Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA
Kris Radish's latest book, Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA is for every woman who, after years of marriage, looks at her husband, and wonders who he is. It's for every woman who walks into her house, and wonders what it would be like if she lived there alone. It's for every woman who wants a little spice back in her life. And, it's for every woman who knows she has sisters and friends she can count on.Once again, Radish, author of Annie Freeman's Fabulous Traveling Funeral , brings us a wonderful cast of women. Addy Lipton has been married twenty-eight years. She's fifty-two, a third grade teacher, beloved in the small town of Parker, PA. Her son, Mitchell, is in college. And, she can't remember why she ever loved her husband, Lucky, especially when she thinks of "The Kingdom of Krap," the overstuffed garage where she hasn't been able to park in years. And, she's all set to fulfill her deepest need, to slam her car straight into those garage doors, when Lucky appears in front of her, saying he won a trip to Costa Rica. Even her dreams of recovering her marriage, through a trip to the paradise of Costa Rica, are shattered when Lucky has a accident that ruins his back, and lands him in the hospital. Facing months of time at home with Lucky, Addy just can't take it anymore.
Enter Hell and the Sweat-Hers. No, it's not a musical group, but Addy's sister, Hell, and the women she works out with, best friends and a needed support network. As Addy and Lucky struggle with the disaster of their marriage, Hell and the other women are there to support Addy, with humor, wine, and hugs. Lucky also faces the consequences of years of neglect of their marriage, with the support of the men in the neighborhood. Eventually, all of Parker, PA is drawn into the story of Addy and Lucky's marriage.
Like Barbara Samuel, Kris Radish creates supportive women who are there for friends. These are strong women with a sense of humor, necessities when facing the disasters of life. There's warmth, humor, and philosophy in Radish's enjoyable books. Radish's Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA is a treat for the heart.
Searching for Paradise in Parker, PA by Kris Radish. Bantam Books, ©2008. ISBN 9780553805307 (hardcover), 343p.










