Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful trip back through time!
Review: Lila Mae, the central character, is full of hope for the future away from the creditors who dog she and her husband, (already waiting for her in California), when she decides that if she's must take a trip, then she's going to see the sights. She and her four children set off for California headed for a new life away from the toils of her old one, thinking that life will change for them for the best. Lila Mae is one who seems to get caught up in everyone's lives, except for her own, and is the first to help out any 'seemingly' innocent soul. Her oldest daughter, Becky Jean, is a girl who, not wanting to leave the place she grew up in, tries to ignore her mothers' ridiculous endeavors to help people. With her snide remarks and the frequent rolling of her eyes, she seems to accomplish this. As the trip progresses, things go from bad to worse when Lila Mae insists on picking up a woman in distress; Juanita Featherhorse and her "firestarter" son, Benny. Bruckheimer spins the sort of tale that seems as though it could have really happened. I would recommend this book to anyone who has never been on Route 66 or was born after the 1950's. It will make you wish you were just a little older!
Rating: 
Summary: Funny, Great Characters, No Plot
Review: Linda Bruckheimer's debut novel is funny, has well written characters, but there is no plot and the second half is dissapointing. Lila Mae Wooten is traveling to California from Kentucky, with her four children and all of their belongings. She gets herself into all sorts of predictaments through all of her side trips and crazy escapades that are extremely funny. The characters are well written especially the wacky Lila Mae and Becky Jean the cynical teenage daughter. I am only rating this book 3 stars due to the second half which seems like a different book completely and does not tie into the cross country ride at all. I would definetely read another book by Ms. Bruckheimer because I feel she shows a lot of promise and I enjoyed the ride down Route 66 with Lila Mae.
Rating: 
Summary: WHERE WAS THE EDITOR?
Review: Lots of things made me want to to love this book: glowing recommendations from writers I like, the cover, the premise.
The book just didn't deliver. Plotting was the most serious problem, coupled with an ending that fizzled. Big chunks were missing or strained credulity: How does a contractor afford a house in such a high-rent district? In all those ensuing years, why wouldn't Lila Mae have gone looking for Juanita? Leaving their car on the cliff, how did the family get to California? Instead we get scads of extraneous details about Lila Mae's possessions or neighbors. Shame on the editor of this book!
Rating: 
Summary: A comedy disaster cruise through Highway 66
Review: The 1950's come back from all directions as we follow this disaster on wheels trip to California. At the wheel is the maternal drama queen who can barely turn the wheel of the car, much less pull a trailer loaded with everything they own. Her main concern is parking the car where she won't have to back up because she doesn't know how to negotiate the trailer. That pretty much explains her entire personality....this woman never backs up to re-evaluates situations. She goes plunging head long into situations that continue to roller-coaster her into one mess after another. And, therein lies the fun of this book. I loved recalling the names of the 1950's sundries they used and discarded along route 66, including the names of outdated cafes and gas stations. If you can recall sibling torture in the back seat of your parents old ford on a trip across country, this book is for you.
Rating:
Summary: A remarkably funny and memorable book
Review: The author, Linda Bruckheimer, created a wonderful, memorable story. It's her first novel, too. Looking forward to her next novel - she could continue to write about Lila Mae and her children. Seems those of us who read and loved this book would enjoy another about this extraordinary family. It was a great reading experience!
Rating:
Summary: Dreaming for a Better Ending
Review: The first part of the book was a wonderful read, light-hearted and fun and the Southern accents were perfect. What happened in the second part I will never understand. The tone changes and it seems like a summary or explanation of the beginning which was not needed. The time leap is huge and I wanted to be back on the road in the first half. I suddenly found myself wondering what the point was, where it was going and missing the humor. I would say it's not terrible, but the ending could have been much, much better.
Rating: 
Summary: Dreadful
Review: This book is poorly written and pointless. I struggled halfway through the book while waiting in the Doctor's office, and I STILL didn't care about any of the characters. Waste of time and money. Terrible writing.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific. Nostalgic. Loved it.
Review: This novel was terrific. It made me laugh and cry. Lila Mae Wooten reminded me so much of my mom. Crazy with a heart of gold. I thought that juxtaposing the life of an older person against the LA fires was brilliant. It was a poignant study of moms after their children have grown. We certainly are a product of our environments.
Rating:
Summary: a nostalgic look at life; the way it should be today.
Review: This was a book that from the start had me in stitches. It takes you back to a time when things were much simpler, even if you're not from that time, or simply weren't old enough to remember it. This book is about a family who takes a trip via Route 66 from Kentucky to California in the hopes of escaping hounding creditors and in search of a better life. A lot of thought was put into this novel and the writer portrays the characters as real people with real problems. As the family travels across the states it seems as if they will never reach their destination what with all of the problems they encounter. But Lila Mae gets herself out of predicaments like nobody else can, with the finesse of Lucy Ricardo. As for the other main character, Becky Jean is a real pistol who reminded me of someone I once knew. A young girl who didn't want to leave the comfort and familiarity of Kentucky, but yet was so worldly all at the same time. Anyone who wishes to travel back in time to a safer, more comfortable place, while laughing, crying and just plain feeling good should definitely read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Dreaming FUNNY!
Review: What a hoot of a novel! I thought Lila Mae's antics and her brutally honest children were knee-slappers and a half! Of course, there really wasn't a plot or much of a point for that matter, but I enjoyed the pace of this book immensely. If you read it as an account of one family's journey from Kentucky to California and all the funny stuff in between, then you will like this book, too. I could've appreciated a better ending only because I like things tied up in a nice little bow. However, this was not a waste of time for me. A great trip down Route 66!
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