Relationship

My review of ‘The Leisure Seeker’ by Michael Zadoorian

Call it the ultimate road trip, or maybe compare it to THE BUCKET LIST, Michael Zadoorian presents a touching, humorous and heartwarming story that the reader can tell is drawn somewhat from personal experience. THE LEISURE SEEKER is a love story woven around a couple with such warmth and affection that they will haunt you for a long time, but in a way that you will be grateful for every time you think of them. His somewhat ironic story is so well written, with just the right touch of humor that will make you laugh out loud, cry, smile and want to tell everything to those close to you.

She and John Robina have shared a life for more than 50 years, so now, in their 80s, they are “running away from home” leaving behind their adult children and their families, a medical team hell-bent on treating the incurable cancer of She and John’s Alzheimer’s, and her beloved Detroit. Their journey will revisit the places and journeys from their past that they shared with their children and friends as they made their way to their final destination, Disneyland. She feels Disneyland is the perfect place because, as she puts it, “after all, at this point in our lives, we’re more like kids than ever. Especially John.”

She is brave and not worried about John’s dementia, as she says, “It’s okay. I’m the keeper of the memories” and feels that they’ll be fine because “Between the two of us, we’re one person.” John drives his seasoned 1978 Leisure Seeker RV and is quite capable and actually seems to drive better for hours on end as he becomes less and less alert during normal daily activities. She, meanwhile, hasn’t driven in over 30 years, so she’s the navigator, seeking out all the cheesy and tacky tourist stops along her chosen travel route on Route 66 to California. Taking Pepcid first, they eat at several Route 66 Diners, but McDonalds remains John’s favorite. From the beginning of the route, Ella throws caution to the wind, next to her wig, while she enjoys the sun on her almost bald hair after so long without that feeling of freedom. Museums, giant “must see” statues, ghost towns, Stuckey’s and the famous night and day pecan log at Ella’s camp, Ella and John relive their life together through old slides that they project onto a sheet. This is more than a “Kodak Moment”; this is a retelling of their love story, of their lives together. The park’s neighbors venture out and share the love and courage these two people have experienced as cinematic performances flash across the simple screen.

With many setbacks, as well as much joy, the Robinas arrive at Disneyland as each of them, especially Ella, exhibits rapidly declining health, increased reliance on medications to treat Ella’s “discomfort,” and a lack of John’s hygiene and control. physically and mentally. What happens at their final destination is so carefully narrated by an author who clearly knew his subject and how to tell it. With Michael Zadoorian’s beautifully phrased descriptions, like when he describes camp in the early afternoon for Ella by saying, “Twilight glides by like a shy creature,” you know she’s got something special on her hands. The end will come too quickly for the reader, as it really is a book that you can’t put down. I read it in one sitting, and it left me with much to ponder, appreciate, and continue to contemplate even after closing the book. The ending is touching in some ways, while remarkable and fitting in others. Don’t miss this book as it is a joy to treasure and makes it quite clear why Michael Zadoorian was selected for Barnes & Noble’s Discover Great New Writers after only his first book, SECONDHAND. What will Mr. Zadoorian be selected for after this superb second novel? You decide as I have already done!

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