Colleen Oakley’s The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise gets five out of five gold stars if you love a heart-warming, fast-paced, perfectly unexpected story about female friendship across generations.
Okay, now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can move on to the fun stuff, starting with the two main characters. Louise Wilt is an octogenarian widow who has secretly been on the lam since the ‘70s. College senior Tanner Quimby just lost her athletic scholarship; the only times she’s not angry or depressed about moving back in with her parents is when she’s playing Horizon Zero Dawn on her PlayStation.
Louise, recovering from hip surgery, could use some at-home care, and Tanner needs a job that gets her out of the house. So, they become roommates.
The problem is the only thing they have in common is their disdain for one another. Louise thinks Tanner needs to quit playing video games, put on a little makeup, and get a sense of humor.
And according to Tanner, Louise is a stodgy old lady who smells like toilet water. The two circle each other like lions before a fight until Louise bursts into Tanner’s room one night with a bag of cash and an urgent need to drive to California.
Louise has to get out of town – now! According to Louise, Tanner is her getaway driver (who never seems to drive fast enough). Louise knows precisely where she’s going and why. But Tanner – and the reader – do not.
The plot’s great, right?
But do you want to know where Oakley shines? It’s through her keen development of characters. Louise isn’t just a wanted person. She’s a real woman with natural desires – desires to flee, desires to protect, and desires for love. Carnal love, to be exact.
Oakley doesn’t shy away from writing about a one-night stand with an elderly bartender who leaves Louise with a smirk in the morning (but also a sore hip). And she is not afraid of writing about hard truths, either. As the novel unfolds, the reader discovers critical backstories centered around domestic violence and the fight to rescue battered women.
You didn’t see that coming, did you? Neither did this newest member of Colleen Oakley’s fan club.
For certain, this book will make you laugh out loud and give you papercuts from turning the pages too fast. This leaves just one question: Will there be a sequel?
Oakley will be the Georgia Writers Museum’s Meet the Author presenter on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. The entry fee is $40 and includes a meal themed around the book.
Register online now at georgiawritersmuseum.org.