What a wonderful and astoundingly unique read! This tale follows Maggie, a hospital escapee with a touch of dementia searching for, well, something--even if she can't remember just what it is. The narrative perspective puts the audience directly in the middle of a compassionate and, at times, laugh out loud hilarious tale of family, friendship, and a search for meaning.

This title also attempts to close a gap in adult fiction, in which the protagonist has an active role in the story, rather than being sidelined after "aging out" of protagonistism, all while her adult children offer a window into the termed "sandwich generation", those that are both raising children of their own while aiding their aging parents. The author is so clearly unafraid to tell a story that needs to be told, and does so with an immense amount of wit, charm, and empathy.

Aside from our "traveling hero", Maggie, the story also features her children--a divorced mother and a closeted gay man, and explores the complexities of family drama in which the family outlasts the drama in the end. Maggie meets a very unlikely cast of characters as she embarks on her grand journey, and their stories are just as important as Maggie's own, creating the sense of a collective narrative that is as much an emotional journey as it is a physical one.

All told, the author's unique flare combined with some much-needed attention to this specific type of story made this a highly compelling and fun read, one that twists and turns where you least expect it and, in the end, leaves the reader feeling as though they too have been walking the streets of Boston with Maggie in tow. ( )