Book Review: The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley

 

My Rating: 3.75⭐

“Nothing in life goes according to plan. Nothing. And the sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be.”

Eighty-four-year-old Louise Wilt has a ton of secrets she has kept from her family for decades. A “life-changing” letter from an old friend, has Louise making plans to take a trip, unbeknownst to the rest of her family. When twenty-one-year-old Tanner Quimby took a job as Louise’s live–in caregiver she never thought her job would entail anything beyond driving Louise around and making sure she was safe and in good health. Tanner has had her own share of disappointments and has a lot to figure out about her future. After her college education was halted due to an accident, she was forced to move back home and was living with her parents until recently. Moving out of her home (though not voluntarily) and taking the live-in position with Louise was a means of raising money to go back to school. Never had she imagined herself on a cross-country road trip with the gun-toting, sharp-witted Louise whose life, memories and wisdom will motivate Tanner to take stock of her own life and priorities.

This is my second Colleen Oakley novel and I will admit I wasn't a fan of The Invisible Husband of Frick Island . Full of humor and heart, The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley is an entertaining read. Both Tanner and Louise were interesting characters and I loved their interaction and how they eventually become friends. It was fun following them through their road trip adventure (I really loved their banter), meeting the people they encounter and the situations they get themselves into and of course, getting to the truth of Louise’s past. I liked how the author chose to end the story and I thought Tanner’s trajectory was well–written. Stories such as these are almost always predictable but what matters is the journey to the end and I’m pleased to say that I really enjoyed this story of intergenerational friendship and was surprised by a few revelations along the way.