Review: "I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then." ~ Lewis Carroll
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 7, 2013
I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of this book from the author. I can't thank Suzanne Jenkins enough for allowing me to read it, I love her books and really needed a fix since the last Pam of Babylon book.The story revolves around the life of Alice Bradshaw, a wife, a widow, a mother, a sister, an aunt and even a lover of sorts. We meet Alice late in her life, at that point where a lot of people start looking back on where their life has taken them and what the future holds. Alice has just beat a dying illness and is suddenly unsure of where she wants to go. Doug her deceased husband was the love of her life and left her to raise their children. She has little time to have a life of her own or someone to share it with.When her car dies on her along the highway after a full blown argument with her daughter April she is saved by a man on a motorcycle, Dave. Dave sweeps into Alice's life and suddenly she has a man in her life for the first time in years taking the reins and helping her out. Dave offers Alice a chance at adventure, he deals in antiques and travels. She jumps on the offer much to the dismay of her kids who think at first she is kidnapped or dead because she doesn't call them after her car breaks down, then once they hear from her they all suspect she has lost her mind. That adventure starts a chain of events that will have Alice and all her children as well as Dave questioning every aspect of their lives. There will be a few casualties along the way, a lot of anger, life changes and a few shocking surprises. I just wanted to hug Alice as I read this story and smack the s*** out Faye and April. This book screams beach read. There is so much going on you just can't wait to find out what is going to happen next and once again the author covers a few taboo topics that I am sure will turn a few heads but you know it's real life that happens around us every day or even in our own lives. This book has the feel of a Judy Blume read. You can't hep laughing out loud at times or crying at other moments.****POSSIBLE SPOILERS*****Alice has 4 grown children, John, Faye, April and Lynn that she raised alone due to the death of her husband Doug. She worked at Howard Johnson as a server to help put clothes on her children, food on the table and a roof over their heads but now that they are all grown 2 of her daughters Fay and April feel the need to put down the poor way of life they had, not taking into account that their mother had no help from their father's rich family who disowned him for marrying their mother.John, her son is her champion. He stands up to his sisters and is probably the only child who understands the impact of being a widow and trying to raise 4 small children.Faye, her daughter is a spoiled bitch who is having an affair with her father in law.April, her daughter is married with 3 kids and an alcoholic (which no one seems to want to address this issue with her including her husband)Lynn, is suffering from mental health issues and is the homeless daughter that no one want's to really put any effort into helping other than John. I think the time frame of this story tells us a lot about how people simply did not have an understanding of mental health or the means of support to handle a child that was suffering from depression and other troubling mental issues.Dave, the guy that saves the day for Alice. He is hiding a few secrets of his own