By Colleen Oakley – Berkeley, 2023
This heartwarming, funny novel tells the intergenerational tale of Tanner Quimby, a 21-year-old, adrift, college dropout struggling to find her place in the world, and 84-year-old Louise Wilt, recently incapacitated after a fall and hiding a secret past. Tanner’s parents ask her to move out at the same time Louise’s adult children realize their mother can’t manage alone. Tanner is hired as Louise’s caretaker, a position neither woman is happy about. Tanner is intelligent, funny and kind but struggles for self-esteem. Louise is a wise, compassionate woman with a snarky streak and criminal history. As they get to know each other—and try to outrun law enforcement in an interstate adventure—they learn they have more in common than they thought. They both regret their pasts and feel the need to tie up some loose ends. Theirs is a story about friendship, forgiveness and second chances, and it will stay with you long after you close the book.
