The Secret Diary Of Hendrik Groen, 83¼ Years Old

By Megan Thomas

This is charming and wasn’t what I was expecting: I expected it to be funny but it was far sadder than I’d been warned. May or may not have had a mini-weep.

It’s about Hendrick Groen and his life in a Netherlands old age home, where amidst the constant funerals, moaning, bans on toasters and liquified food, he is able to find joy, laughter, love and friendship through co-founding the Old But Not Dead Club.

Though not necessarily an expose of life in aged care, it certainly shines a light on some of the injustices that occur within OAP institutions. Who’d have thought the lamentations of an 83 (and a quarter) year old, red-mobility-scooter-zooming man would resonate so heartily and in such a life-affirming way?

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