'Poignant and warm-hearted . . . a tonic for our times.' - Holly Miller, author of The Sight of You

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 car park! - 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.

Praise for Joanna Nell:

'Hugely entertaining . . . funny and heart-warming' Woman & Home

'A gentle, warm-hearted book that had me rooting for all the characters and laughing out loud at points' LIBBY PAGE, author of The Lido

'A warm and touching story with a cast of characters who became my friends' - KATIE MARSH, author of The Rest of Me

'The perfect blend of funny and moving' - NATASHA LESTER, author of The Paris Seamstress

'A funny and poignant exploration of growing old disgracefully and enjoying your twilight years.' - Culturefly

About the Author
Joanna Nell is a British-Australian writer, GP and advocate for positive ageing. She is the author of five bestselling novels The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village, The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker, The Great Escape From Woodlands Nursing Home, The Tea Ladies of St Jude's Hospital and Mrs Winterbottom takes a Gap Year. Joanna's short fiction has won numerous awards and been published in magazines, journals and short story anthologies including Award Winning Australian Writing. She has also written for The Sydney Morning Herald's Spectrum and Sunday Life magazines.

Reviews
PRAISE FOR THE GREAT ESCAPE FROM WOODLANDS NURSING HOME
I adored this funny yet moving story about home, friendship, and what it means to live. Poignant and warm-hearted, it's a tonic for our times. I was truly sad to say goodbye to these spirited and endearing characters. * Holly Miller, author of THE SIGHT OF YOU *
Tender and funny * Woman & Home *
PRAISE FOR JOANNA NELL
Hugely entertaining . . . funny and heart-warming * Woman & Home *
A gentle, warm-hearted book that had me rooting for all the characters and laughing out loud at points. A book that shows it is never too late to learn how to live, to make new friends and to fall in love. * Libby Page, author of The Lido *
A warm and touching story with a cast of characters who became my friends - I loved The Single Ladies of the Jacaranda Retirement Village with all its wit, wisdom and spirit * Katie Marsh, author of The Rest of Me *
The perfect blend of funny and moving; Peggy Smart had me laughing and crying in this ultimately uplifting story * Natasha Lester, author of The Paris Seamstress *
A funny and poignant exploration of growing old disgracefully and enjoying your twilight years. * Culturefly *



Book Information
ISBN 9781529349337
Author Joanna Nell
Format Hardback
Page Count 384
Imprint Hodder & Stoughton
Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
Weight(grams) 480g
Dimensions(mm) 220mm * 146mm * 40mm