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The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules  By  cover art

The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules

By: Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg
Narrated by: Patience Tomlinson
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Publisher's summary

The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules is an incredibly quirky, humorous, and warm-hearted story about growing old disgracefully - and breaking all the rules along the way! 79-year-old Martha Andersson dreams of escaping her care home and robbing a bank. She has no intention of spending the rest of her days in an armchair and is determined to fund her way to a much more exciting lifestyle.

Along with her four oldest friends - otherwise known as the League of Pensioners - Martha decides to rebel against all of the rules imposed upon them. Together, they cause an uproar with their antics protesting against early bedtimes and plasticky meals. As the elderly friends become more daring, they hatch a cunning plan to break out of the dreary care home and land themselves in a far more attractive Stockholm establishment. With the aid of their Zimmer frames, they resolve to stand up for old-aged pensioners everywhere - Robin Hood style. And that's when the adventure really takes off...

Perfect for fans of The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Translated by Rod Bradbury.

©2012 Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg (P)2013 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd

Critic reviews

"At last, a novel that puts old people in the driving seat and gives them personalities… I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and began to wonder whether I should embark on a life of crime myself." (Socialist Worker)

What listeners say about The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules

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Great title

I didn’t listen beyond a couple of hours. The narration was excellent but I found the story ridiculous. I couldn’t fall into the story and go along. It will S well written but just not for me.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Boring

I picked this book because of the narrator, l’ve enjoyed many of her books before, but story was very slow, l was glad when it finished

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The Winner Takes It All; or Practise Makes Perfect

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It is a long book. Within it there are 3 sections in each of which a significant crime is committed. This is a great structure. But the book is filled with back story and explanation of character's observations and responses. Personally I think it needs a very severe edit in order to bring the focus much more clearly onto the crimes and their intentions and results.

What could Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Less words. Too many descriptions and backstories.

Which scene was your favorite?

None of the scenes was particularly memorable to me. In spite of all the explanations and descriptions, the characters did not come alive to me. Having said that, I still think the concept in the book is terrific - that of elderly people grabbing life by the throat and shaking the gold from it.

Did The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules inspire you to do anything?

I haven't started planning a crime spree, but I think I will be very vigorous in editing my own writing.

Any additional comments?

So - I think - listen to this story when you need a long and meandering tale that has excellent concepts in it - grey power and the Zimmer Frame Gang standing up against the inequalities in their world - and told in a slightly amused, slightly ironic voice. But don't expect anything profound.

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