About the Book
"The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules" is a beautiful novel by Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg that first hit the shelves in 2017. The story begins when 79-year-old Martha, fed up with her monotonous life in a nursing home, decides to orchestrate a major rebellion along with four of her best friends.
Despite her advanced age, she refuses to give up the pleasures of life. Meanwhile, the new manager of the nursing home, known as Diamond House, reduces services in what he believes is a cost-saving measure, making conditions unbearable for Martha and her friends. The main characters decide to make the voices of the elderly heard in the world and to create better living conditions for themselves by gaining financial independence in their current environment.
However, resorting to illegal means is an idea that crosses their minds and leads to complications. A bank robbery that brings the police and some mafia groups into the fray is an unexpected event that adds excitement to the book and the lives of its characters. Martha, Christina, Anna Greta, and other friends envision building a dream village beyond just a nursing home—one that has such a good atmosphere that they wouldn't need to take sleeping pills to fall asleep.
Ultimately, filling a safe with abundant money seems like it could make this dream a reality, and the heist they plan brings an exhilarating adventure into their lives, which will have serious consequences.
About the Author
Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg was born in Sweden in 1948. A graduate in fine arts, she worked in marine archaeology before turning to professional writing. Ingelman won the Widing Literary Award in 1999, primarily for her historical novels aimed at general audiences.
Who should read this book?
This book is recommended for fans of thrilling stories with diverse themes. It is especially suggested for those who seek hope for life within narratives, and they shouldn't miss reading Ingelman's beloved novel.
Book Quotes
Just a few steps away from the counter, Martha looked around carefully and then stood in front of the teller. She then nodded in a friendly manner to the young cashier and handed her the newspaper clipping: "This is a robbery!" The cashier read the note and smiled back at Martha. "Well, how can I help you?" Martha shouted, "Three million. Hurry up." The cashier's smile widened, and she said, "Do you want to withdraw money from your account?" "No, you're taking money for me. Right now." "I understand. But they haven't deposited the pensions yet. They usually deposit them in the middle of the month, you know, dear?" Martha was feeling defeated. She had thought things would go differently.
Martha looked through the glass and saw the young girl sitting in the office behind the counter, making a phone call. Then, as if she had resigned herself to the situation, Martha said, "Well, okay, I guess I'll have to come back another time and rob your bank." She then quickly pulled out her cane and crumpled the newspaper clipping in her fist. As everyone smiled, two men helped Martha out of the bank and into a taxi. They even folded and secured Martha's walker for her.
Martha told the taxi driver, "The Diamond House nursing home. Calculate the pension rate." At the same time, she waved goodbye to the two bank employees. She secretly tucked the newspaper clipping into her pocket. Things had not gone according to her plan at all. However, even an old woman could still do things that younger people were unable to do.
How many thieves had taken a break after committing a robbery and gotten caught due to a mistake? No, such a thing was not supposed to happen to a gang of retirees. Each member of the group had to stay alert and not take a moment's rest. As Martha was pondering these matters, she suddenly swerved the wheel at the last moment to avoid hitting a lone pedestrian in the street. The truck screeched to a halt at the side of the road, and Martha realized she needed to drive more calmly. She tried to regain control and firmly grasped the wheel with both hands.
She recalled the foolish act of those young people who had stolen several paintings from the National Museum years ago. The criminals had escaped in mid-December using a boat from a port near the museum but then made such a ruckus in the bay that the ship's captain became suspicious of them. After that, it didn't take long for the police to find them. Not to mention how infamous that other robbery had become, involving a helicopter. In that case, the thieves had left their GPS device on the helicopter seat, making it easy for the police to prove their presence at the crime scene! But such ridiculous embarrassments were not supposed to happen to the retirees' gang. They had already drawn up their plan. They were supposed to leave no trace behind... Therefore, before the robbery, they had prepared a suitable location in their villa in Jörsholm for this purpose. That is, a vacuum waste system; now all they needed to do was connect the truck's suction pipe to that system. Then, with the push of just one button, everything in the truck would be transferred to the villa's basement, after which they could move the truck to a dock. Simple and clever. Thus, no one would think of searching for stolen goods in a big heist at the house of a few retirees in Jörsholm. No, in the real world, elderly people just stayed at home and solved crossword puzzles.
