New Travel Book: ‘Queen of the Road’
Travel Blog • Elyse Franko • 07.11.08 | 1:10 PM ET
Full title: Author: Doreen Orion
Released: June 2008
Travel genre: Couples cross-country travel
Territory covered: North America
Promo copy: “Doreen and Tim are married psychiatrists with a twist: She’s a self-proclaimed Long Island princess, grouchy couch potato, and shoe addict. He’s an affable, though driven, outdoorsman. When Tim suggests ‘chucking it all’ to travel cross-country in a converted bus, Doreen asks, ‘Why can’t you be like a normal husband in a midlife crisis and have an affair or buy a Corvette?’ But she soon shocks them both, agreeing to set forth with their sixty-pound dog, two querulous cats—and no agenda—in a 340-square-foot bus ... The marvelous places they visit and delightful people they encounter have a life-changing effect on all the travelers, as Doreen grows to appreciate the simple life, Tim mellows, and even the pets pull together.”
Critical verdict: A “Charles Kuralt-Albert Brooks-style romp where [the characters] meet up with nudists, robbers and more.” (The New York Post) Orion’s “witty, accessible” style “makes you want to hit the road and have some of your own grand adventures.” (The Rocky Mountain News)