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What had begun as a simple local interest story results in a beautiful friendship that sustains both Kate and Rosemary. The two work together to rally the community as they fight against the closure of the lido. 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. The battle to save the Lido is ultimately what leads to them “saving” each other from their own sadness and problems Along the way, the reader becomes immersed in the community of Brixton. The myriad cultures represented in its population. Even the wildlife get a few mentions. We meet Rosemary's many friends. The gay couple who run the local bookshop. The man who sells her produce, a teenage boy who swims at the lido, a new mother who brings her baby to the pool. ..
A tender, joyous debut novel about a cub reporter and her eighty-six-year-old subject—and the unlikely and life-changing friendship that develops between them. The cafe comes with its own unique style as it shares glimpses of the lives of Mona and Hanna who are best friends and actresses at the cafe. During the 24 hours, we get to know the friends and some of the patrons of the restaurant. The story is about change and losing places that matter in people's lives so some corporation can get richer. It's hard to let go of our history. It's also about people coming together to make a difference and, most importantly, about hope. This is a book that will make you feel better after you've read. I definitely recommend it. Kate is instantly charmed by Rosemary and the lido, and she makes this story much bigger than a small, forgettable one. She works with a photographer to piece it together through her interviews with Rosemary, and the community chips in, too, all in hopes of stopping the closure of the pool.
Featured Reviews
The story begins when a development company that is building flats in the neighboring lots puts in a bid to buy the lido and turn it into a private facility just for it’s residents. The community council states that the lido has been losing money consistently and they intend to accept the bid. This doesn’t make too much of a ripple until our cub reporter Kate decides to write an article on it. It begins to get a lot of press, there are meetings, protests, even a sit in as it seems that everyone isn’t too happy with how their community is changing. The library was closed not that long ago and people are still upset about that. This was a gentle, pleasant and poignant story that will touch your heart with its sense of community and simple pleasures in life. La vida de Kate da un cambio radical y gracias a Rosemary se atreverá hacer cosas que ni imaginaba, entre ellas nace una gran y perdurable amistad, que va más allá de salvar la piscina.
Rosemary agrees to allow Kate to interview her about the lido on the condition that Kate goes for a swim. What prompts Rosemary to require this? How does swimming in the lido expand Kate’s view of it? Would you have agreed to Rosemary’s request? 5. Describe Kate’s relationship with her sister. Is Erin a good older sister to Kate? Why or why not? Why do you think Kate is nervous about introducing Erin to Rosemary? What do the two women think of each other? 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. 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. Kate has just moved and feels adrift in a city that is too big for her. She’s on the bottom rung of her career as a local journalist, and is determined to make something of it. So when the lido is threatened with closure, Kate knows this story could be her chance to shine. But for Rosemary, it could be the end of everything. Together they are determined to make a stand, and to prove that the pool is more than just a place to swim – it is the heart of the community. The Lido is an uplifting novel about the importance of friendship, the value of community, and howKate has just moved and feels adrift in a city that is too big for her. She's on the bottom rung of her career as a local journalist, and is determined to make something of it. 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. Meet Hannah and Mona: best friends, waitresses, dreamers. They love working at Stella's - the different people they meet, the small kindnesses exchanged. But is it time to step outside and make their own way in life? When Rosemary and George begin living together, she asks him “how shall we organize the books? . . . Shall we have a shelf each?” (103). Do you organize your books in any special way? If so, tell your book club about your method.
I hope that reading The Lido might make readers consider the value of places in their own community, whether it’s a local library, bookshop, or swimming pool. It’s easy to take these for granted, but I think our towns and cities would be so much sadder if such places no longer existed. They represent values of community and friendship that I believe are important to all of us as humans and are worth fighting for. As Kate investigates the history of the lido while working with a charming photographer, she produces a beautiful portrait of the lido and the life of Rosemary, a singularly uniquewoman. La novela está narrada en presente y pasado de ambas, el pasado de Kate y el pasado de Rosemary lleno de recuerdos de su marido George, anécdotas encantadoras y algunas llenas de diversión. Rosemary y George prácticamente desde que se conocieron nadaban en esa piscina, pero el ayuntamiento quiere cerrar y vender el terreno para hacerlo privado, esa piscina para Rosemary está llena de su pasado junto a George.A compelling and uplifting read from the get go, The Lido is a charming tale of hope, of finding your feet in a big city and of learning to dive in at the deep end. Y hasta aquí puedo contar, si queréis saber todo de esta historia es mejor que la leáis, a que os la cuenten. If possible, go swimming with your book club. What was this like? Did you find it as refreshing as Rosemary does or as calming as Kate does? Why do you think being in the water helps both women? Kate smells a story, and she wants to interview Rosemary. Rosemary makes a counteroffer: she’ll do the interview only after Kate has swum at the Lido.
This is how Kate first meets Rosemary, when she goes to the lido to interview her for the story, and Rosemary agrees providing Kate, who claims she can’t swim, swims in the lido. She will never understand the importance of this place unless she can see it for herself. 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 * While not sheer perfection like Ove, I still called my mother-in-law at the 51% point to tell her she HAS to read this.There is a real warmth, gentleness, kindness and sensitivity to the novel, and it has a cast of well-drawn characters. As the story unfolds we are introduced to more characters: Hope who used to work with Rosemary at the library (now closed), Jay the Chronicles’ photographer, Frank and Jermaine struggling to keep their book shop open, the Chronicle’s editor Phil caught between ethics and paying the bills, Geoff the Lido Manager just trying to do his job, and as I was reading I kept on thinking “yes, I’ve met that person” although they are all fictional, and I never have. 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? Similarly, do you have an advice to aspiring swimmers? Swimming in the lido brings a sense of peace to Rosemary and Kate. What would you like to tell your readers who are reluctant to take the plunge?
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