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Books that feel like a warm hug

Call of the Penguins is the heart-warming new novel by Hazel Prior

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Extracts

Call of the Penguins by Hazel Prior

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Ellie and the Harpmaker, by Hazel Prior

From the No.1 bestselling author of Away with the Penguins

Call of the Penguins

The new heartwarming story from the No.1 bestselling author of Away with the Penguins

**Don't miss Granny McCreedy's brand-new adventure in Gone with the Penguins - available to pre-order now!** 
 
'The perfect fireside read. Veronica McCreedy will capture your heart' 
TRISHA ASHLEY, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Christmas Invitation 
 
'This gorgeous book has everything! Mysteries, misunderstandings, arguments, reconciliations, kindness, love and lots of PENGUINS!' 
CLARE POOLEY, author of The Authenticity Project 
 
A delightfully feel-good novel from the author of the Richard &amp; Judy Book Club pick Away With the Penguins. 
 
_____ 
 
Veronica McCreedy can't resist the promise of adventure . . . 
 
Nine-year-old Daisy and nearly ninety-year-old Veronica make an unlikely pair of friends. 
 
Fiercely independent and impeccably dressed, Veronica has lived an incredible 87 years. Most of them alone, in her huge house by the sea. But with the arrival of brave and resilient Daisy into her life, Veronica finds she has a renewed thirst for adventure - and that they both share a passion for penguins! 
 
So when Veronica and Daisy are invited to travel to the other side of the world together and visit the penguins of the southern hemisphere, they both jump at the chance. 
 
Veronica had thought her days of new friendships, family and love were over, but perhaps it's never too late for one more adventure? 
_____ 
 
 
Readers are falling in love with Call of the Penguins! 
***** 'A life-affirming, warm, comforting book to help you feel cosy' 
***** 'A cockle-warming joy from start to finish' 
***** 'Emotional, funny, and uplifting' 
***** 'This story really warmed my heart' 
***** 'A book to lift the spirits' 
***** 'Light hearted and absolutely delightful'

This gorgeous book has everything! Mysteries, misunderstandings, arguments, reconciliations, kindness, love and lots of PENGUINS!

Clare Pooley, author of The Authenticity Project

Just what the doctor ordered . . . Funny, wise, touching. I loved it.

TRACY REES, author of The Hourglass, a Richard & Judy Summer Read

The perfect fireside read. Veronica McCreedy will capture your heart.

Trisha Ashley, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Christmas Invitation

So beautifully written by a born storyteller.

So many readers are set to fall in love with this charming story.

Call of the Penguins sparkles with wit, courage and kindness. This is a heart-warming journey into the highs and lows of human nature. I loved it!

A wonderful story, full of twists and turns. Outstanding.

Samantha Tonge, author of Summer Secrets at Streamside Cottage

This year's Eleanor Oliphant . . . Funny, bittersweet and wholly original.

Daily Express (on Away with the Penguins)

A glorious, life-affirming story. I read it in a day.

Clare Mackintosh (on Away with the Penguins)

Jo Whiley, Radio 2 Book Club (on Away with the Penguins)

A gorgeous read full of hope, with a cast of characters who will delight!

The perfect pick-me-up for right now, a warm-hearted, humorous and emotional read.

Phaedra Patrick, author of The Library of Lost and Found

HAZEL PRIOR lives on Exmoor with her husband and a huge ginger cat. As well as writing, she works as a freelance harpist. Hazel is the author of Ellie and the Harp-Maker, the #1 ebook and audiobook bestseller Away with the Penguins and its follow-up, Call of the Penguins. Life and Otter Miracles is her fourth novel.

The heartwarming and uplifting Richard & Judy Book Club 2020 pick

Away with the Penguins

The joyful no. 1 Richard & Judy pick now with exclusive bonus chapter

A truly feel-good book club read, a #1 bestseller in ebook and audio! 
Veronica McCreedy is about to have the journey of a lifetime . . . 
A BBC Radio 2 Book Club and Richard &amp; Judy Book Club pick.

**Don't miss Granny McCreedy's brand-new adventure in Gone with the Penguins - available to pre-order now!** 
 
A Richard &amp; Judy Book Club and BBC Radio 2 Book Club pick. 
A truly feel-good book club read - a #1 bestseller in ebook and audio! 
 
'This year's Eleanor Oliphant . . . Funny, bittersweet and wholly original.' Daily Express 
 
Veronica McCreedy is about to have the journey of a lifetime . . . 
 
Veronica McCreedy lives in a mansion by the sea. She loves a nice cup of Darjeeling tea whilst watching a good wildlife documentary. And she's never seen without her ruby-red lipstick. 
 
Although these days Veronica is rarely seen by anyone because, at 85, her days are spent mostly at home, alone. 
 
She can be found either collecting litter from the beach ('people who litter the countryside should be shot'), trying to locate her glasses ('someone must have moved them') or shouting instructions to her assistant, Eileen ('Eileen, door!'). 
 
Veronica doesn't have family or friends nearby. Not that she knows about, anyway . . . And she has no idea where she's going to leave her considerable wealth when she dies. 
 
But today . . . today Veronica is going to make a decision that will change all of this. 
 
'I love this gorgeous book. Unflinching, stubborn, funny and moving, Veronica is an unlikely heroine who will sneak in and capture your heart.' Trisha Ashley 
 
Readers are falling in love with Away with the Penguins: 
 
'Without a doubt the most delightful, joyous and uplifting book I've read so far this year . . . be prepared to fall in love.' ***** 
'A gloriously quirky and life affirming story of hope.' ***** 
'Oh how I loved this absolute gem of a book. Both heartbreaking and heartwarming.' *****

A glorious, life-affirming story. I read it in a day. I’m going to buy it for so many people this year!

I love this gorgeous book. Unflinching, stubborn, funny and moving, Veronica is an unlikely heroine who will sneak in and capture your heart.

A warm and witty journey of self-discovery. Prior proves that it’s never too late to become the person you were meant to be.

Wendy Wax, bestselling author of MY EX-BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING

A warm-hearted and life-affirming tale about ageing, human kindness, old-fashioned values and protecting our planet.

Love is not simple; it is the most complex of all the experiences we encounter. Caring for an orphaned penguin liberates the love Veronica had withheld for decades. At the age of eighty-six, the world is all at once at her feet. I commend this novel as a work of art, written in a prose so fluent that it all but reads itself to you. And the creation of the character of Veronica, just by itself, deserves high praise.

Robert Hillman, author of THE BOOKSHOP OF THE BROKEN HEARTED

The uplifting feel-good read from the no. 1 Richard & Judy bestselling author

Ellie and the Harpmaker

A poignant, feel good debut about a man who gives a stranger a harp, and inadvertently gives them both a second chance at life... 
'Uplifting and full of heart. I couldn’t put it down!’ JO THOMAS

Wow, what a love story. Perfect for fans of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Uplifting and full of heart, and I couldn't put it down!'

A wonderful, genuine, heart-warming, funny and beautifully written book . . . you will fall in love with Ellie and the Harp-Maker

Ellie and the Harp-Maker is a beautiful love song of a story, wonderfully told with a warm heart and much hope. Hazel Prior’s writing is a lyrical delight

From the author of no.1 ebook bestseller and Richard &amp; Judy Book Club pick Away with the Penguins. 
 
'Uplifting and full of heart, I couldn't put it down!' Jo Thomas, author of Celebrations at the Chateau 
 
- 
 
Sometimes it takes a chance encounter to discover what happiness really is . . . 
 
Meet Dan: Dan needs peace and order. He likes perfectly triangular sandwiches, the way coffee smells of sunshine and harvest, and the sound of birdsong that drifts into his harp-making workshop on Exmoor. His life is quiet, predictable, and safe from any danger of surprises. 
 
Meet Ellie: Ellie is a dreamer. But recently Ellie has stopped dreaming and her world has become very small. Her days are spent keeping a perfect home for her husband, Clive, and trying to keep him happy. 
 
When Ellie stumbles across Dan's workshop, they cannot imagine that their lives are about to change forever... 
 
- 
 
Readers love Ellie and the Harpmaker 
 
***** 'Without question this is one of the best books I have read and I read a lot' 
***** 'The perfect feel-good read!' 
***** 'Warm, touching and funny, it's a great read that will fill your heart with joy' 
***** 'A magical tale that leaves you feeling warm and hopeful' 
***** 'A beautifully written, tender love story ... I didn't want it to end but couldn't put it down'

Gone with the Penguins

From the No.1 bestselling author of Away with the Penguins comes the heart-warming and charming final chapter of Veronica McCreedy's story. 
 
"Emperor penguins defy the odds, and I shall too.” 
 
Still fiery and feisty at eighty-seven, Veronica McCreedy, the very first Penguin Ambassador, is determined to prove that nothing is impossible when you put your mind to it. 
 
Eileen, Veronica’s ever-patient assistant, is content taking care of other people. But when a new adventure calls, it makes her question everything... 
 
Ten-year-old, penguin-obsessed Daisy can’t wait to be reunited with Mrs McCreedy in her huge house by the sea for the school holidays. 
 
When they discover that the local Sea Life Centre is under threat, the unlikely trio are determined to save it and the penguins that live there. 
 
Inspired by the penguins and fuelled by Darjeeling and finger sandwiches, they embark on an epic fundraising walk. But soon, their mission becomes so much more and it might just lead each of them to a new beginning... 
 
PRAISE FOR HAZEL PRIOR 
 
‘Beautifully written by a born storyteller’ 
LORRAINE KELLY 
 
'Funny, bittersweet and wholly original' 
DAILY EXPRESS 
 
‘Veronica McCreedy will capture your heart’ 
TRISHA ASHLEY 
 
''This adorable tale will put a smile on your face' 
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 
 
‘A glorious, life-affirming story’ 
CLARE MACKINTOSH

Vivid and very real . . . Packed full of humanity

Sally Page, bestselling author of The Keeper of Stories

Beautifully written by a born storyteller.

Tracy Rees, author of The Hourglass, a Richard & Judy Summer Read

Trisha Ashley, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wedding Dress Repair Shop

Uplifting, heartwarming and wonderful, an utterly charming story - I loved it! Another gorgeous book from Hazel Prior to lose yourself in!

Faith Hogan, author of The Ladies' Midnight Swimming Club

From the No.1 bestselling author of Away with the Penguins comes the heart-warming and charming final chapter of Veronica McCreedy's story. 
 
"Emperor penguins defy the odds, and I shall too.” 
 
Still fiery and feisty at eighty-seven, Veronica McCreedy, the very first Penguin Ambassador, is determined to prove that nothing is impossible when you put your mind to it. 
 
Eileen, Veronica’s ever-patient assistant, is content taking care of other people. But when a new adventure calls, it makes her question everything... 
 
Ten-year-old, penguin-obsessed Daisy can’t wait to be reunited with Mrs McCreedy in her huge house by the sea for the school holidays. 
 
When they discover that the local Sea Life Centre is under threat, the unlikely trio are determined to save it and the penguins that live there. 
 
Inspired by the penguins and fuelled by Darjeeling and finger sandwiches, they embark on an epic fundraising walk. But soon, their mission becomes so much more and it might just lead each of them to a new beginning...

Hazel Prior

Life and Otter Miracles

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