Vacationland

Adult fiction 

     One of the most popular nicknames for my adopted state, Maine, is Vacationland.  People tend to envision beaches ⛱️,  lighthouses, cute little souvenir shops, and the ubiquitous lobsters.  An iconic coastal town is the setting for Meg Mitchell Moore's Vacationland.

     Louisa and her three children are spending the summer with her parents in the family's summer ☀️ house.

     "In the harbor she sees two lobster 🦞 boats 🚢 as well as the ferries ⛴️ to Vinalhaven and North Haven.  The sliding door to the back porch is open, and as she smells the ocean she feels the energy ✨️ return to her body.  Brooklyn is where she lives most of the year, yes.  But this is home."

     Her summer isn't going to be totally idyllic, however.  Her husband has opted to stay in New York for work.  Her college professor sabbatical is winding down.  She's way behind on the book she's supposed to be writing ✍️.  Worst of all, her beloved father, a former judge, is succumbing to Alzheimers.

     "Along with her grief, Kristie is traveling to Rockland with $761 in cash--the very last of her tips--a duffle bag 🛄 that fits beneath the seat in front of her, her phone, a truckers hat from the last restaurant she worked at, and an envelope her mother gave her the day before she died."

     Kristie has just lost her mother to cancer.  Somehow, even though she's limited to minimum wage labor, she has debt collectors hounding her about her mother's medical bills.  She's arriving in town without a place to stay or a job lined up--hoping things will work out.

     When Kristie waits on Louisa's family, including her imperious and demanding mother, at the restaurant that hires her it seems like each will remain in her social class orbit.  Only there are closely guarded secrets that will come to light.  The two women might have a lot more in common than the reader initially suspects...

     ...An awful lot can happen between June and September.

On a purrrsonal note, yesterday was a red letter day for me despite the rain 🌧.  Katie and Jacob were in the area.  They invited Eugene and me to join them for lunch before they went back to the Big City.  We dined at Dysarts which is a popular truck stop.  It was so special to have this time with our younger 💕 💖 ❤️ 💗 daughter and her boyfriend ❤️ 💕!!!  I was happy also ❤️ 💖 💗 😊 that Katie really likes 👍 my new yard sale bracelet.  She has great fashion ✨️ sense.  (Jules)

I'm glad 😊 😃 they got together.  (Tobago)

A great big shout out goes out to Katie, Jacob, and their Creamsicle cat, Archie.

Tobago and Jules Hathaway 

     

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