woodlands, even though the tough and sad times.

Joanna Nell’s Author’s Note contained at the close of the story provides the reader with an extra insight into the process of compiling this book. We learn through Nell’s many years of experience of working as a GP for people nearing the end of their life, how difficult it may be to advocate for your own rights, wishes and entitlements as you reach the end. In fact, the central adventure thread of this tale highlights this point very well. Nell also uses The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home as a means to help the wider community better understand how establishments aimed at the care of the elderly must be in tune with their needs and offer a stimulating environment, allowing them to exercise some agency over their lives within the regulations stipulated by these care facilities. Nell attempts to show both sides of the spectrum in relation to a nursing home environment. We learnt that while some residents of these homes will thrive, others will falter. While Woodlands is generally a welcoming place, there are aged care facilities that do not have wonderful staff such as Sister Bronwyn as support systems. It is at times frightening and sad, but Nell approaches this aspect of her novel with the awareness and dignity this topic deserves.

With some light hearted fun courtesy of the escape arrangements, the night owl group, Walter’s foray into stand-up comedy and more, The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home is quite a hoot. These aspects of the story balanced out the serious undertones of ageing, care, mortality and free will. I would certainly love to see this one up on the big screen, it has some wonderful qualities and enduring characters that would be well suited to a screen adaptation.

The charismatic folk of Woodlands Nursing Home will help you to see that the twilight years offer plenty of laughs, adventures, friendships and . The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home is another wonderful novel from valued storyteller Joanna Nell.

*Thanks is extended to Hachette Australia for providing a free copy of this book for review purposes.

The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home is book #129 of the 2020 Australian Women Writers Challenge

[Abi Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and hilarious read. Found it particularly helpful to think how we love and serve our elderly populations.

[Karyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the authors previous books so was looking forward to reading this new title: ‘The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home’. I was not disappointed as there is a whole new cast of characters to bond and fall in love with: Hattie, Walter, Murray, Fanny and Queenie.
Getting old is no fun and as Hattie says “Her body might be a prisoner, but her mind and her sprit would remain free as long as she let them”.
A truly heart warming story about life and adventures in a nursing home. There are light hearted moments that make you laugh but the reality of life for the elderly in a nursing home is not all bingo and afternoon tea. As the author wrote “I want to offer readers an uplifting and ultimately hopeful portrayal of life in aged care” and she does just that. Thanks to Better Reading Preview for the ARC

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written story that will stay with me for a long time. Although this book will pull at your heartstrings it will also make you smile Highly recommended.

[Craig and Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aging is inevitable if you are lucky.
A process that evokes fear, health vulnerability and provides wisdom.
Most aged eventually succumb or are persuasively coerced into aged care facilities by children or the health care system.
Where life can be institutionalised and mundane.
I believe the spirited and socially spritely can make the best of any situation.
Hattie and Walter are such examples of this.
The adventure is told in alternating chapters by each of them.
Hattie is a spinster, a bird lover and very set in her single ways.
Ending up at Woodlands to recover from a fall.
Itching to go home to admire and observe owls nesting in ancient tree in her yard.
At 89 she is lively, determined and proof that you are as young as you feel.
At age 90, Walter is gregarious and determined to go home and live life with his new mobility scooter.
Often attracting scorn from his overbearing daughter and admiration from his teen grandson.
Meeting each other at the Night Owls club held by the night nurse, Sister Bronwyn a prickly start was inevitable as they formed a new alliance that would bond them.
A club freeing them from night time loneliness and giving them purpose and frivolity. A mission to help their dying mate and reinstate the nurse that makes life bearable gives them both purpose and vigour.
Their antics and plans causing much mirth throughout the story.
Escape can have so many connotations and this whimsical, entertaining and at times sad read will engage the reader on many levels.
Refreshing and fun this story of the older generation is a feel good and at times sobering account of what will involve most of us at sometime.
Highly recommend this and any of Joanna’s work.

[Jeanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

NetGalley

Member Review
Cover Image: The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home
The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home
by Joanna Nell
Pub Date: 7 Jan 2021
Review by

jeanie m, Reviewer
Last updated on 11 Sep 2020
My Recommendation
With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review
Having read other books by this Author I was delighted to get an early copy.
This book is a total breath of fresh air.
The nursing home has it's own magic about it and with some amazing characters the two together is just the best recipe ever lots of big laugh out loud moments mingled with tears but such a fabulous read I can highly recommend.
Don't forget! Come back to your Review on the pub date, 7 Jan 2021, to post to these retailers.