'There are many laughs in this book but it's so much more than just a comedy It's a story about how friendship, selflessness and dignity lie at the heart of the human experience When I'm an old man, I want to be Hendrik Groen' John Boyne, author of international bestseller The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas 'Another year and I still don't like old people Me? I am 83 years old' Hendrik Groen may be old, but he is far from dead and isn't planning to be buried any time soon Granted, his daily strolls are getting shorter because his legs are no longer willing and he had to visit his doctor more than he'd like Technically speaking he is elderly But surely there is more to life at his age than weak tea and potted geraniums? Hendrik sets out to write an exposé: a year in the life of his care home in Amsterdam, revealing all its ups and downs - not least his new endeavour the anarchic Old-But-Not Dead Club And when Eefje moves in - the woman Hendrik has always longed for - he polishes his shoes (and his teeth), grooms what's left of his hair and attempts to make something of the life he has left, with hilarious, tender and devastating consequences The indomitable Hendrik Groen - Holland's unlikeliest hero - has become a cultural phenomenon in his native Netherlands and now he and his famously anonymous creator are conquering the globe A major Dutch bestseller, The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen will not only delight older readers with its wit and relevance, but will charm and inspire those who have years to go before their own expiry date