Four grandmothers in their seventies decide to embark on the journey of a lifetime. Away from the domestic burdens of family life and the haunting fear of a breast cancer diagnosis, the four women are finally able to experience true freedom and reinforce their strong bonds of friendship.

On the first day of summer vacation, eleven-year-old Kai-ting finds her grandma sneaking out first thing in the morning. Is she running away from home? Afraid of being caught, Grandma grabs Kai-ting and the two of them immediately leave the house. Soon, they are joined by three other grandmothers on a trip to Taitung.

The four women are all in their seventies. There’s one who always acts as the leader of their group, one who was just diagnosed with breast cancer, one who puts family first at the expense of her own needs, and one whose outwardly glamorous appearance belies a hollow inner life. Together with granddaughter Kai-ting, each woman sets out on a journey of her own. Along the way, the grandmothers start to speak up for themselves and learn to accept the losses that life brings. One of the women rekindles an old romance, and all four of them build an even stronger friendship together.

Narrated through the eyes of the granddaughter, Grannies in Bikinis explores issues such as female empowerment and body positivity. With its warmth and the protagonist’s engaging voice, the novel is a coming-of-age story not just for children, but for grandmothers too. After all, it’s never too late to keep growing as a person.