'A life-affirming book' Daily Mail

'An uplifting personal story of a year lived like no other' Daily Express

Two days after her husband of sixty-seven years dies, nonagenarian Miss Norma is diagnosed with cancer. When given her treatment options - surgery, chemo and radiotherapy - she rises to her full five feet and says in the strongest voice she can muster: 'I'm ninety years old. I'm hitting the road!'

Driving Miss Norma is the story of her inspirational road trip across the US in a thirty-six-foot motorhome with her son, Tim, his wife, Ramie and their Poodle, Ringo - showing us that it's never too late to begin an adventure, inspire hope or become a trailblazer. As the journey unfolds, Miss Norma finally spreads her wings and lives life on her own terms for the very first time. With each adventure a once timid Miss Norma says YES to living in the face of death - whether it's experiencing her very first pedicure or taking the hot air balloon ride her late husband never found time for.

With each passing mile - and one hilarious visit to a cannabis dispensary - Miss Norma's health improves and conversations that had once been taboo begin to unfold. Norma, Tim and Ramie bond in ways they could never have anticipated and their definitions of home, family and friendship are rewritten as strangers become friends and shower them with kindness.

Bursting with Miss Norma's generous spirit, Driving Miss Norma ignites a renewed sense of life, family, fun and self-discovery - at any age.

Handed a terminal cancer diagnosis, ninety-year-old Norma Bauerschmidt says 'No' to chemotherpay and 'Yes' to living, spending the last year of her life on an adventurous road trip with her son, daughter-in-law and outsize poodle Ringo. This is her uplifting story of a year lived like no other.

About the Author

Tim Bauerschmidt (Author)
Like most people who find themselves caring for one or both of their elderly parents, Tim and Ramie were not experts in the field. Ramie was a high school counselor with a background in parks and recreation; Tim tabled his journalism degree to remodel homes. Later, they chose to embrace a nomadic lifestyle with Ringo, their Poodle.

In 2011, the couple began sharing photos and stories about 'life on the road' on their blog www.poodleinapod.blogspot.com. Ramie started the wildly-popular Facebook page, 'Driving Miss Norma', in late August 2015. A few months later, the page went viral and now has over 500,000 followers from around the globe. Miss Norma's story has been covered by nearly every major world news-media outlet, and the book about her year-long journey is published in at least eight languages.

Ramie Liddle (Author)
Like most people who find themselves caring for one or both of their elderly parents, Tim and Ramie were not experts in the field. Ramie was a high school counselor with a background in parks and recreation; Tim tabled his journalism degree to remodel homes. Later, they chose to embrace a nomadic lifestyle with Ringo, their standard poodle.

In 2011, the couple began sharing photos and stories about 'life on the road' on their blog www.poodleinapod.blogspot.com. Ramie started the wildly-popular Facebook page, 'Driving Miss Norma', in late August 2015. A few months later, the page went viral and now has over 500,000 followers from around the globe. Miss Norma's story has been covered by nearly every major world news-media outlet, and the book about her year-long journey will be published in at least eight languages.

Reviews
Profound * The Guardian *
This life-affirming book is an inspirational account... It's about three people learning to let go of their fears and find love and trust in each other and the world around them. * Daily Mail *
The author celebrates life and offers a heartfelt vision of what dying a good death really means . . . Uplifting and life-affirming. * Kirkus Reviews *
Joyful and moving... offers profound insights into how we choose to live. * Publishers Weekly (starred review). This text refers to the Audio CD edition. *
An uplifiting personal story of a year lived like no other... a touching and eloquently argued manifesto for a different kind of care for the elderly, one that embraces joy, life and human connection. -- Jane Warren * Daily Express *



Book Information
ISBN 9780552174251
Author Tim Bauerschmidt
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Corgi Books
Publisher Transworld Publishers Ltd
Weight(grams) 233g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 127mm * 19mm