The Leisure Seeker

by Michael Zadoorian

The unforgettable cross country journey of a runaway couple in their twilight years determined to meet the end of all roads on their own terms—a major motion picture from Sony Pictures Classics starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland.

The Robinas have shared a wonderful life for more than sixty years. Now in their eighties, Ella suffers from cancer and John has Alzheimer's. Yearning for one last adventure, the self-proclaimed "down-on-their-luck geezers" kidnap themselves from the adult children and doctors who seem to run their lives and steal away from their home in suburban Detroit on a forbidden vacation of rediscovery.

With Ella as his vigilant copilot, John steers their '78 Leisure Seeker RV along the forgotten roads of Route 66 toward Disneyland in search of a past they're having a damned hard time remembering. Yet Ella is determined to prove that, when it comes to life, you can go back for seconds—even when everyone says you can't.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Travel, Humor, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Road Trip

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 27, 2009

About the author

Michael Zadoorian is the author of five works of fiction. His second novel, The Leisure Seeker was recently made into a feature film starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland.

His most recent novel is The Narcissism of Small Differences. Set in bottomed-out 2009 Detroit, it’s the story of Joe Keen and Ana Urbanek, an unmarried Gen X couple with no kids or mortgage, as Midwestern parents seem to require. Now on the cusp of forty, both work at jobs that they’re not sure they believe in anymore, yet with varying returns. Ana is successful, Joe is floundering—both caught somewhere between mainstream and alternative culture, sincerity and irony, achievement and arrested development. The Narcissism of Small Differences tells of an aging creative class, doomed to ask the questions: Is it possible to outgrow irony? Does not having children make you one? Is there even such a thing as selling out anymore? By turns wry and ribald, kitschy and gritty, poignant and thoughtful, The Narcissism of Small Differences is the story of Joe and Ana’s life together, their relationship, their tribes, their work, and their comic quest for a life that is their own and no one else’s.

His third novel was Beautiful Music. Set in 1970’s era Detroit, Beautiful Music is about one young man’s transformation through music. Danny Yzemski is a husky, pop radio–loving loner balancing a dysfunctional home life with the sudden harsh realities of freshman year at a high school marked by racial turbulence. When tragedy strikes the family, Danny’s mother becomes increasingly erratic and angry about the seismic cultural shifts unfolding in her city and the world. As she tries to keep it together with the help of Librium, highballs, and breakfast cereal, Danny finds his own reason to carry on: rock ‘n’ roll. Beautiful Music is a funny and poignant story about the power of music and its ability to save one’s soul.

Zadoorian’s second novel, The Leisure Seeker was an international bestseller and translated into over 20 different languages worldwide. John and Ella, two eighty-somethings, decide to kidnap themselves from the doctors and grown children who run their lives for a final adventure in their ancient Winnebago. In a starred review, Booklist wrote "The Leisure Seeker is pretty much like life itself: joyous, painful, moving, tragic, mysterious, and not to be missed." The L.A. Times said: Zadoorian is true to these geezers. He draws them in their most honest light. I hoped for a book that would make me laugh during these tight times, and I was rewarded." And the Sydney Morning Herald stated: "This is a sad, sweet love letter to a fading America… sharp humour about aging and a quietly shocking ending.”

Michael Zadoorian's first novel, Second Hand is about love and loss for a Detroit-area junk store owner. The New York Times Book Review said “Second Hand may be a gift from the (Tiki) gods” and called it "a romantic adventure that explores what Yeats called 'the foul rag and bone shop of the heart.'" Selected for Barnes & Noble's Discover Great New Writers Program, Second Hand also received the Great Lakes Colleges Association prestigious New Writers Award. Translated into Italian, Portuguese and French, it's still a cult favorite.

His short story collection The Lost Tiki Palaces of Detroit follows characters coming to terms with the past and the present in a broken city. Lansing Journal called them "…stories that grab you, shake you and slap you upside the head." The Ann Arbor Observer called the stories “sometimes wildly funny and more than a little crazy, yet they have a heart-breaking affection for the battered lives they portray."

Zadoorian is a recipient of a Kresge Artist Fellowship in the Literary Arts, the Columbia University Anahid Literary Award, the Great Lakes Colleges Association New Writers Award, the GLIBA Great Lakes Great Reads award, and two Michigan Notable Book Awards. He lives in the Detroit area.

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Zadoorian - image from Mangialibri.com

This is a delightful novel of two old people on their final road trip. She suffering from a variety of terminal illnesses, he in and out of awareness as Alzheimer’s shreds his remnant memories. Sounds grim, but it is anything but, filled as it is with humor, down-to-earth humanity and a very elevated spirit. This should have been as popular as Marley and Me. It deserved to be.

The film adaptation was released to DVD in the USA in July 2018. It was a box office flop, grossing only $10 million ($20 million according to The Numbers site) globally. I haven't seen, it so can offer no opinion on how well it captured the novel.


Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren

[Katie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a true gem of a book! The author somehow managed to find the perfect balance of sad and touching moments mixed with the right amount of humor so the book isn't completely depressing. Elderly couple Ella and John Robina take off on a road trip to Disneyland against the wishes of their kids and their doctors. She has cancer and he is suffering from Alzheimer's. Ella is hoping this one last great adventure will help them revisit a lifetime of memories.

I knew fairly early on this book was for me when the Robinas started traveling thru towns that are near where I grew up. My husband and I love to travel and even though we are about half the age of the couple, there was so much I could relate to in terms of being in a long term relationship. It wasn't difficult at all to understand what Ella was feeling. Marriage is a partnership with each person having a role to play, and it was heartbreaking when Ella realized there were certain things she had always depended on that John just wasn't able to do anymore. This is the type of book in which you really insert yourself into some of the situations and wonder how you would react if you were the main character.

Highly recommend this book! I am excited to see how this translates to the big screen. Helen Mirren seems like she would be perfect in the role of Ella.

I won this book in a giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One has to love these memorable senior citizen characters! John has Alzheimer's; Ella has cancer, and they're making one last cross-country road trip in their "Leisure Seeker" motor-home from Detroit to Disneyland - what could go wrong?

The story is told from Ella's point of view (I just loved her dry wit!) Realistically simple, there were times it was so sad that it was funny. Oftentimes, their story reminded me of special people in my life.

Michael Zadoorian's strong character-driven novel of this long-married couple now in their eighties is funny and poignant and overflowing with truth. There were parts that I just had to reread because his storytelling was so noteworthy!

The Leisure Seeker will stay with me for a long time to come.

Highly recommend!

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish, from the first paragraph to the last. It never sagged. This is a story about a couple, Ella and John Robina. They have been married over fifty years. They are both in their eighties. Both are sick: John with Alzheimer’s and Ella with cancer. So they must decide what to do with their lives. Yes, Ella was sure! They needed a vacation. What could be better than to take Route 66 again, that route that they so often traveled when they were young and the family was four, before the kids left home? While they travel they haul out their projector and slides and look again at their lives. They have cocktails, grill their food, snooze, take little naps and drive all the way to Disneyland in California. She has her little blue pills.

Does that sound sad and depressing? Yes, I supposed it might, but think, they are both in their eighties and they have had good lives. It is not hard to believe that the book could prove to be thoughtful and down-to-earth and wise. But the author goes one step further and makes it very, very funny. I laughed on every page. I did. You laugh and you smile and you shed a melancholic tear occasionally. Mostly you laugh and maybe think a teeny bit about how you want to live your own life. The message is not all that astounding. What is astounding is the humor embedded in the story. Yes, I really did laugh out loud and exclaim as the events unfolded. You see the book is more about living and enjoying life than about its end. Ella and John and the characters they meet on their travels are very ordinary people. The conversations are so classically ordinary that you cannot help but smile. There is quite a bit of irony in the humor.

I listened to the audiobook. The narration, by Judith West, was superb. Ella’s voice was of a spunky old woman, and John had a crusty, solid baritone. When the narrator spoke for them it felt like I was overhearing a true conversation between two old geezers. When I think now of Ella, I know how she sounds and that is Ella. The same is true of John. Voice says a lot about a person. The narration gets five stars.

So why only four stars for the book? Well, because the situation is in fact not extraordinary. It felt so real, such a perfect description of two old geezers. Does that means it is worth five stars? To perfectly capture this old couple, their lives and their dialogs, their sorrows and happiness and fear? It is all there. It is just a personal thing, I think; I would more readily give a book filled with real facts, that is also engagingly written, five stars. My head tells me this is all wrong. Maybe it is the author that builds a story from nothing, that creates with his words an imaginary world that seems genuinely real, that is the most talented? I did enjoy every minute listening to this audiobook. Heck I will give it five. Why not? It is not amazing, but I really did love it. I didn’t just like it a lot. It was better than that.

******************


I am currently listening to the audiobook: The Leisure Seeker. It is fabulous. Why? Because every line is perfect. Every damn line. I do not think I am going to write a review, I am just sucking it all up. I cannot copy that sentence and that sentence and that. Take my word for it. Read the book description and just trust me on this. Read this book. I listened to the audiobook. You can also go to Audible, write in the title and listen to the sample.

This book will have you smiling. It is true, I have just begun, so I cannot be sure about the ending. OK, maybe I will say something on completion.

This is still on sale at Audible for USD4.16. Narration by Judith West.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4.25* of five

***UPDATE 10/3/2017 Here's a clip that makes me really hopeful for the film's fidelity to the source material. And here's an Hollywood Reporter interview with Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland! Dream casting!***

**UPDATE 11/10/2016 A feature film starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland will debut in the US during 2017. Talk about dream casting for your novel's movie! I hope Michael Zadoorian is as well served by the screenwriters and producers as he stands to be by his characters' faces.**

The Publisher Says: A sort of Easy Rider meets The Notebook, Michael Zadoorian’s poignant, funny, vibrant, and unforgettable novel, The Leisure Seeker, is a story of two seniors who escape from their retirement home and embark upon a hilarious and touching end-of-life road trip. Here is a story that will appeal to a wide range of readers: from retiring Baby Boomers to fans of Mitch Albom, Tom Perotta, David Sedaris, Nick Hornby, and Nicholas Sparks. In fact, the Detroit Free Press says, “I would recommend Michael Zadoorian’s The Leisure Seeker to almost anyone.”

My Review: The Robinas got old one day. They couldn't tell you which day, exactly...he has Alzheimer's, she's just old and frankly after a certain point who can tell the days apart anyway?...but it happened, and now, well, The End isn't on the horizon anymore, it's on the to-do list.

Three quotes will tell you all that you need to know about this book. If they fail to appeal, so will this wry, loving, unsparing look at the parade's end.

“We pass a church with a massive blue neon cross, and I am spiritually lifted by feelings of great religiosity. No, I’m not, for crying out loud. Don’t be ridiculous. But what I do love about this road is how the gaudy becomes grand, how tastelessness is a way of everyday life.”(p37)

“I think about the people in the slides, most of them gone now, heart attacks and cancers, betrayed by the foods we ate, by our La-Z-Boys, by our postwar contentment, everyone getting larger and larger in every year’s photographs, our prosperity gone wide.” (p57)


“We pass on the Will Rogers Memorial in Claremore. I never much cared for the man. A big phony, I believe. Anyone who never met a man he didn’t like just isn’t trying hard enough.” (p79)

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

He has Alzheimers.

She has cancer.

What are they suppose to do?

ROAD TRIP in their 1978 RV.

Delightful, sad, poignant.... with laughable moments reading experience.

And a MOVIE!

The question becomes - which do you like more - the book or the movie?

[piperitapitta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tutti i grandi sono stati bambini una volta. Ma pochi di essi se ne ricordano.
(Antoine De Saint-Exupéry - Il Piccolo Principe)

Chissà perché da piccoli si ha l'idea che crescendo si diventi una persona completamente diversa da quelli che si è stati da bambini.
Poi arrivi a trent'anni, ad esempio, e ti accorgi che molte delle cose che pensavi a dodici anni le pensi ancora; ma soprattutto ti accorgi che alcune delle cose che pensavi non erano affatto cose da bambini, erano pensieri interi, da adulto: pensieri fondanti della persona che sei diventato da grande.
Però a trent'anni, ad esempio, pensi lo stesso che a sessanta, settanta, o figuriamoci a ottant'anni, sarai un'altra persona, completamente diversa.
Sarai saggia, matura, pronta ad accettare quel declino che inevitabilmente la vita ti prospetta.
Starai lì tranquillo - immagini - a fare il vecchietto, senza aver altre pretese che quelle di una serena e tranquilla sopravvivenza: mangiare, dormire, se serve - anzi, servirà di sicuro perché inutile a dirsi qualche acciacco dovuto all'età ce l'avrai anche tu - curarti: dimentico di quello che sei stato, di quello che ti piaceva fare, di quello che eri.
Al massimo potrai fare il nonno e spupazzarti i nipoti, per il resto sarai un anziano e cercherai di non arrecare disturbo a nessuno.
Ella e John invece, a ottant'anni suonati "sono" ancora, nonostante gli acciacchi: lei è malata terminale, si muove a fatica e riesce a superare le crisi dovute alla sua malattia solo grazie alle "pilloline blu" dalle quali non si separa mai.
John al contrario è integro nel fisico ma soffre di Alzheimer e spesso non è consapevole nemmeno di dove si trovi.
Insieme però, come dice Ella, fanno una persona intera.
E questa persona, Ella+John, è una persona viva, che non ha voglia di consumarsi in attesa della morte, ma vuole ancora divertirsi, scoprire e provare nuove emozioni: in poche parole vuole decidere da sola cosa sia meglio per sé.
Sfidando quindi il divieto dei figli, Ella e John partono in camper da (vicino) Detroit alla volta di Disneyland, decisi - beh, a decidere in realtà è solo Ella, John si limita a guidare e a farsi guidare! - a percorrere la mitica Route 66 da costa a costa, in un viaggio che sarà scoperta, ricordo, paura, divertimento, ma soprattutto libertà.
"Non sai quant'è brutta la vecchiaia" mi diceva sempre nonna Gina!
Ora ho capito che non si riferiva solamente ai dolori, alla consapevolezza di essere quasi giunti al termine della propria esistenza, alla paura del distacco.
La sofferenza più grande per un anziano, probabilmente, è quella di essere considerato dalla società e purtroppo molto spesso anche dalle persone che gli sono più care, una persona che ha esaurito la scorta e il diritto ad avere desideri, una persona che non ha più nulla da chiedere ma, soprattutto, che non ha più niente in comune nel proprio essere con quello che è stata.
Ecco, In viaggio contromano, pur essendo un romanzo apparentemente leggero e divertente che si legge in un soffio, mi ha fatto capire che tra venti o trent'anni - forse - un giorno penserò ancora una di quelle cose che pensavo a dodici anni: e questo è bellissimo.



[9 dicembre 2017] Oggi perché, ho appena letto che da questo romanzo è stato tratto l'ultimo film di Paolo Virzì, con Donald Sutherland e Helen Mirren.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet and sad little book, about the courage to make your own later in life choices, despite what others insist.

[Karen Germain · Rating 5 out of 5]

My boyfriend and I have a thing where we pick out books for each other as a surprise. He thought that I would like this because it was about two of my favorite things, road trips and Disneyland. What he didn’t realize, is this book was probably the most emotional read I have ever encountered.

Michael Zadorrian write a novel about the end of life. Ella, who is dying from cancer, decides to pack up her RV and take route 66 to Disneyland. Her husband suffers from Alzheimer’s and clueless to her plan. He lives minute to minute and goes along with her instructions. Ella’s adult children and doctors are very much against this trip, but helpless as Ella’s desire for one last vacation supersedes their wishes.

I have had two family members with Alzheimer’s and this story perfectly conveyed the disease and frustration that comes with the territory. It actually felt like Zadoorian took scenarios and conversations from my own life. It was eerie. He has obviously encountered this in his own life, because it was pitch perfect.

Personally heartbreaking to read, was Ella going against the wishes of her very concerned children. My mom died of cancer a few years ago and I had the same conversation with her with regard to stopping treatment. As a child, you have to respect your parent’s wishes, but that doesn’t mean that it’s easy or that you don’t beg them to reconsider. This was painful to read in the book.

I found a majority of the story very upsetting to read, but only because it was dead-on with emotions that I have felt or situations that I have encountered. This sounds weird, but as a reader, I felt like the author “got me”. I found the book impossible to put down.

[Carmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Old, married couple (he has dementia, she has terminal cancer) head out for one last adventure and bicker and fight along the way, but.....they LOVE each other. As they travel Route 66 they will stop at quirky landmarks, meet one dimensional characters and the narrator, the one with cancer, will make a snarky observation. There is really only one question left to answer after page 60 or so...will it be the gun or the exhaust leak in the RV?

Huh. Well, I managed to finish it despite seeing exactly where this was headed from about 1/3 in and then it just went on and on. Sadly, the humor promised by some of the blurbs never materialized. I know I am in the minority at not finding this a 'moving' read. I did not laugh. I did not cry (and I am a big time book cryer.) Books certainly don't need to be uplifing or upbeat, but it is hard to read about characters you don't like or believe. It all felt sort of flat. It is easy to see how this is one of those highly 'discussable' books with lots of issues which is probably why my library system selected it as the 'what if we all read the same book' book of the year.

[Aisling · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you feel bereft upon closing a book, then you know the characters have left the page and come to life. It is easy to see why this book was optioned to be made into a movie but sadly the movie cannot capture the internal dialogue of the narrator, Ella. Don't miss that! If you plan to see the movie, read the book first.

This book is about a road trip but also about memories, love, and choices. It's about the heartbreak of getting older, getting sick, but also the joy of life as seen by those who have lived it. This is a very moving book but riddled with humour and it has one of the best ending lines I have seen in a long while (no cheating--it won't make any sense unless you read the whole thing anyway.)

Kudos to Michael Zadoorian. I don't know how he captured the voice of an 80 year old woman so brilliantly but I fell in love with both characters and I am sad, truly, to have finished the book. This is a must read.

[Lynne Spreen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so happy Michael Zadoorian wrote this book that I have to tell you about it. The Leisure Seeker, named after a particular model of recreational vehicle, is about John and Ella, a Midwestern couple in their eighties, fading fast, taking one last road trip. John has Alzheimers and Ella, end-stage cancer. The story is told in Ella’s plain, smart, funny voice (I kept thinking she sounded like Roseanne Barr).
Zadoorian writes with such humor that I found myself laughing all the way through what should have been a painful story. I loved Ella’s wit and strength, and her lonely vulnerability which she keeps at bay while navigating this final voyage. She is mentally sharp but physically frail. John is the opposite. Of all the parts of his brain that are fading to black, the driving part still thrives. John is a good driver, obedient to Ella’s directions. Of course, he’s unreliable – she must take the keys from the ignition when they stop to ensure he doesn’t drive off without her. And the gun she hides in her purse. She laughs that between the two of them they make one complete person.
Throughout the story, Zadoorian offers homage to a bygone America, and a certain kind of American. In Ella’s words:
“We are the people who stay. We stay in our homes and pay them off. We stay at our jobs. We do our thirty and come home to stay even more. We stay until we are no longer able to mow our lawns and our gutters sag with saplings, until our houses look haunted to the neighborhood children. We like it where we are. I guess then the other question is: Why do we even travel? There can be only one answer to that: we travel to appreciate home.”
The Leisure Seeker shows us what it’s like to experience Alzheimer’s, and in spite of the humor and periods of relative normalcy, the devastation is heartbreaking, as when John repeats this cycle: learning that a dear friend has died, grieving, forgetting, and then learning all over again of the death and experiencing the grief full-force all over again. Repeatedly. To spare him, Ella has learned to lie. The friend is fine; he’s been busy with family.
I loved how they watched movies almost every night, wherever they camped. John sets up the slide projector and hangs a sheet on the side of the RV, Ella fixes cocktails, and they relive the memories of being a family, and of seeing their two kids growing up. One night, as Ella and John view slides of the 1967 Seattle World’s Fair, a group of young people watch from the shadows. Ella invites them to sit closer. Beers are opened and the two generations, far apart in age, mingle and comment at the miniskirts and go-go boots.
Zadoorian never belabors any of this. When the story evokes the reader’s tears, it’s manageable, because Ella is strong. Her reflections on life are ours, and in just the right amount. The author never tells us how to think. He simply rolls the film. I liked that he had the skill and confidence to let us draw our own conclusions.
You know what I loved the most about this book? It gave me courage: I felt like maybe, whatever comes in the future as a result of aging and disease, I’ll follow Ella’s example and handle it.

[Therese · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touching story about an elderly couple, the wife with a terminal illness and the husband with Alzheimer’s, who, against the wishes of their children and doctors, take one last cross country road trip. They venture out in their old camper that they’ve dubbed “The Leisure Seeker”, enjoying the kitsch of Route 66 and the wonderful memories of trips with their kids from years past. As someone who enjoys traveling and especially a good road trip, this book reminds us to cherish all the moments we have, doing the things we love with the people we love.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a rollercoaster of emotions. Sad in parts but humourous and heartwarming in others. I think that michael Zadoorian wrote the book which such skill. That even though the plot being rather sad it's not an overly depressing book and I quickly came to care about them.

[Gina *loves sunshine* · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first favorite of the year 2018!!! Bravo to the author for taking such a difficult and depressing story that will effect so many couples, and thank you for bringing it to life for all generations - giving it heart, humor, sadness and awareness. I walk away from the this story even more excited to stay healthy, stay active, and fight disease with my lifestyle! Arugula over Bologna any day!

I connected with this story on so many levels.... I just love reading about old people so much! I love their wisdom, honesty, their thriftiness, the funny one liners, and the way they look at future generations or reminisce about the past! I loved seeing the day to day through John's eyes - sometimes really clear and sometimes a bit fuzzy. Ella, always the thinker and the planner and the first person to point out the obvious to her husband! I loved the nuances of a husband and wife who live life together daily. The routine, the schedule, the things they love together, the things that bug them - It was naggy and endearing all at the same time.

You can't help but feel their love, even though their world is crumbling down. The Author did such a good job of showing the good and the bad. I loved the whole aspect of the RV trip and taking the Route 66, the flashbacks to the good ole days and how that led to where they were today - how it shapes relationships, children, friends, etc. My father in law also suffered from Dementia mixed with Lou Gherig's and had a lot of the same characteristics as John in the last few years of his life. It was sad and also very comforting to read!! I pictured Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland the whole time I was reading this and I can't wait to see the movie!!!!

Highly recommend this sad but wonderful story!!!

[Tired CNA · Rating 3 out of 5]

First I would like to thank Will Byrnes for recommending this book to me.
I have to say I had a hard time with this book. I didn't want to give it less than 3 stars because I don't want to give the impression this is not a book worth reading or poorly written. It was personal reasons.
I work in a nursing home 40 hours a week and deal with hospice and dementia patients every single day (as well as a Grandparent who died of Alzheimer's). Here was my issue with this tale. First off I didn't like John or Ella one bit. But then again giving the author credit there are many seniors who are not the most pleasant people to be around. Getting old seriously does drop peoples filters and pain makes them grouchy. I on the other hand am a very positive and upbeat person and Ella's negative and insulting behavior grated on my nerves. Also Ella's refusal to use the word Alzheimer's annoyed me. Lets call this what it is ok?
Yes this was her life to live but the selfishness of what she did and the pain she caused her children cannot be overlooked in my eyes. The horrible danger she also put her husband in was unforgivable to me.
I just finished reading this novel 10 minutes ago and wanted to write this review fresh. Without giving any spoilers I have to say it left me angry. Not the way I want to feel at the end of a novel.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

4/19 A friend went to the Chelsea Library Poetry/Book function on Satureday and the author, who lives "near Detroit" was there reading from his novel and signing books.
My friend gave me the book for my "first social security check" Party. I began it last night and couldn't stop reading. Very fun ....if you think getting old can be fun.

4/23 I wanted to savor every mile that John and Ella traveled. They began in Detroit in their old family motor home, the Leisure Seeker and took Route 66 to visit Disneyland for the last time.
I started jotting down memoriable lines and then started putting in sticky notes when they got to Texas and then just gave up when they reached New Mexico and enjoyed the rest of the ride.
I laughted out loud and got choked up.
I want everyone to read this love story/travel log/prescription for life.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

After 50 years of marriage, John and Ella sneak away from their children and doctors to travel to Disneyland along Route 66, remembering and reliving family vacations from the past. Between Ella's cancer and John's Alzheimer's, they face plenty of challenges along the road as they try to enjoy the time with one another.

This book was an incredible story of meeting life on its own terms right up until the very end. Though parts of the book are laugh-out-loud funny, others will bring tears to your eyes. Watching John and Ella deal with their individual challenges while trying to be strong for one another, I couldn't help but be on their side against their children and doctors as they sought to take an illicit trip down memory lane.

The ending (don't worry- no spoilers here) was not a surprise; Zadoorian did such a deft job of his storytelling that it seemed natural and understandable. I felt connected to each of the characters (even the children I couldn't side with) and was truly invested in the story. This is a wonderful book that deals realistically with the issues of breast cancer and Alzheimer's, life and death, love and loss. Strongly written, extremely empathetic, this is a highly recommended fast read.

[Anto_s1977 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I protagonisti di questa storia sono due anziani statunitensi, Ella e John.
Ella e John sono sposati da molti anni, ma adesso lei è una paziente oncologica e lui è affetto da Alzheimer. Nonostante il parere contrario di medici e figli, Ella decide che è necessario fare un ultimo viaggio in camper, dal Michigan fino in California, per visitare un'ultima volta Disneyland.
E così inizia un viaggio intenso, caratterizzato da difficoltà, ma anche da momenti di tenerezza e di ricordi; è un viaggio avventuroso in mezzo a panorami mozzafiato, ma anche in mezzo al traffico cittadino, tra gente sconosciuta e volti, spesso, increduli.
Ma è anche un tuffo nel passato e un modo per condividere tutto fino alla fine....
Ho trovato questo libro delicato ed emozionante, divertente ed intenso, con un finale amaro, che forse un po' mi aspettavo, ma anche "poetico" e perfetto.
Un libro consigliatissimo.

[Ailin Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hay escenas que me rompían el corazón, que me emocionaban hasta las lágrimas por la simplicidad que tenían, por la necesidad que tienen el uno del otro, por esas miradas de amor y otras que intentan reconocer lo que el otro esconde. También hay escenas en donde los años de complicidad y de amarse dejan claro esos votos de matrimonio en donde nos comprometemos a cuidar de nuestra pareja y es ahí donde me di cuenta de lo maravilloso que es ese simple acto en EL VIAJE DE SUS VIDAS.

No conocía la pluma de Michael Zadoorman me ha conquistado por lo fácil con que refleja las emociones, vamos que me ha dejado tonta y no dudaré en volver a leer algo de este hombre ¡Feliz lectura!

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this journey with Ella & John. He has Alzheimer's and she has cancer. They decide to follow Route 66 for their last vacation against their children's and Drs advice. I laughed so hard, I cried at the humor and predicaments they got into. I just traveled with my parents from Florida back to Wisconsin, and we had plenty of laughter on our road trip. I think it's important to find humor in the golden years! Some would say it's a sad story, but I don't feel that way. They enjoyed their travels, and I think they wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

[Shirley Revill]

A beautiful and poignant story about John and Ella who have been married for fifty years.
Ella has cancer and John has Alzheimer's and together in their motorhome they set off on one final journey on route 66.
This story made me smile and made me cry and I can honestly say it was one of the best books I have read in a long while.
No hospital beds or care homes for Ella and John but a trip of remembrance and love of a life shared.
Very highly recommended and this story deserves more than five stars. Truly exceptional.

[auserlesenes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella und John Robina sind nicht nur mehr als 80 Jahre alt, sondern auch schwer erkrankt. Während sie an Krebs im Endstadium leidet, ist seine Demenz schon weit fortgeschritten. Ellas Tage sind gezählt, doch weiteren Operationen und Behandlungen durch die Ärzte will sie sich nicht aussetzen. Stattdessen machen sich die beiden auf einen ungewöhnlichen Roadtrip: Mit ihrem Oldtimer-Wohnmobil, dem „Leisure Seeker“, fahren die Senioren von ihrem Zuhause nahe Detroit in Michigan über die Route 66 einmal quer durch die USA bis zum Disneyland nach Kalifornien. Eine letzte abenteuerliche Reise gegen den Willen ihrer Kinder. Die Fahrt lässt nicht nur alte Erinnerungen aufleben, sondern ist auch eine Probe für ihre Liebe.

„Das Leuchten der Erinnerung“ von Michael Zadoorian ist das Buch zum gleichnamigen Kinofilm mit Helen Mirren und Donald Sutherland.

Meine Meinung:
Erzählt wird die Geschichte im Präsens aus der Ich-Perspektive von Ella. Ihre teils bissigen, teils trockenen Kommentare, die den Leser direkt ansprechen, haben mir sehr gut gefallen. Der Schreibstil ist flüssig und angenehm. Insgesamt durchreist das Paar zehn Staaten. Jedes Mal, wenn die beiden einen neuen Bundesstaat erreichen, beginnt ein weiteres Kapitel, so dass diese unterschiedlich lang sind. Eine schöne Idee, den Roman so zu untergliedern.

Der Leser wird gleich mitten in die Handlung geschmissen. Dennoch bin ich gut in die Geschichte reingekommen und habe das Buch nur ungern zur Seite gelegt.

Beide Hauptprotagonisten sind mir schnell ans Herz gewachsen. Vor allem Ella war mir gleich sympathisch. Ihr Sarkasmus und Galgenhumor, ihre schnodrige und direkte Art haben mich angesprochen. Es ist absolut bewegend, wie sie sich trotz ihrer eigenen Qualen durchkämpft, um sich um ihren Mann zu kümmern. Auch John ist ein liebenswerter Charakter, für den ich viel Mitgefühl entwickelt habe. Die übrigen Personen im Roman wirken ebenfalls authentisch.

Der Schluss der Geschichte ist ebenso wie die gesamte Handlung glaubwürdig und stimmig. Mehrere überraschende Ereignisse sorgen für Spannung. Positiv anzumerken ist auch der Wechsel zwischen humorvollen Episoden und traurigen Momenten – eine gelungene Mischung. Sehr berührt haben mich nicht nur die Passagen, in denen es darum geht, wie sich die Krankheiten der beiden äußern. Auch die Erinnerungen an die Vergangenheit und tiefgründige Betrachtungen über das Leben sind ergreifend und haben mich zum Nachdenken gebracht. Dabei setzt der Roman jedoch nicht auf Kitsch und übermäßige Dramatik, sondern berührt mit leisen Tönen. Auch weniger ereignisreiche Passagen habe ich als kurzweilig und unterhaltsam empfunden. Das liegt nicht zuletzt daran, dass man durch die Schilderungen einiges über die Besonderheiten und Sehenswürdigkeiten der einzelnen Staaten erfährt. Da bekommt man selbst ein wenig Fernweh.

Das deutsche Cover ist an das Filmplakat angelehnt und trifft meinen Geschmack. Auch der Titel des Romans, der stark vom amerikanischen Original („The Leisure Seeker“) abweicht, sagt mir zu und ist passend gewählt.

Mein Fazit:
„Das Leuchten der Erinnerung“ von Michael Zadoorian ist ein warmherziger, emotionaler Roman, der mich begeistern konnte und bei mir noch eine Weile nachwirken wird. Ich kann das Buch wärmstens empfehlen und werde mir mit Sicherheit noch die Verfilmung ansehen.

[Martie Nees Record · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Romantic Tragicomedy
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pub. Date: January 2009

Recently, I watched the 2017 movie "The Leisure Seeker.” Although the film was a bit syrupy, I enjoyed it for what it was: a feel-good, end-of-life story. I learned that it was based on a book, which I decided to read. The novel is grittier and more realistic. Still, it is a delight. The author manages to balance sad and touching moments with the right amount of humor. It could’ve been depressing to read, but it maintains a charming, down-to-earth quality. Its protagonists feel real and are likable and spirited.

As in the film, the future holds nothing but shorter, bleaker days for Ella and John Robina. Ella refuses chemotherapy and radiation for her stage four cancer. John suffers from Alzheimer’s. Ella has promised him that she will never put him in a nursing home, or let him be a burden to their family. This is how they decide, after a lifetime of worrying about their now-grown children, to sneak out of their Detroit suburb for one last trip in their cranky old Winnebago, which they christened “The Leisure Seeker” decades earlier.

In the film, their destination is Key West, Florida, to allow John to finally visit Ernest Hemingway's historic home. In the novel, they are headed to Disneyland in California, a place they often took their children when they were young. Disneyland better reflects their way of life and the story’s overall tone.

They drive through each state on Route 66. As they explore the famous route, Zadoorian finds many ways to make his readers smile. The couple observes the quirky tourist attractions, among the countless Route 66 diners all with the same photos of Marilyn Monroe and James Dean. While this well-written, character-driven novel is packed with hard truths about a long-married couple facing death, it still manages to be simultaneously funny and poignant. I preferred the novel to the film. I usually do.

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[Tempo de Ler · Rating 3 out of 5]

É difícil não viver preso nas recordações do passado quando o presente é tão desconfortável e o futuro parece não ter nada de bom a oferecer. Aos 80 anos os Robinas enfrentam a inevitabilidade da idade avançada, o que leva Ella a arrastar o marido para um novo desafio, ainda que este possa muito bem ser o último. E é assim que partimos com Ella e John na sua antiga caravana pela Rota 66 a fora, participando nas peripécias atuais e partilhando as memórias do passado.

Apesar da sua triste e melancólica essência, Uma Viagem Inesquecível é também um livro muito divertido graças à competência do escritor em intersectar a degradação humana com uma série de episódios cómicos bem conseguidos.

Gostei imenso de fazer esta última viagem com os Robinas.

[Майя Ставитская · Rating 5 out of 5]

Шоссе шестьдесят шесть лет спустя
Вопреки боли, вопреки этой изуродованной плоти, на которой записана вся моя жизнь. Сквозь дурноту, сквозь готовность к смерти.
Имя Майкла Задурьяна не много скажет русскоязычному читателю, из трех его романов на русский переведен только "The Leisure Seeker", и вот еще один в бесчисленной череде случаев, когда отличный перевод книги сопровождает катастрофическое название.

Никаких претензий к Любови Сумм, это норма издательской политики: если есть экранизация, которая предварила появление книги на русском, сохранить первоначальное название. Все, что может расширить потенциальный рынок, должно использоваться.

И все же, трудно представить заголовок менее соответствующий содержанию, чем "В погоне за праздником". Книга пролежала у меня в читалке с начала карантина, когда Фантом-Пресс сыграл с читателем в аттракцион неслыханной щедрости, открыв доступ к трем десяткам (около того) своих лучших романов. Отпугивало название.

Представлялось, что это либо о мажорах, чья жизнь непрерывная череда удовольствий, либо о маргиналах, бегущих ответственности. Ни те, ни другие не в сфере моих интересов, потому читать не спешила. Столько времени прошло, пока наконец добралась и сначала не в силах поверить была, какое сокровище мне досталось.

На самом деле, это роман о стариках, которые на своем дряхлом трейлере отправляются, в общем, в последнюю поездку. The Leisure Seeker - Искатель досуга - это имя, данное ими фургону в далеком семьдесят восьмом. Тогда они купили его, чтобы путешествовать в отпуске эконом-классом с детьми.

У нас, за отсутствием приличных дорог и достаточного количества автомобилей, этот вид досуга неизвестен, а Америка выходила посредством строительства автодорог из Великой Депрессии, там отличных понастроили. Для небогатой семьи возможность погрузиться в трейлер с достаточным количеством спальных мест, кухонькой, биотуалетом - и колесить по городам, тратясь только на стояночные места в кемпингах, была реальной возможностью путешествовать.

Джон с Эллой, люди, прямо скажем, небогатые, убеждены были, что дети в восторге от такого варианта проведения отпуска. Это уж потом те скажут, что всю жизнь мечтали останавливаться в отелях с шезлонгами вокруг бассейна. И все же, они немало прекрасных дней провели в этом рыдване. А он все на ходу, несмотря что уже тридцать лет, выхлоп только вот барахлит. Но если не закрывать окна, то ничего - пойдет.

Теперь им за восемьдесят, Джон в непрерывно усугубляющемся альцгеймере, у Эллы рак, от осознания чего супруг ее огражден причудой своей болезни. врачи настаивают для нее на госпитализации и лечении агрессивной радиацией, ясно, что все это в лучшем случае немного отсрочит конец, перед которым придется пройти адские муки. Ясно также, что мужу очень скоро придется переселиться в бюджетный дом престарелых, где он протянет чуть дольше в таком же (если не худшем) аду.

И вот, они решают поехать в Диснейленд (а куда еще, в стране сказок старым да малым самое место). На самом деле, к океану, и решает Элла, по сути, похищая мужа. Он будет за рулем, это в быту он может не узнать иной раз сына или дочь, водитель по-прежнему отличный.

Она такая классная, эта книга, вы представить себе не можете. Предельно честная, без утешительного сюсюканья и заигрывания с читателем. Старость, болезни, уродство и неуклюжесть оболочки, в которую ты оказываешься заключенным. Понимание, что по сути, и не жил никогда в удовольствие - все надо было заботиться о семье, зарабатывать. И все было недостаточно. А теперь и дети в своей жизни повторяют родовую карму. Что это: счастье или горе? Да просто жизнь.

У них будут настоящие приключения на этом пути. Нет, друзей не обретут, не тот возраст и не та ситуация. Но повоевать придется. И в грязи побарахтаться. И обосраться (простите, но у маразма и такие проявления бывают). И переночевать, впервые в жизни, в президентском люксе (сто двадцать пять долларов за ночь, ужос!), опустошив мини-бар и обблевав ковер.

Здесь будут воспоминания об их жизни. Будет горький, честный и абсолютно неполиткорректный взгляд на Детройт (загуглите про шестьдесят седьмой, если интересно). И Элла будет глушить боль голубыми таблетками, констатируя: Наркоманка Элла выходит на тропу войны. И сумеет отбиться от работников службы безопасности Диснейленда, которые попытаются отправить ее в больницу, когда "двухтонная Элла" перевернется на парковой тележке,

И они займутся напоследок сексом. Потрясающая книга. С юмором, без соплей. Честная.
Старикан заполняет квитанцию, отрывает часть и выдает мне вместе со сдачей. И снова зенки на меня пялит.
– Со мной что-то не так? – спрашиваю я, озверев. Давай, мол, выкладывай.
– Вы готовы? – На этот раз он смягчает свой выговор.
– К чему? – Я покрепче сжимаю ручку трости.
– Готовы принять Иисуса как своего спасителя?

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novel. From the first page to the last page. I loved it. It was romantic and funny but far from chick-lit territory. Zadoorian added enough grit to the characters that they weren't unrealistic or cheesy. The little details made them so alive that they could have walked right off of the page. They reminded me of the way my in-laws would have been if they had had the chance. This is a look at real life and real people and vividly illustrates that varying amounts of aggravation, devotion, tenacity, acceptance and love are necessary ingredients in any successful relationship but are absolutely indispensible factors in surviving fifty years of marriage with the same person.

The characters feel so real, their dialogue so authentic; Ella is sweet and salty, never losing her self-deprecating persona and her fierce love for her husband, John. Even as the throes of Alzheimer's tries to collapse and smother the last bits of his memory of their life as a married couple, she tries to mine what's left of him. The drive from Detroit to Disneyland (in their "Leisure Seeker camper), along the decrepit Route 66 is a wonderful and fitting metaphor for growing old and how time treats all of us. In some ways it's like Thelma & Louise meet the heroes from Of Mice and Men. Growing old doesn't mean you have to give up your dignity.

I enjoyed the references to Detroit and the surrounding areas. I also enjoyed the references of Route 66 facts. There was enough buffer with this information to take some of the seriousness off of the emotional overload that a novel about aging and terminal illness brings.

Stopping at diners, barbeque joints and McDonalds along the way (always careful to pop a “blue pill” first) and hitting all the requisite Route 66 museums, pecan log emporiums and forlorn, forgotten "Must See's," John and Ella's days are punctuated by an evening campground ritual. They settle into side-by-side webbed lawn chairs and watch their life, projected via slide projector onto a sheet strung on the side of the Leisure Seeker, march by courtesy of John, the official family photographer.

Ella must leave the piloting to John as she has not driven in over 30 years, besides which the physical constraints resulting from an upcoming doctor-prescribed final date with metastasized breast cancer, advanced hypertension (stroke) and kidney failure precludes her from taking the wheel. Ella gets along with a cane (towards the end of the book, she gives in to her mobileYou-Go), a wig (soon discarded), too many medicines to count (the pain is getting worse all the time) and a much-looked-forward-to nightly cocktail (which becomes two as her "discomfort" grows).

Yeah, it's a road trip book but I think it's really a love story of two people at the end of their lives. Sweet, lovely, sentimental, and then bitter sweet.

Thank you to my book club for this read – we all loved it and won't forget Ella and John for a very long time.

[Martha☀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every page of this book. I picked it up on a whim and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is easy to identify with the characters and easy to fall in love with them. It is the type of book where you laugh right out loud (although I do this easily), but it is also the kind of book that makes you really think. Ella and John have a relationship that seems commonplace yet their love and trust in each other is extraordinary. I have pondered my own marriage a few times since reading Leisure Seekers and sincerely hope that I will be my hubby's Ella.

[Teresa bee book a lula · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stelle - Doloroso, amaro, ironico e dolcissimo: Michael Zadoorian è una garanzia ❤️

[Rita Inácio · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Ella tem cancro. Como o meu avô. A Ella não quer nada com os médicos. Como o meu avô. A Ella "rapta" o marido que por vezes não se lembra dela, John, contra todas as recomendações, e seguem viagem na sua casa sobre rodas. O destino? Percorrer a Rota 66 até à Disneyland. O meu avô não fez nada disto. Se partisse com a minha avó em viagem seria até a uma praia, com muitas rochas, para pescar. É que sabem, cada um de nós tem o seu próprio destino mágico.
Pelo caminho? Tal como numa boa viagem, acontece-lhes de tudo. Bom e mau. Mas a Ella é uma velhota cheia de garra. Que bebe muito e pragueja. Que desculpa o John por todas as vezes em que ele se esquece dela. Eles discutem muito, como dois velhos casmurros. Como os meus avós. Mas nada se sobrepõe à vontade de ficar. Eles prometeram que fariam todas as viagens juntos.
Com este livro aprendi que nunca é tarde demais para começar uma grande viagem. E que a maior delas todas - a que frequentemente nos esquecemos - é a própria da vida. Com a rotina e com os gloriosos dias em que a mandamos dar uma curva. É um tudo incluído como nos hotéis. E depois dessa viagem? Que venha a próxima.
O meu avô não quer nada com os médicos. Só quer uma praia, com rochas, onde possa pescar. O meu avô faz remédios e mezinhas mas ele próprio é o melhor remédio para a vida. Não deixem de embarcar nesta viagem.