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Title details for Bill Warrington's Last Chance by James King - Available

Bill Warrington's Last Chance

by James King
Joe Barrett
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

This insightful novel follows Bill Warrington, an elderly Korean War veteran and widower, on his quest to reconcile with his three grown children before he succumbs to Alzheimer's. When his fifteen-year-old granddaughter, April, runs away from home, Bill obliges her wish to drive from Ohio to San Francisco, where she hopes to become a rock singer. As the unlikely pair head west, he leaves clues intended to force April's mother and uncles to overcome their grievances and mutual distrust and work together to find them. A rich multigenerational 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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    August 5, 2010

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781481586559
      • File size: 260322 KB
      • Duration: 09:02:20

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      When Bill Warrington's granddaughter, April, runs away from home and turns up at his house, the elderly man and teenage girl take off on a road trip. She hopes for musical stardom while he hopes for a family reconciliation. Joe Barrett narrates with a gravelly tone that's a perfect match for the gruff Bill's voice and thoughts. With only a small shift, Barrett gives April a cynical teen voice. Along the way, Bill's disintegrating mental state and April's increasing concern for him are brought to life in Barrett's voice. The dysfunctional characters feel familiar at times, but Barrett and King keep the interest going in this family drama. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      April 5, 2010
      This nicely tuned road trip novel from 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award–winner King begins in Ohio, where April Shea is a “pigheaded” 14-year-old girl who experiments with pot and constantly squabbles with her single mother, Marcy. Together, Marcy and April care for Marcy's 79-year-old father, Bill, a Korean War vet and retired salesman now suffering from Alzheimer's. Bill has his heart set on bringing his family together for a reunion, but with this looking ever unlikely—his two sons are perpetually out of the picture—Bill and April take off for California, where April plans on joining a band and Bill imagines he can force a reunion. Along the way, April fends off the lecherous creeps, Bill slips increasingly into his mental twilight, and Bill's children rise above their family dysfunction and band together. The spirited interplay between the gruff but wounded Bill and the perhaps too precocious April provides the most sensitive scenes in this enjoyable first novel.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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