The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home in Aussie Readers

Jan 04, 2021 PattyMacDotComma rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, australian-author, kindle, arc-netgalley-done, older-folks, aa

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 b ...more

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Oct 27, 2020 Brenda rated it really liked it

Shelves: net-galley, 2020-release, aussie-authors, contemporary-fiction, read-on-kindle, arc, own-read

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 ...more

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Oct 10, 2020 Helen rated it it was amazing

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 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.
...more

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Nov 02, 2020 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it

Shelves: aussie-author, netgalley-reviews, arc-are

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 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. ...more

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Dec 24, 2021 Catsalive rated it really liked it

Shelves: aww, 2021

I really enjoyed this gentle, compassionate comedy. There is an underlying message here about the care of the elderly in our society, but softly done. Like the author, I, too, hope we can move away from the "burden" and design "an aged-care system that meets the needs of all older people" ... Call it self-interest - I'm not that far away, myself :0)
https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/... ...more

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Jan 23, 2022 Tanya rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-from-mum

I did not expect to like this book. It was one my mum passed on to me after she'd enjoyed it, and to be honest, it didn't sound like my kind of book.

Hattie is 89 years old. Whilst recovering from a hip replacement, she's sent to Woodlands Nursing Home. After a lifetime of living on her own terms, following someone else's rules and restrictions does not sit well with her. She just wants to go home!

Walter is 90 years old. A year ago, his life Stella passed away. Following a car accident, the forme ...more

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Nov 14, 2021 Rhoda rated it really liked it

Hattie is almost ninety when she has a fall and ends up in the Woodlands Nursing Home. After a life spent living alone in her rundown house with just the company of the local birds, she struggles to cope with the loss of independence and privacy.

Walter is of a similar age and also a resident of Woodlands Nursing Home who plans to return home just as soon as he is able to master his mobility scooter. When Hattie and Walter meet at the Night Owls, the somewhat unconventional and decidedly clandes ...more

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Oct 30, 2020 Cathy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This book brings to life Woodlands Nursing Home and the residents who live within it. It is told as a dual narrative, from the perspective of two of the residents, Hattie and Walter, neither of whom are happy to be within its walls.

Walter intends to get out too. He misses his wife immensely, but that doesn't stop his feelings of wanting to escape and be at home rather than at the home. However, his daughter Marie has other ideas and keeps bringing items, mostly of importance to Walter's wife Sy ...more

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