The Leisure Seeker - Softcover

Zadoorian, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0061671797 ISBN 13: 9780061671791

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks, 2010

Synopsis

Now a major motion picture starring Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland, coming January 2018 from Sony Pictures Classics

Official Selection

Toronto Film Festival

Venice Film Festival

"The Leisure Seeker is pretty much like life itself: joyous, painful, moving, tragic, mysterious, and not to be missed."--Booklist, starred review

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.

About this title

Review:

"Pick of the Week: This book evokes with great insight, tenderness and humour the absurdities and indignities of old age but also its freedoms and consolations."--Sydney Morning Herald

"Zadoorian has done no less than re-invent the American road story. These Easy Riders--drugged-up on meds, desperately in need of their naps, and determined to enjoy every last moment--are some of the most memorable characters I've ever met on the page."--Pagan Kennedy

"Zadoorian's pace is deceptive, it's restful. But unexpected scenes jump out at you. Come to the end and you'll say 'Oh my God.'"--Elmore Leonard

"Both achingly sad and intensely romantic, this unforgettable story of a last honeymoon hooked me from the first page. The Leisure Seeker depicts the heartrending choices of a loving couple, illuminated by events both past and present. I couldn't put it down."--Marjorie Hart, author of the national bestseller SUMMER AT TIFFANY

"An evocative tale....Zadoorian mixes some dark humor with issues that touch nearly everybody. This reviewer, usually hooked on crime novels and sports, found The Leisure Seeker hard to put down."--Daily News (Michigan)

"Road trip novels are as common as snow in Siberia...but Zadoorian adds some refreshing detours to the genre in his second novel...told from Ella's mordantly funny point-of-view...the gripping conclusion deserves to be read, not told."--The Hour, Detroit

"The humor is dark, the story poignant (for instance, Ella describes their RV as a "recreational sarcophagus") and the journey so descriptive that it makes you want to take the trip yourself."--Flint Journal

"A highly unusual, quirky treat...it would make a dandy movie for those who enjoyed The Notebook. Sad and funny, heart-warming and heart-breaking, Zadoorian's mesmerizing tale is definitely one to savor, deftly told by a clever, witty master craftsman."--Lansing State Journal

"A funny, bittersweet and courageous story as they cross the country, stopping at forgotten roadside attractions, watching old slides and remembering their life and love. In a word: touching. "--Melbourne Herald Sun

"This is no golden-age "Thelma and Louise" story. Zadoorian, like his protagonists, sticks to the slow lane, and the pace and sense of inevitability surrounding the Robinas' journey is almost reminiscent of Cormac McCarthy's "The Road." But there's wry humor...along with a host of tender moments."--Orlando Sentinel

From the Back Cover:

In Michael Zadoorian's The Leisure Seeker 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.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0061671797
• ISBN 13: 9780061671791
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 290