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When Kate is first introduced to the reader, she is described as anxious, “living under a cloud. It follows her wherever she goes, and however hard she tries she can’t seem to outrun it” (2). What was your first impression of her? What do you think of the life she creates for herself in Brixton? Does she seem happy to you? Why or why not? Describe the opening of The Lido. How does it establish Brixton as a character? Do the interludes throughout the novel of life there help you to understand the community better? What do you think of Brixton? Is it somewhere you could see yourself living? We thought it was heart-warming without being gushingly sentimental and we cared about the characters and the situation they were trying to remedy. The book is about loneliness and the burgeoning friendship between two women. We felt as if we were in their lives and with them in their struggle to prevent the closure of their wonderful community asset. This book was one of my most highly anticipated reads for 2020, and I had a major dance party when I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC. The 24-Hour Café is centred around a café/diner in London, where people can find comfort at all hours of the day. Hannah and Mona are two of the cafe's waitresses, creatives trying to find their place in the world at the same time as affording their rent. The book is multiple POV, but the first half of the novel is largely shepherded by Hannah, and the second by Mona, with snippets from the café patrons and alternate staff dotted throughout for extra character.
Aside from her writing, Libby has led campaigns to demand fairer internships and has spoken in parliament and on TV in support of fair pay for people working as interns. she is also an avid swimmer and can always be found trying to find new swimming spots in London where she makes her home. The descriptions of the café itself are excellent – and you really feel like you’ve been and sat in one of its booths. If I ever walk out of Liverpool St Station I’ll be looking around for Stella’s! With a rich ensemble of secondary characters, The Lido serves as a timely reminder of all that we stand to lose through the destruction of our local services, and a joyful celebration of community and friendship. This lovely book is about the power of friendship and community.. Heartwarming and uplifting, The Lido is set to make quite a splash. * SUN ON SUNDAY *It took her about a year before she found an agent and she had her fair share of rejections too. She was just about to give up when she learned that there was a new agency being launched that needed new authors. I thought the characters were very well developed, particularly Rosemary, as we learn her life story from the time that she met George until his passing. Of course the lido played a huge part in their life, almost to the point of being a bit unbelievable. All of the photos that she goes through at one point have either one of them in swimwear at, in or around the lido. A beautiful book. Sweet and heartwarming but also wise with a strong message about the importance of community and friendship. It reminded me of a Richard Curtis film, life-affirming, romantic and impossible to resist. * Francesca Jakobi, author of Bitter * Rosemary then discovers that the Lido is soon to be closed, bought from Lambeth Council by Paradise Living property developers, and turned into a gym and tennis court. The pool to be cemented over. Yet another local public facility sold off to the highest bidder. She starts a campaign to save the Lido which Kate is asked to report on and she realises this might be her ‘big story’. She meets Rosemary by the pool and, despite the age gap, they find they have a mutual bond; Rosemary is trying to save her home and Kate is trying to find one… the Lido. I cannot wait for July so this book gets published and I could post some quotes from it - I highlighted a lot of them! There were some true gems there. I definitely recommend this book, especially because the story is about a lido (an outdoor pool) and it's almost summer time - you won't find a more perfect book! Also, get our your swimsuits out because this book WILL make you want to swim.
Your descriptions of life in Brixton from the lido to the market stalls are incredibly vivid and written with great affection. Did you base those descriptions on time spent at there? Do you still visit Brixton? Are there any other places in London that you love? When she is charged with writing a story about the closing of the outdoor recreation and pool center known as the lido, she meets an eighty-six-year-old widow named Rosemary who was been swimming at the center ever since it was opened in her childhood. Earlier on, she went to The London College of Fashion where she got her bachelor’s degree in fashion journalism. Upon graduating from college, she found a job with the Guadian working as a journalist. The story, history, look and essence of the Lido reflects the lives and loves of the two women. They have highs and lows, problems and worries and realise what is important to them and their lives. Its also a story about community and community spirit. But it’s also a nice tale of how swimming can soothe the mind, be a way to escape the city It is an intriguing story of heartache, life, dreams, love, and friendships as they show people at their worst and best when their lives are falling apart and when they are at their happiest.
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Becoming an author had its own challenges and hence she opted to study journalism as then she would be guaranteed to write while working her day job. Moreover, it would make it possible to write for herself on the side or so she thought. But when a local developer attempts to buy the lido for a posh new apartment complex, Rosemary’s fond memories and sense of community are under threat.
Brimming with charm and compassion... It's tender, thoughtful and above all a feelgood celebration of community and life-changing friendship. -- Garry Bushell * DAILY EXPRESS * Rosemary is 86 and is a widow. She has been swimming at the Lido almost eighty years. It is filled with memories. And then the dreadful news comes that the Lido will be shut down. The property under off from a company that plans to demolish it and build luxury apartments on the land. She puts out some fliers trying to stop the council selling and the pool being demolished. While Kate doesn’t know Jay particularly well “his strawberry blond hair and kind face are part of the fabric of her days at the paper and somehow soothing” (119). How is Jay able to calm Kate? What role does he play in the protests? Why is the lido important to him? Only two people of the group were not enthusiastic and they were very much in the minority. They felt it was predictable, undemanding and a bit formulaic but one was comfortable knowing it was going to end well. It was in 2015 that she began writing in earnest, writing at the weekends, in the evenings, on her lunch breaks, and in the mornings before work. Later on, she quit her job and moved to Paris where she wrote at an intense pace for six weeks.Rosemary has lived in Brixton all her life, but everything she knows is changing. Only the local lido, where she swims every day, remains a constant reminder of the past and her beloved husband George.
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