Elmer Left.

by Kate Leibfried

"At the age of seventy-eight, Elmer Heartland packed up his things, kissed his sleeping wife on the forehead, and left. For good."

So begins the journey of Elmer, a man in his twilight years who has spent most of his life simply doing what he was told. After year upon year of empty conversations, meaningless actions, and endless Lions Club meetings, Elmer decides that he has had enough. He packs up a duffel bag, tip-toes into the night, and hops on the the 4 a.m train bound for the city of There. As the train gathers speed and leaves his hometown in the dust, Elmer wonders where the road will take him and what adventures his new life has in store. He is ill-prepared for what will come next.

Elmer adventures across country, seeking personal meaning as he attempts to make peace with the past and grapple with his identity. Along the way, he encounters a quirky collection of people and places including two dueling soup kitchens, a pack of new-age collectivists, and a rainbow-colored meditation tower.

Elmer's tale shows us it's never too late to come-of-age.

497 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 6, 2012

About the author

Kate Leibfried grew up in Northern Minnesota among horses and pine trees. Her girlhood dream to be a writer was almost squashed in her post-college years by piles of practicality and reason. Fortunately, she never lost sight of that dream and is now a full-time writer (when she is not working as a freelance marketer or tutor). Leibfried writes in the style of magic-realism and has been inspired by some of the greats, primarily: Toni Morrison, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Neil Gaiman. She currently resides in Minneapolis, MN and spends her free time tromping around the lakes.