The Trip of a Lifetime..Or a Lifetime In a Trip

4 out of 5 Stars

Brennan Glover was a man who’d lost everything, except for his dog Fender and the bottle. His wife and daughter are killed in a car accident and he’s given up on the life he no longer feels the right to continue, until his friends force him to take the road trip that they’d planned all those years ago with their fallen friend Colin. Now is the time to fulfil that promise as it may mean finding more than the road to California, it may mean finding that life really is still worth living.

This is a beautiful story of love, loss and the friendship between man and beast, and man and man. Leading us through Brennan’s grief as well as reflecting on his life leading up to that point. Meeting his wife’s bourgeois parents, Carter and Eleanor

‘Carter shook his head, stroked his chin. “If you’re going to pursue journalism, Brennan…..anything, for that matter, at least anything you want to be successful at, you’re going to have to learn to see the big picture.”

“Like trading blood for oil?” Brennan caught the sharp stare Rosie gave him and considered that nothing good could come of talking politics. He hoped to transition to something else and began poking at his soup.

“Like learning that sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater good,” said Carter.’

To meeting his companion Fender for the first time,

‘The dog put his wet paws on Brennan’s leg and stood upright, flicking his tongue on the tip of Brennan’s dripping nose.

“What about…” He was going to say Colin but decided against it-too soon, but maybe something Colin loved. Basketball? Salted cod dinners? His baby sister, Emily? Singing and playing the guitar? Guitar….Brennan’s mind slowly made its way to Colin’s beloved Stratocaster in candy apple red, made by…”Fender…I’ll call ya Fender!”

I couldn’t imagine how tormented Brennan would be going through this grief and loss, but Brent Jones will make you start to understand. He will make you laugh,

‘”It’s called Elliott Bay Trail. Named after Elliott Bay.”
“I thought this was… Pugg-it sound”
“Puget sound. And it is.”
“it’s two things? Like they gave it two names?”
“It’s, uh… Puget sound’s a little further north, I think.”
“like in Canada?”
“Not that far north.”
“so, when does it stop being a bay and start being a sound?”
“it’s always a sound, but, uh, this middle part here, they call that part Elliott Bay, I think”

And it will DEFINITELY make you cry… I won’t give you a quote for that because I want you to find those all on your own. Actually CHALLENGE TIME!! I want you ALL to read this book, and if any of you read right to the end and your eyes remain dry? I need you to comment below, because I need to know!! …and then I will promptly call you a liar.

This was a Rollercoaster of a journey and it teaches that everyone needs to “Find a way to live the life ahead of you, instead of the life behind you.”

If you’d like to check out more works by Brent Jones feel free to check him out at:

Fender is Best Served With

A Regal Beagle

Along with a box of kleenex, I would recommend a good stiff drink… I know, a little strange with a book about a man trying to crawl OUT of his bottle.. But, this drink is purely medicinal!! I swear!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ oz vodka
• 2 lime wedges (no smaller than 1/8 slices)
• 1 tsp. honey
• 5 oz grapefruit juice
• Splash of dry white wine

Directions

1. Muddle lime with honey until all the juices have left the lime and is mixed with the honey, then add ice. (Take your time here. Muddling is an art!)
2. Pour vodka over ice and mix into muddled lime and honey.
3. Pour grapefruit juice over the top and add a splash of wine. Stir a bit to get all the flavors mixed.
4. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.
5. CHEERS!