I just finished "The Leisure Seeker," (Feb., 2009, 288 p. Morrow, $24.95) a new book by Ferndale author Michael Zadoorian. It tells the story of John and Ella, an elderly Detroit couple who put rubber to the road and embark on one last cross-country road trip.
They drive old Route 66 and the crumbling highway, dotted with ghost towns and forlorn roadside attractions, becomes a metaphor for the sunset of their lives.
The fact that John has Alzheimer's and Ella is dying of breast cancer makes their adventure all the more daunting - and important.
The subject matter seems depressing, but the book isn't a buzzkill. It's deftly written and full of humor, though achingly sad. On the lighter side, it's chock full of inside references to The D, including Vernor's, the Uniroyal tire on I-94, and the habit us residents have of pointing out our hometown on an upraised palm.
On the heavy side, it is a story about true love ... not the kind of Hollywood romance you dream of when you're young, but the reality of what it means to share your journey to the end of the line.
I am the only one awake in the house, and I indulged in this rare quiet time to finish the book. My husband is snoring and the kids are safely tucked in bed.
Zadoorian's writing haunts me with the sensation that my life is flying by faster than scenery across the Leisure Seeker's windshield. It's almost too much to bear.
I have to go peek at my little ones now and savor this precious time.
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