Synopsis

In this warmhearted and witty debut, a mysterious gift spurs a widow to take a cross-country journey to find its sender―and along the way, she rediscovers herself.

Evie Walters has lived most of her seventy-one years according to others’ expectations. But on the day of her husband’s funeral, she receives an anonymous delivery: an egret orchid. The same flower a Montana ranch hand once gave her decades ago―Novel Daniels, the boy who thought she could do anything.

So now, she does.

Defying her children’s plans to move her into a retirement home, Evie buys a camper van and leaves life in North Carolina abruptly behind. Accompanied by her devoted rescue dog, she heads west to find her cowboy, befriending an unlikely cast of characters along the way. Free-spirited young vanlifers, roadside waitresses, eccentric billionaires, and kindhearted widowers all show Evie a side of life worth living.

But Evie’s drive toward the future takes her back to the past, to memories of the family ranch and childhood dreams. Now, with a second chance as open as the road before her, there’s no telling who Evie Walters will become.

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Review

I think many women might be able to relate to this book, especially those that are of a more mature age.

Evie is a widow, and apparently everyone (husband and children) thought she couldn’t take care of herself if she was on her own. She learns throughout the course of the book how her husband set things up so that she really had no control of her life or finances once he passed away. She has an overbearing daughter, who we know means well, but she is ready to put mom in a nursing home. Ok, it is really a retirement community, but 71 is still very young, and Evie is a vibrant woman.

I love how Evie took charge after meeting two young women, to buy a van and tour the country before heading back to where she grew up in Montana. I have to admit, that does sound good! I enjoyed her adventures, how she learned to stand up for herself against one of her daughters, and realized that sometimes life is what you make of it. She had some challenging times on this adventure, but she embraced this new life. It did take her a little bit to open up to those she met, but when she did, she blossomed. She even took in a dog that was a stray. I loved that!

This book brought out several different emotions, and teaches us all to keep going in this life and have adventures. Don’t stick with the status quo.

We give this book 5 paws up.

About the Author

Kathleen Fox is a wanderer, happiest when her van is packed, her dogs are snoring in the passenger seat, and the road ahead promises at least three good stories and one questionable decision. An explorer of back roads, small towns, and the wonderfully weird corners of the world, Kathleen grounds her fictional work in underrepresented rural voices and unexpected moments that only “van life” brings.

When she’s not chasing horizons or trading puns with her husband, Kathleen calls the coast of South Carolina home. She is the author of two children’s books, and this is her first novel.

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