{Review} Live from the Road by P. C. Zick

ISBN #: 978-1477451120

Page Count: 268

Copyright: June 15, 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace

Description:

(Taken from back cover)

Meg Newton and Sally Sutton seek a change in the mundane routine of their lives. "Is this all there is?" Sally asks Meg after visiting a dying friend in the hospital. That's when Meg suggests they take a journey to discover the answer. Joined by their daughters, they set off on a journey of salvation enhanced by the glories of the Mother Road. Along the way, they are joined by a Chicago blues man, a Pakistani liquor store owner from Illinois, a Marine from Missouri, a gun-toting momma from Oklahoma, and a motel clerk from New Mexico. Meg, mourning for her dead son, learns to share her pain with her daughter CC. When Sally's husband of almost thirty years leaves a voice mail telling her he's leaving, both Sally and her daughter Ramona discover some truths about love and independence.

Death, divorce and deception help to reveal the inner journey taking place under the blazing desert sun as a Route 66 motel owner reads the Bhagavad-Gita and an eagle provides the sign they've all been seeking. Enlightenment comes tiptoeing in at dawn in a Tucumcari laundromat, while singing karaoke at a bar in Gallup, New Mexico, and during dinner at the Roadkill Cafe in Seligman, Arizona. The four women's lives will never be the same after the road leads them to their hearts - the true destination for these road warriors.

Charlene's Review:

When Sally and Meg search for more meaning in their lives, they plan a trip, along with their adult daughters, along Route 66, from Chicago to Los Angeles. Along the way they meet up with others seeking their own personal enlightenment, and slowly, their entourage increases. All of the travelers are seeking a new start, or fighting their own demons. Through tears, laughter, and lots of singing, they all arrive at their destination changed.

As far as the characters, Meg resonated with me the most, throughout. Having lost a son, she was searching for a way to heal, as well as to reconnect with her surviving daughter. The daughters, CC, the aspiring talent, and Ramona, often lost in C.C.'s shadow perhaps had more to deal with than they originally thought. Sally brought to the group the not-so-logical logic; "Always go in the direction you're headed." There was a lot of emotion packed within this book, and a whole lot of fun, as well.

This was your typical "road to self" book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I, for one, am always enamored with stories about women who set out to redefine themselves, and what better way than a road trip? Ms. Zick perfectly balanced the turmoil of personal battle with light-hearted antics, and the story flowed quickly and beautifully. Meg sums up the entire journey with one quote; "I thought I might find the perfect place to escape to when I started this trip. But the thing I needed to escape most caught up with me, and it wasn't so bad after all."


*A paperback copy of the book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.