VINTAGE SPRINGTIME CLUB

Perfect for fans of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Little Paris Bookshop. Newly retired Philip returns home to Cologne and is thrown into emotional turmoil upon bumping into his long-lost sweetheart. In the midst of a domestic crisis, Ricarda confides in Philip that she is looking for somewhere to live. There and then, Philip suggests that she move in with him - he is setting up a flat share. Will she join him with his mischievous dachshund named Ralf? To his surprise, Ricarda agrees, leaving Philip to scramble together a crew of retirees in time for spring, for the most unlikely of social experiments. There's grumpy cigarette-smoking grandfather Harry, quiet and discreet Eckart, curiously carting around his late wife's headstone, Uschi, brimming with life, harbouring a passion for leotards and acrobatics, along with sausages and outrageous knitting patterns and then, ever-practical and warm-hearted Ricarda, towards whom Philip is developing real feelings. Despite their differences, the flatmates thrive and embark on a series of new adventures, but when Uschi falls ill, familiar cracks begin to show and this uniquely spirited club of friends must work together in order to survive, and truly blossom. A wonderfully uplifting tale of life after youth. 328pp, paperback.