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Title details for A Thousand Miles to Graceland by Kristen Mei Chase - Wait list

A Thousand Miles to Graceland

by Kristen Mei Chase
Kim Mai Guest
Audiobook
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The journey of a thousand miles begins with sequins and a beehive wig in this sharply funny and achingly tender debut novel about mothers, daughters, and the surprising power of Elvis.
Grace Johnson can't escape the feeling that her life is on autopilot—until her husband announces he's done with their marriage. Grace has a choice: wallow in humiliation . . . or reluctantly grant her outlandish mother's seventieth birthday wish with a road trip Graceland. Buckle up, Elvis. We're on our way.
Now the two are hightailing it from El Paso to Memphis, leaving a trail of sequins, false eyelashes, and difficult memories in their wake. Between spontaneous roadside stops to psychics, wig mishaps, and familiar passive-aggressive zingers, Grace is starting to better understand her Elvis-obsessed mama and their own fragile connection. She may even have another shot at love. Apparently the King really does work in mysterious ways. But after all these years, will it ever be possible for Grace and her mom to heal the hurts of the past?

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    January 24, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781668619810
      • File size: 278616 KB
      • Duration: 09:40:26

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Booklist

      November 1, 2022
      Grace is bored with her life. Her unfulfilling job as an accountant is enough to pay the bills, and her relentlessly sunny husband was annoying even before a couples-therapy announcement that he'd fallen in love with another woman. Though she tries to keep interactions with her embarrassingly Elvis-obsessed mother, Loralynn, to a minimum, Loralynn's seventieth birthday is coming up, and what she really wants is a mother-daughter trip to Graceland. The trip seems pretty straightforward--a week visiting Elvis-related landmarks in a vintage, purple convertible--but nothing with Loralynn is ever simple, and the trip becomes a winding road full of memories, reminiscences, and healing. Debut author Chase isn't afraid to delve into this complicated mother-daughter dynamic, touching on themes of trauma, survivorship, and family secrets as the two women share long-suppressed memories of Grace's childhood and the abuse they both faced at the hands of Grace's alcoholic father. Readers will delight in Chase's sharp sense of humor and be moved by the reconciliation between Grace and Loralynn. Fans of Billie Letts and Camille Pag�n should tag along on this one-of-a-kind road trip.

      COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Trapped in a dead-end job and newly single after her husband asks for a divorce, Grace Johnson is stuck. She can either wallow in self-pity or take her Elvis-obsessed mother on the birthday road trip of a lifetime. Although part of her really wants to wallow, she and her mother hop in a bright purple convertible for a road trip from El Paso, TX, to Memphis, to pay homage to the King. Along the way, they discover they have more in common than they thought. Full of impulsive stops to visit psychics and the back rooms of bars, Chase's witty debut is an exploration of mother-daughter relationships strained by the weight of family secrets. Narrator Kim Mai Guest's performance as the down-to-earth, practical Grace and her sequin-loving, big wig-wearing mother provides both levity and depth, as each character must face the consequences of her actions. VERDICT This hilarious road-trip novel, bursting with eccentric characters and a neat ending, satisfies. A perfect fit for fans of Sara Goodman Confino's She's Up to No Good.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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