Cross Country with Grandma by Karen Testa

From Amazon

For the doctor, absorbed in her work, it begins with an envelope. For the grandmother, 85 years old and still turbo-charged, it begins with the anniversary of a mystery. And for Lil Maude, it begins with the opening of a safe deposit box and the unfolding of a chamois leather shroud

My thoughts

I enjoyed this tale of Grandma Maude who goes on a tour with her Granddaughter, who's taken a new position in a Hospital in California. This becomes an East to West road trip of discovery for both Grandma Maude and her granddaughter who remains nameless throughout the story. It turns out that their is more to Grandma's life than the Family are aware of and as the road trip moves West we learn more and more about Grandma as she tells her granddaughter some of her life history and also a few lessons in life. They are not the only people travelling in the car, they have a companion in the form of Lil Maude a handmade gun made especially for Maude by a childhood friend, who she keeps in her budge (cleavage).

Grandma Maude is a likeable character and her granddaughter the narrator shows herself to be a very kind and considerate character putting her Grandma's needs first. To be honest I felt that Lil Maude was the star of the story. At only 270 pages and with large writing it doesn't take long to read but it's worth spending the time on.