Wednesday, September 15, 2010

BILL WARRINGTON'S LAST CHANCE: REVIEW AND BONUS ENTRIES


GIVEAWAY ENDED
BILL WARRINGTON'S
LAST CHANCE

BY JAMES KING
(PART TWO)


MORE ABOUT THE BOOK:

Bill Warrington's three children escaped their father’s domineering presence long ago, but with a new diagnosis that threatens his mind and his most cherished memories, this monumentally stubborn ex-Marine is determined to patch up their differences before it’s too late.

The younger Warringtons, however, have their own issues to contend with: Marcy's struggles to raise her headstrong teenage daughter on her own; Nick's inability to move on with his life after his wife’s death; and Mike’s ego maniacal, self-absorbed philandering that threatens his career and his own family. When all three grown siblings greet Bill's overtures with wary indifference, he improvises a scheme none of them could have foreseen: skip town with Marcy’s fifteen-year-old daughter, April, whose twin ambitions to learn how to drive and to find rock stardom on the West Coast make her his perfect--and perfectly willing--abductee.

Despite his carefully crafted clues as to their whereabouts, Bill's plan to force a family reunion soon veers dangerously off course. His dementia worsens more quickly than anticipated, and April finds herself behind the wheel of his beloved Chevy Impala, dealing with situations no fifteen-year-old should face while gaining surprising insights into a complex family history that emerges from Bill's fragmented flights into the past. With the American heartland yielding to the Rockies, and her mother and uncles grappling with their own recollections as they scramble to find her, April’s resolve to protect her grandfather--and honor his final lucid wishes for them all--culminates in a tour de force of reconciliation and atonement.

A rich multi-generational saga, Bill Warrington's Last Chance soars with humor, compassion, and unflinching insight into the pain and joy of all family life, while the promise of a new generation shines bright against the ravages of aging in a man who does not go gently… anywhere.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

James King has been a freelance writer for more than 20 years. Specializing primarily in corporate communications, Jim has also had nonfiction articles published in The New York Daily News, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, Catholic World, and a wide variety of business periodicals.

A native of Lakewood, Ohio, King lives in Wilton, Connecticut with his wife, Joanne, and their two children, Katie and Daniel. To read more about James King, go to HERE to read Jim's interview with BOOKIN' WITH BINGO and also get some more entries for a chance to win this wonderful book.

MY REVIEW:

In BILL WARRINGTON’S LAST CHANCE, James King offers readers a story about a journey. What that journey is, however, depends on your perception of this decidedly well written story. In the forefront, aged widower Bill Warrington simply wants to reunite his three children and make his family whole one last time before his travels end. In order for this to happen, he must take off with his headstrong 15 year old granddaughter, April, as his ally and support. She is also his bait, or you might say his willing hostage, as April sees in her grandfather, a bit of relief. Even with his failing memory and his early stages of Alzheimer’s, April feel better off with Bill than stuck at home with her controlling mother.

With Bill’s wife, Claire, no longer there as the glue that held the Warrington family together, the three siblings went their own way and other than April’s mom, Marcy, pretty much have little to nothing to do with their father, or each other anymore. Marcy, in fact, is trying hard to become an independent woman but she still has an inner sense of obligation to her father.

Nick recently lost his wife also and as the middle child, he has his own problems dealing with his grief and making a new life for himself. The eldest, Mike, might as well not be mentioned, in my opinion, as he is a loathsome human being. With a lovely wife, great kids, and a good job, he still isn’t satisfied and so his journey takes him into adultery and obnoxious behavior. I felt that Mike’s treatment of his father was despicable but also quite appropriate given the kind of character that he is. All three siblings take a life changing journey as the story is told.

As April and her grandfather travel west from Ohio to California, their trip turns into much more than April bargained for. Bill’s dementia declines rapidly putting April even in danger at times, and we witness her quickly mature and take on the roll of guardian. As their rolls reverse, and their bond deepens, we see April literally growing up as Bill slips further away.

James King does such an excellent job of fleshing out the characters, especially with Bill, April, and Marcy, that the ending comes too quickly. This was a book that grabbed me from the first page. The ending is affecting in ways, while remarkable and fitting in others. Much like Michael Zadoorian's THE LEISURE SEEKER, the irony has that certain twist to it; almost a kind of humor that touches the reader in ways you will discover long after you have read BILL WARRINGTON’S LAST CHANCE.


GIVEAWAY

THANK YOU TO YEN AND THE GOOD
FOLKS AT PENGUIN PUBLISHING, I HAVE
ONE COPY OF THIS AMAZING BOOK
TO GIVE AWAY! READ BELOW HOW
YOU CAN BE THE WINNER!



--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
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---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
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HOW TO ENTER
BONUS ENTRIES



+1 ENTRY:
COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING MY REVIEW OF BILL WARRINGTON'S LAST CHANCE ABOVE THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY:
COMMENT ON ONE OTHER CURRENT GIVEAWAY ON MY BLOG THAT YOU HAVE ENTERED. ONLY ONE THIS TIME, PLEASE.

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING WHEN YOU GO TO THE READING GUIDE HERE AT THE PENGUIN WEBSITE THAT WOULD HELP MAKE A GOOD DISCUSSION FOR A GREAT BOOK CLUB BOOK

REMEMBER! GO HERE TO READ THE FIRST POST ON THIS BOOK AND JAMES KING'S INTERVIEW AS WELL AS MORE CHANCES TO ENTER FOR THIS WONDERFUL BOOK


GIVEAWAY ENDS AT
6 PM, EST, SEPTEMBER 28
GOOD LUCK!

26 comments:

Connie said...

Hi! I am intrigued by the story line and the main characters interacting with each other. I know it will be one of those books that after I am done reading it, it will make me things about things and enrich my life.

:)

aliasgirl1976@yahoo.com

traveler said...

This unique and timely story would be memorable for the characters, the situation and the emotions throughout. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

I entered Russian Winter. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

Excellent discussion guide with focus upon families, forgiveness, grief and death. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Vera said...

Hmm, interesting premise...grandfather "abducting" his granddaughter? Would love to see how it all turns out! vera@luxuryreading.com

petite said...

This book for its family dynamics, the relationships and the ultimate resolution. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

I entered A Secret Kept. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

petite said...

This interesting reading guide has so much to concentrate on, including how we are all involved with families and the changes that occur. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

Margie said...

I think it would be interesting to see how the lives of the three siblings change through the book.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

I entered the Good Daughters giveaway.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

From the reading guide....
I think it would be interesting (and devastating) to see how the mind can deteriorate over time. This would be an interesting discussion, to see how each would react to this situation.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Linda Kish said...

I entered the Swan giveaway

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

I think the story sounds interesting. Families need to take time to get to know one another as adults. Too bad the dad started forgetting. I think the kids changed a lot on this trip.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

How does the novel match up with your own experience of aging parents or grandparents?

Fortunately, I had a wonderful relationship with my mom before she passed away. But my dad was another story.

debbie said...

I think it is interesting that he was domineering, and one of his children turned out to be the exact same kind of parent. I like how the granddaughter gets to see a different view of the world through her grandfather's eyes,
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Tea said...

I like the relationship between Bill and his granddaughter. Oddly, she enjoys him more than the family at her home.

teakettle58(at)yahoo(dot)com

Tea said...

I entered the contest for The Writing Circle.

Tea said...

A book club discussion about what causes families to fall apart seems interesting and helpful.

Colleen Turner said...

Thank you for the review! I love the concept of multiple "journeys" being undertaken at the same time in the book. Some are physical and some are more personal, mental journeys, but each seems important to end up at a satisfying conclusion. You have made me want to read this even more!
Thanks,
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I entered The Good Daughters giveaway.
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I read in the discussion questions for this book on the Penguin website that one of the characters is suspected of euthanizing his wife. This is always a hot conversation (do you believe in it, would you do that, is he justified if he did, etc.) and could really spur some good conversation.
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

+5 swagbucks!
candc320@gmail.com

bison61 said...

I like that he wants to reunite his children and make his family whole one last time before his travels end.

tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

Pamela Keener said...

Your review makes me want to jump right into the book. I liked that it grabbed you from page one and the ending came too quickly.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

Nancye said...

Something that I found that was interesting about this book was that the grandaughter, APril, goes willingly with her grandpa on this adventure. She wants to go west to become a star. I kind of thought from your other post that maybe April was an unwilling passenger. Interesting. Very interesting indeed! I gotta read this book!

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

Nancye said...

I think this question will lead to some interesting discussions within a book club, or with friends just discussing the book:

7.How does her road trip with her grandfather change April? In what ways is it an initiation into adulthood? What are the crucial turning points in her journey toward a greater sense of self

Kind of neat how the roles get reversed.

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

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