“I was named after a heroine in a novel my father read,” she said.

From then on, it was all about reading, writing and never mind arithmetic.

“It is something I have always enjoyed,” she said.

“I have always been a book reader. When I was a child I was jealous of my brother because he was five years older and always got books for presents.”

Her eyes aren’t what they used to be, but her passion for books hasn’t waned.

“I had a readathon when I spent two weeks in Queensland in October,” she said.

“I read a dozen books and some Sherlock Holmes stories.”

She likes English classics, such as the works of Jane Austen.

“I enjoy biographies about people like Kerry Packer, and I recently read one about Judi Dench which was a great book,” she said.

Early Australian history is one of her favourite topics.

“There is a lot more history coming out of Australia,” she said.

The only thing that matches her passion for reading is that she has for writing.

“I love writing,” she said.

“I can’t see to read as well as I used to and I only read when I have a break from writing and publishing books.”

She is a prolific collator of family and local history who has published four books this year.

“My first ever book was about our family history and I wrote it with my cousin,” she said.

“It took five years and it had 540 pages.”  

Her favourite topics are the histories from different parts of Australia, including Brisbane, Melbourne, the Riverina and of course the Eurobodalla.

She has also enjoyed poetry since childhood.

She might be 80, but an idle mind is something Mrs Lindgren wouldn’t even consider.

“I enjoy writing because it gives me an opportunity to interact with people all around Australia,” she said.

“It gives me something to do at home and keeps my mind active.”