22. Leaving Unknown by Kerry Reichs

and loving it!

From the author Kerry Reichs comes Leaving Unknown—a funny and touching story of a young woman who, while traveling across country, finds herself stuck in the true middle of nowhere, a.k.a. Unknown, Arizona.

Sweet Lips, Tennessee . . . Toad Suck, Arkansas . . . Okay, Oklahoma . . . Truth or Consequences, New Mexico . . .

Maeve Connelly's epic road trip is taking her through every colorfully named tiny town in America on her way to the far less imaginatively named Los Angeles, California. With her foulmouthed cockatiel, Oliver, her only companion, Maeve's heading way off the beaten track with little money and a load of painful baggage she wants to leave behind. But when her beloved rattletrap, "Elsie," breaks down outside Unknown, Arizona, she finds herself taking a much longer rest stop than she anticipated.

The only mechanic in the vicinity is on an indefinite walkabout, so Maeve's in for the long haul—and she'll need to find two jobs to pay for Elsie's eventual repair. But she's starting to feel strangely at home among the quirky denizens of Unknown—especially around her new bookstore owner boss—so Maeve is seriously considering saying good-bye to Hollywood for good . . . if she can keep her past troubles from coming to light.

Reich writes this story with wit, heart, great dialogue and characters that I want to keep reading about. Maeve Connelly is a delight, quirky and a breath of fresh air.  The banter between Maeve and her bookstore boss and writer Noah is fun to follow.  Lots of literary references are tossed back and forth between the two making the read that much more enthralling. There is an easy richness in the way Reichs writes.  She brings humor that had me laughing out loud and such poignant moments that I may have teared up once or twice.  By the time the last page is turned, I wanted to jump in my car and go to Uknown myself. It was like being somewhere you didn't want to leave. A truly satisfying read, I look forward to reading more by Kerry Reichs.  I reccomend you set aside an afternoon to enjoy leaving unknown.