Review: Flee, Fly, Flown

Flee, Fly, Flown by Janet Hepburn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Meet Audrey and Lillian, two ladies with alzheimers who feel like prisoners living at "Tranquil Meadows" nursing home on the locked floor. Lillian hatches a plan that they need to escape and go on vacation without telling anyone. They get their hands on scissors to cut off the arm bands that monitor their whereabouts, get their hands on a car (Lillian kept a set of keys to her car when it was sold to the neighbour boy), get some cash and head off. Lillian is not the best of drivers, so when they meet a nice, young man, Audrey is able to convince him to drive them to B.C. where his home is. It takes a day or two, but "Rayne" finally figures out these are not just two nice old ladies on vacation, there is definitely something wrong with them, and so the fun begins. When they do not want to get caught they decide to call themselves Lucy and Ethel, of course the youngsters they meet do not realize the irony of that. They become like a little family complete with a dog they find along the way. They share information about their lives with one another in between their stops, overnight stays and funny situations.

This is a great road trip story. We gain some insights to the world of dementia as well as the life of someone living in a nursing home that really does not want to be there. We also gain some perspective on the struggles of someone young trying to make their way in the world. The pain and anguish Lillian's family must go through not knowing where she is or if she is hurt was apparent in the brief glimpses with phone calls.

This story gives us an appreciation of what it is like to get older and lose some of your faculties. It also reminds us to be gentle and kind to others, do what you can to help them and sometimes it is important to slow down, admire your surroundings and take a vacation.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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