January 9, 2023
Oakley (The Invisible Husband of Frick Island) draws on Thelma and Louise for this delightful story of an elderly woman and her caregiver who go on the run. After Louise Wilt breaks her hip, her children insist she have someone help her around the house. Louise hires Tanner Quimby, 21, a former college soccer player who lost her scholarship and ability to play after falling off a two-story balcony. Tanner, a dogged rules follower, is intensely angry and regretful over the accident, which happened at a party she didn’t want to go to. At first, Louise seems to Tanner like a harmless old lady. Then Tanner sees a mug shot of her new employer on the news proclaiming her a jewel thief who pulled off a 1975 robbery. Tanner decides to throw caution to the wind and goes on the lam with Louise. Meanwhile, an FBI agent is determined to catch up with the duo, ratcheting up the tension. Oakley keeps readers guessing about Louise’s motives for her long-ago heist and those of her best friend George, whom they’re on the way to see, delivering a suspenseful ending readers won’t see coming. The antics of this unlikely duo makes for an entertaining buddy drama. Agent: Stephanie Rostan, Levine Greenberg Rostan.
June 10, 2024
What at first seems like a merely clever road-trip story modeled on the film Thelma and Louise quickly becomes much more. Twenty-one-year-old Tanner Quimby, full of rage after an accident shattered her dreams of soccer glory, becomes a live-in caretaker for cantankerous octogenarian Louise Wilt. The two immediately clash, and the future does not look hopeful. Then Louise wakes Tanner in the middle of the night, insisting they take a cross-country road trip. Tanner, who just saw a news piece about an infamous 1970s jewel heist and thinks Louise looks a lot like one of the suspects, is intrigued and hops in for the ride. Narrator Hillary Huber provides distinct voices for both characters. Louise sounds caustic and curmudgeonly, and Tanner starts with a whine in her voice but soon becomes sweeter and livelier. Huber's narration fleshes out the women's characters, allowing listeners insight into their backstories and motivations. Though there are many funny moments, this book also deftly addresses heavier topics, including domestic violence, aging, and morality. VERDICT Oakley's (The Invisible Husband of Frick Island) latest is a story with depth and heart, perfect for fans of Brooke Fossey's The Big Finish or Sarah Morgan's The Summer Seekers.--B. Allison Gray
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