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Bill Warrington's Last Chance
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A magnificent debut about a man's odyssey toward family redemption- with his granddaughter along for the ride
Bill Warrington realizes he has Alzheimer's and his lucid days are numbered. Determined to repair a lifetime of damage to his estranged adult children, Bill takes off with his fifteen-year-old granddaughter April on a cross-country drive, bound for San Francisco, where she dreams of becoming a rock star. As the unlikely pair heads west, Bill leaves clues intended to force his three children-including April's frantic mother-to overcome their mutual distrust and long-held grievances to work together to find them.
In this dazzling road trip novel, James King masterfully explores themes of aging, sibling rivalry, family dysfunction, and coming of age, against a backdrop of the American heartland. Unflinching, funny, and poignant, Bill Warrington's Last Chance speaks to that universal longing for familial reconciliation, love, and forgiveness.
A magnificent debut about a man's odyssey toward family redemption- with his granddaughter along for the ride
Bill Warrington realizes he has Alzheimer's and his lucid days are numbered. Determined to repair a lifetime of damage to his estranged adult children, Bill takes off with his fifteen-year-old granddaughter April on a cross-country drive, bound for San Francisco, where she dreams of becoming a rock star. As the unlikely pair heads west, Bill leaves clues intended to force his three children-including April's frantic mother-to overcome their mutual distrust and long-held grievances to work together to find them.
In this dazzling road trip novel, James King masterfully explores themes of aging, sibling rivalry, family dysfunction, and coming of age, against a backdrop of the American heartland. Unflinching, funny, and poignant, Bill Warrington's Last Chance speaks to that universal longing for familial reconciliation, love, and forgiveness.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 22, 2010
16 people are currently reading
527 people want to read
About the author
James King
1 book30 followersJames King is the author of BILL WARRINGTON'S LAST CHANCE, his first novel, published by Viking/Penguin. He lives in Wilton, Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
December 30, 2020
I truly enjoyed this story of a family trying to navigate their relationships with each other and make decisions together. The three grown siblings have very different personalities and each had failed relationships behind them. They also seemed to antagonize each other, and had to work at getting along. What draws them together is facing up to the reality of their father's creeping dementia, which has really begun to impact his and their lives.
Things come to a head when their father, Bill takes off on a cross country adventure with his granddaughter. I felt like I was along with them for the ride. The love and understanding displayed at the end brought me to tears.
Joe Barrett is an excellent choice of narrator for this book and I truly enjoyed listening to his voice.
Things come to a head when their father, Bill takes off on a cross country adventure with his granddaughter. I felt like I was along with them for the ride. The love and understanding displayed at the end brought me to tears.
Joe Barrett is an excellent choice of narrator for this book and I truly enjoyed listening to his voice.
November 19, 2011
Read 11/12/11 - 11/16/11
4 Stars - Strongly Recommended
Pgs:291
Timing is everything.
The week that my grandfather passed away is the week that I decided to start Bill Warrington's Last Chance. My grandfather lost his battle with cancer as Bill started losing his grip on his sanity, slowing sinking into the chaotic and confusing grip of Alzheimer's.
There were so many similarities within the dynamics of Bill and his family when compared to my grandfather and our family that I found this book to be extremely comforting during a very difficult time.
The book centers around Bill, a crotchety old war vet who managed, many years ago, to successfully alienate himself from his children and grandchildren. Now, as he becomes aware of an encroaching, persistent forgetfulness and finds himself lost for increasing periods of time in memories of his long deceased wife, he is nearly suffocated with the need to see his kids together before it's too late.
When the family get-together looks like an impossibility - Marcy, Mike, and Nick have not only stopped talking to their father, they have stopped talking to one another as well - Bill does something drastic, something that he hopes will catch all of their attention. He kidnaps his 15 year old granddaughter April and goes on a road trip. But it's a race against time and memory - will his children decode his clues and meet Bill and April in the designated rendezvous before he loses his mind altogether?
Ok, so I confess, my grandfather never kidnapped any of us. And his memory was never a threat to us either (unless you count the fact that he was sharp as a tack and remembered every single thing we'd ever said or done that pissed him off). But he was a crotchety old war vet - he served his time on the USS Slater in World War II - and he was always threatening to do some kind of bodily harm to us if we didn't sit still and quit opening and closing the damn doors! He had his good - if not entirely inappropriate - moments too. There were the jokes that he would tell us, the can of beer held in one hand, the italian cigar in the other, rocking back and forth in his worn out Lazy-boy. He was a tough guy to love, but he was proud of his family, and though it was hard to tell, he showed adoration of the grandkids by picking on them something fierce.
Bill Warrington was a hard man to love too, yet James King managed to make him an incredibly easy guy to like. I didn't share the same things with my grandfather that April did with hers - he taught her to drive, and stand up for herself, and go after the things she wanted most in life - but that didn't diminish my ability to relate to their relationship.
As the book unfolds, we begin to discover that all of the players have secrets they don't want the others to know - typical family drama sort of issues - an arc that really pulls the reader into the fold. So many of the personality traits and hidden 'skeletons in the closet' will remind you of someone you know, or worse.. they'll remind you of yourself.
It's a multi-generational, semi-humorous look at a serious subject matter that affects more families than we dare to realize. I can only imagine the pain of losing someone you know and love to a disease as lonely as Alzheimer's. And I am not sure I can ever be convinced of which is worse... being conscious of the fact that you are losing your mind, or the blissful ignorance of it as it takes you over.
Which brings me back to my own grandfather and the last few weeks of his life as he struggled with cancer. As a granddaughter, it's extremely hard to see someone who was once so strong and full of zest reduced to a voiceless, evaporating shadow of what they once were. I can only imagine what it was like for my grandfather, a man of very little outward affection, aware of his own mortality, as we all made our way to his bedside in those final days. I have to think that, though he couldn't say it, he was hoping one of us would just get him a beer and a cigar, and stop opening and closing the damn door for crissake!!!
4 Stars - Strongly Recommended
Pgs:291
Timing is everything.
The week that my grandfather passed away is the week that I decided to start Bill Warrington's Last Chance. My grandfather lost his battle with cancer as Bill started losing his grip on his sanity, slowing sinking into the chaotic and confusing grip of Alzheimer's.
There were so many similarities within the dynamics of Bill and his family when compared to my grandfather and our family that I found this book to be extremely comforting during a very difficult time.
The book centers around Bill, a crotchety old war vet who managed, many years ago, to successfully alienate himself from his children and grandchildren. Now, as he becomes aware of an encroaching, persistent forgetfulness and finds himself lost for increasing periods of time in memories of his long deceased wife, he is nearly suffocated with the need to see his kids together before it's too late.
When the family get-together looks like an impossibility - Marcy, Mike, and Nick have not only stopped talking to their father, they have stopped talking to one another as well - Bill does something drastic, something that he hopes will catch all of their attention. He kidnaps his 15 year old granddaughter April and goes on a road trip. But it's a race against time and memory - will his children decode his clues and meet Bill and April in the designated rendezvous before he loses his mind altogether?
Ok, so I confess, my grandfather never kidnapped any of us. And his memory was never a threat to us either (unless you count the fact that he was sharp as a tack and remembered every single thing we'd ever said or done that pissed him off). But he was a crotchety old war vet - he served his time on the USS Slater in World War II - and he was always threatening to do some kind of bodily harm to us if we didn't sit still and quit opening and closing the damn doors! He had his good - if not entirely inappropriate - moments too. There were the jokes that he would tell us, the can of beer held in one hand, the italian cigar in the other, rocking back and forth in his worn out Lazy-boy. He was a tough guy to love, but he was proud of his family, and though it was hard to tell, he showed adoration of the grandkids by picking on them something fierce.
Bill Warrington was a hard man to love too, yet James King managed to make him an incredibly easy guy to like. I didn't share the same things with my grandfather that April did with hers - he taught her to drive, and stand up for herself, and go after the things she wanted most in life - but that didn't diminish my ability to relate to their relationship.
As the book unfolds, we begin to discover that all of the players have secrets they don't want the others to know - typical family drama sort of issues - an arc that really pulls the reader into the fold. So many of the personality traits and hidden 'skeletons in the closet' will remind you of someone you know, or worse.. they'll remind you of yourself.
It's a multi-generational, semi-humorous look at a serious subject matter that affects more families than we dare to realize. I can only imagine the pain of losing someone you know and love to a disease as lonely as Alzheimer's. And I am not sure I can ever be convinced of which is worse... being conscious of the fact that you are losing your mind, or the blissful ignorance of it as it takes you over.
Which brings me back to my own grandfather and the last few weeks of his life as he struggled with cancer. As a granddaughter, it's extremely hard to see someone who was once so strong and full of zest reduced to a voiceless, evaporating shadow of what they once were. I can only imagine what it was like for my grandfather, a man of very little outward affection, aware of his own mortality, as we all made our way to his bedside in those final days. I have to think that, though he couldn't say it, he was hoping one of us would just get him a beer and a cigar, and stop opening and closing the damn door for crissake!!!
December 19, 2024
By the time I got to the end of this beautiful book, every member of this normal dysfuctional family was a good friend I was rooting for, even though I had seen them when they weren't at their very best. Funny, sad, suspenseful, touching, and so real.
June 26, 2010
Somehow, I just didn't completely warm to this book. Maybe it's just me, but while I found Bill an interesting character, the plot didn't always keep my interest, and I really didn't like some of the supporting characters. Bill's not always likeable. It could just be the Alzheimer's starting to change his personality, but throughout the story, it seems like maybe he wasn't always the friendliest of guys, and old age just seems to be bringing out more of his character flaws (happens to a lot of people, actually). However, I wanted to know what was going to happen to him, so I kept on reading. It was clear that his three kids didn't have the best relationship with him, or with each other, and I was wondering if they'd all come together at the end. On the other end of the spectrum from Bill is April, fifteen years old and convinced she's the next big singer/songwriter. I actually wouldn't have minded getting to know her a little better. In this story, she's a bit of a foil to Bill, as their trip across the country provides opportunities for her to get Bill to talk about his past. However, I never felt like I really understood very much about April, and her own motivations (other than being very aware of the fact that she doesn't like her mother very much). Which brings us to Bill's three adult children.... frankly, I didn't really care about them. I found one of them to be moderately interesting (he's a widower, a writer, and trying to get back into the dating scene), but he was pretty bland. The other son comes off as a sleazy jerk, a smooth-talking salesman who is finally getting what's been coming to him for a while. And Bill's daughter? Marcy, April's mom, was a character I just didn't like. I didn't mind her straight-talking style, but she was a little too harshly written for me to really be interested in what happened to her. She's the kind of person I imagine as being a loud talker. You know, the person in the store, or the restaurant, who you can hear just yammering on about something, convinced the world revolves around them? Not someone I want to be around.
But, despite the fact that I didn't really like the people in this book, I was curious about what was going to happen to them. I thought James King did a nice job of writing the voice of a character who is going through the stages of early Alzheimer's. Bill knows he is forgetting things, and he gets irritable. Bill's lapses into remembering the past, and then forgetting things in the present, were written in such a way that I really felt like I was understanding what Bill was going through. His experiences with April are interesting, and at times, a little scary -- and this kept me reading just to make sure things were going to be okay. I don't know if this is a book I'd recommend for everyone, but it wasn't a bad read. Definitely a story that gives insight into sibling rivalry, and how things change once kids grow up and need to think about taking care of their parents.
I got this book from the publisher as part of their Flights of Fiction-- and I've passed it on to one of my colleagues to read. :)
But, despite the fact that I didn't really like the people in this book, I was curious about what was going to happen to them. I thought James King did a nice job of writing the voice of a character who is going through the stages of early Alzheimer's. Bill knows he is forgetting things, and he gets irritable. Bill's lapses into remembering the past, and then forgetting things in the present, were written in such a way that I really felt like I was understanding what Bill was going through. His experiences with April are interesting, and at times, a little scary -- and this kept me reading just to make sure things were going to be okay. I don't know if this is a book I'd recommend for everyone, but it wasn't a bad read. Definitely a story that gives insight into sibling rivalry, and how things change once kids grow up and need to think about taking care of their parents.
I got this book from the publisher as part of their Flights of Fiction-- and I've passed it on to one of my colleagues to read. :)
August 12, 2010
I'll be honest here and tell you that as soon as I started reading this book, I was getting flashes of Gran Torino in my brain. An aging, widowed Marine living alone at home and estranged from his children and starting to lose control of his mental faculties. I've read that when Gran Torino came out, the author James King was a bit taken aback at some of the similarities, but the reality is very clear that they're two very different stories. The lesson I've learned about books and movies is that no one can tell your story the way you can. It's just that simple. Obviously both are worthy as a vehicle for Clint Eastwood to star in and with the book just recently getting a green light, anything is possible. To me, that's a good thing and after readinng it - I'd love to see the movie.
The story, without being repetitve of the jacket blurb and every other review, is very compelling and the book immediately sucks you in and holds you in the crumbling world of Bill Warrington.The story exposes itself in layers like someone's would-be swan song if this were true to life. You can't help but feel empathy for both Bill and for April as they get closer and share their experiences crossing the country.
I felt the character of April rang true and her dialogue seemed real to me and never once broke me from my reverie as some other reviewers have suggested. I love language and know that young people are often very capable and usually bursting at the seams to say anything inventive, especially when someone, or rather an adult, is actually listening.
This is a wonderful tale and great debut novel from James King who makes it abundantly clear with his style that he's actually been writing and keeping busy with it for quite some time. I find it interesting that he chose this to be his breakout novel and for a man who says he's been hacking away at it quietly in his basement for many years, I'm sure he has some other very imaginaitive books that we'll be graced with as time passes.
I get the feeling after reading this book that 'relationships' are his strong suit and what he'll continue to write about, possibly along the same path as Nicholas Sparks. Well done.
September 24, 2015
This poignant story is more about relationships than about anything actually happening, but does not really explore the depth of those relationships. It’s more about how the characters react to and against one another. Nobody really changes their essential character, but through the events of the story, they are able to be more accepting of one another’s flaws. I found the progression of Bill’s mental deterioration most interesting, experienced firsthand from his POV, and secondhand through his granddaughter’s POV.
Audiobook version. Joe Barrett’s performance is excellent.
Audiobook version. Joe Barrett’s performance is excellent.
October 1, 2024
This ornery old fellow grows on you, as does his sullen granddaughter. The other characters are relatively repulsive, intentionally I believe so that we focus on these two.
I laughed, I chuckled and I snorted at the output from Bill and April during their westward adventure. And I felt the poignant warmth between the two characters.
We are all afraid of what will happen if we lose our marbles. Bill was difficult before, and he’s difficult after; but he is not without a plan or a carload of charm.
I laughed, I chuckled and I snorted at the output from Bill and April during their westward adventure. And I felt the poignant warmth between the two characters.
We are all afraid of what will happen if we lose our marbles. Bill was difficult before, and he’s difficult after; but he is not without a plan or a carload of charm.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2021
Well I screwed up and fell off on rating and reviewing a bunch of reads. Three months later, I only remember my general impressions, not the details.
Bill Warrington is a cranky s o b, and that brought to mind that "A Man Called Ove" book that was so big a while back. This book is better than the Ove book.
Bill Warrington is a cranky s o b, and that brought to mind that "A Man Called Ove" book that was so big a while back. This book is better than the Ove book.
December 15, 2021
A compelling story about family life, the need for forgiveness, and reunion.
September 23, 2011
Title: BILL WARRINGTON’S LAST CHANCE
Author: James King
Publisher: Viking
ISBN: 978-0-670-02161-1
Publication Date: August 9, 2010
Reviewed By: Irene Yeates for Author Exposure (09/10)
Bill Warrington’s Last Chance launches a believable tale that boldly transcends beyond the dysfunctional family and a “coming of age” venue by propelling an Alzheimer’s protagonist into a forceful melodrama of past, present and future with credible momentum and an ostensibly inevitable conclusion.
Marcy still clings to unresolved childhood memories despite her rigorous adherence to present conventional familial duties; this agitated adult daughter clearly rejects the perceptible decline of her elderly father Bill Warrington. Angered by the dismissive and complacent attitude of her fraternal siblings, Mike and Nick with whom haphazard communication remains a clichéd renewal of recurring arguments and failed efforts, she frantically clutches to her two vestiges of imagined success: motherhood and real estate agent. April, confused by the subliminal messages passing from her frenzied mother to her obstinate grandfather, utilizes that uncanny adolescent charm to her benefit by cajoling an unpredictable grandfather to teach her how to drive. If she could drive, her California fantasy could become reality, and she would shed this tedious claustrophobic life by becoming a songwriting/singer 15-year-old rising star.
And drive she does, in his ancient Impala as an unsuspecting co-conspirator in her grandfather’s intrepid scheme to initiate one final attempt to reunite his acrimonious family before his erratic memory completely fails him. “That’s what was happening. He wasn’t losing his memory; he was letting his memories have full rein, and, as a result, they simply took over sometimes.” (Page 147)
Follow the Warrington clan on their indomitable, heart-breaking, humorous path as they search for their wayward father with April in tow, and experience their anguish as they unwillingly explore disparate descriptions of past events. Mending flawed childhood memories requires fearless communication. This bewildering, topsy-turvy journey from a discordant past to reconciliation presents an astute parable for any one that still bears a latent animosity toward a parent or sibling; hope is abundant, but time is not. Lastly, James King challenges those who have or will face that “long good-bye” with a family member to reflect upon what truly is essential in enduring relationships.
As a care giver first to my mother, and now to my husband, not only could I relate to James King’s authentic depiction of the inevitable progression of Alzheimer’s, but also to the importance of a strong supportive sibling connection. My mother’s “long good-bye” lasted ten years, and I was most fortunate that my brother and my sister shared that remarkable journey with me. “She hoped that today, of all days, he wouldn’t be beyond her reach. She knew the day was coming when she’d never get him back.” (Page 284)
Author: James King
Publisher: Viking
ISBN: 978-0-670-02161-1
Publication Date: August 9, 2010
Reviewed By: Irene Yeates for Author Exposure (09/10)
Bill Warrington’s Last Chance launches a believable tale that boldly transcends beyond the dysfunctional family and a “coming of age” venue by propelling an Alzheimer’s protagonist into a forceful melodrama of past, present and future with credible momentum and an ostensibly inevitable conclusion.
Marcy still clings to unresolved childhood memories despite her rigorous adherence to present conventional familial duties; this agitated adult daughter clearly rejects the perceptible decline of her elderly father Bill Warrington. Angered by the dismissive and complacent attitude of her fraternal siblings, Mike and Nick with whom haphazard communication remains a clichéd renewal of recurring arguments and failed efforts, she frantically clutches to her two vestiges of imagined success: motherhood and real estate agent. April, confused by the subliminal messages passing from her frenzied mother to her obstinate grandfather, utilizes that uncanny adolescent charm to her benefit by cajoling an unpredictable grandfather to teach her how to drive. If she could drive, her California fantasy could become reality, and she would shed this tedious claustrophobic life by becoming a songwriting/singer 15-year-old rising star.
And drive she does, in his ancient Impala as an unsuspecting co-conspirator in her grandfather’s intrepid scheme to initiate one final attempt to reunite his acrimonious family before his erratic memory completely fails him. “That’s what was happening. He wasn’t losing his memory; he was letting his memories have full rein, and, as a result, they simply took over sometimes.” (Page 147)
Follow the Warrington clan on their indomitable, heart-breaking, humorous path as they search for their wayward father with April in tow, and experience their anguish as they unwillingly explore disparate descriptions of past events. Mending flawed childhood memories requires fearless communication. This bewildering, topsy-turvy journey from a discordant past to reconciliation presents an astute parable for any one that still bears a latent animosity toward a parent or sibling; hope is abundant, but time is not. Lastly, James King challenges those who have or will face that “long good-bye” with a family member to reflect upon what truly is essential in enduring relationships.
As a care giver first to my mother, and now to my husband, not only could I relate to James King’s authentic depiction of the inevitable progression of Alzheimer’s, but also to the importance of a strong supportive sibling connection. My mother’s “long good-bye” lasted ten years, and I was most fortunate that my brother and my sister shared that remarkable journey with me. “She hoped that today, of all days, he wouldn’t be beyond her reach. She knew the day was coming when she’d never get him back.” (Page 284)
August 30, 2024
A little slow start but a good surprise. Rebellious teen and stubborn grandpa take off on a cross country road trip. Grandpa wants to reunite his three adult children while teen wants to pursue a rock music career in San Francisco. Along the way, Grandpa’s senility becomes very obvious and granddaughter learns a lot of patience both for her grandfather and her stressed mom. A book about growth and forgiveness. Very good.
October 8, 2010
Bill Warrington’s Last Chance by James King
I do read fiction sometimes! In this case a really enjoyable, unique read and a great debut novel. Very character based with some hilarious and poignant counterbalance woven through this eliptical family reunion of sorts.
I found myself thinking “I know these people!” quite often, with the aging father, facing dementia, struggles to reunite his two sons and daughter, with the help of precocious and spot on hilarious granddaughter/runaway, April. Bill calls to mind Clint Eastwood as cast in Gran Torino – he is an ex-marine who has some grand plan which turns into a one of a kind cross country road trip from Ohio to California. ( In fact, Bill’s ride is a well preserved 1982 Chevy Impala SS.)
Each family member has some twisted, deep seated or recently developed troubles, marital or work related and they certainly have issues with each other. Bill hopes to resolve some of these at long last, but his periods of lucidity are sometimes tempered with flashbacks and ramblings. His helping April learn to drive is reciprocated by her looking out for her grandfather during several interesting encounters during their sometimes surreal “road trip.”
The writing is first rate as the author skips around in an absorbing manner which works very well. Not quite as melancholy as Lisa Genova’s heart wrenching Still Alice, this one is full of humor as well as a shot at redemption for everyone.
This novel is a really entertaining, well written, funny, thought provoking and memorable winner. I will be surprised if it doesn’t make some award lists come year’s end.
I do read fiction sometimes! In this case a really enjoyable, unique read and a great debut novel. Very character based with some hilarious and poignant counterbalance woven through this eliptical family reunion of sorts.
I found myself thinking “I know these people!” quite often, with the aging father, facing dementia, struggles to reunite his two sons and daughter, with the help of precocious and spot on hilarious granddaughter/runaway, April. Bill calls to mind Clint Eastwood as cast in Gran Torino – he is an ex-marine who has some grand plan which turns into a one of a kind cross country road trip from Ohio to California. ( In fact, Bill’s ride is a well preserved 1982 Chevy Impala SS.)
Each family member has some twisted, deep seated or recently developed troubles, marital or work related and they certainly have issues with each other. Bill hopes to resolve some of these at long last, but his periods of lucidity are sometimes tempered with flashbacks and ramblings. His helping April learn to drive is reciprocated by her looking out for her grandfather during several interesting encounters during their sometimes surreal “road trip.”
The writing is first rate as the author skips around in an absorbing manner which works very well. Not quite as melancholy as Lisa Genova’s heart wrenching Still Alice, this one is full of humor as well as a shot at redemption for everyone.
This novel is a really entertaining, well written, funny, thought provoking and memorable winner. I will be surprised if it doesn’t make some award lists come year’s end.
July 19, 2016
3.5 stars, but I round up.
This audiobook, pulled off the shelf for its interesting title and cover, somehow managed to continue my inadvertent summer theme of "stories that involve end-of-life/dementia and/or Washington State". It's really weird that most of the books I've read have fit one or the other. This one fits both.
Bill Warrington is getting older and less well-liked. And his house is getting messier. And things are slipping his mind. And his family doesn't ever seem to visit.
Mike and Nick are Bill's grown sons, each living their own lives, struggling along, and want nothing to do with their father.
Marcy is Bill's daughter and the proxy who has to deal with him, mainly cleaning his house when she comes by. She's just started a new career in real estate and a new relationship with a mentor.
April is Marcy's 14-year-old daughter and Bill's granddaughter, and she wants nothing to do with anyone. But when she gets fed up with her mom and her life, she convinces Bill to teach her to drive and, ultimately, to take her to LA so she can start a career as a singer/songwriter.
On the road, Bill sees their adventure as a way to possibly bring his kids together again, so long ago separated by a family secret about which the kids don't know the truth. Everything works out in the end, but don't expect the ride to be smooth.
This audiobook, pulled off the shelf for its interesting title and cover, somehow managed to continue my inadvertent summer theme of "stories that involve end-of-life/dementia and/or Washington State". It's really weird that most of the books I've read have fit one or the other. This one fits both.
Bill Warrington is getting older and less well-liked. And his house is getting messier. And things are slipping his mind. And his family doesn't ever seem to visit.
Mike and Nick are Bill's grown sons, each living their own lives, struggling along, and want nothing to do with their father.
Marcy is Bill's daughter and the proxy who has to deal with him, mainly cleaning his house when she comes by. She's just started a new career in real estate and a new relationship with a mentor.
April is Marcy's 14-year-old daughter and Bill's granddaughter, and she wants nothing to do with anyone. But when she gets fed up with her mom and her life, she convinces Bill to teach her to drive and, ultimately, to take her to LA so she can start a career as a singer/songwriter.
On the road, Bill sees their adventure as a way to possibly bring his kids together again, so long ago separated by a family secret about which the kids don't know the truth. Everything works out in the end, but don't expect the ride to be smooth.
February 8, 2011
"Bill Warrington's Last Chance" by James King is tale of a dyfunctional family brought together by an aging father with Alzheimers and his 15-year-old granddaughter who has aspirations of becoming a famous singer/songwriter. His daughter/her mother get on both their nerves, which was a starting point for their shared interests.
When Bill realizes his memory is slipping away, he decides he wants to bring his grown children together so he can set the record straight about something that happened in their past. His sons are none to eager to comply with his wishes, since he was never exactly Father-of-the-Year material. After granddaughter April has a tiff with her mother and moves in with him, the unlikely pair set off on a cross-country trip to meet their goals.
Kudos to the author for doing such a great job capturing two such polar opposite voices and portraying them so realistically.
When Bill realizes his memory is slipping away, he decides he wants to bring his grown children together so he can set the record straight about something that happened in their past. His sons are none to eager to comply with his wishes, since he was never exactly Father-of-the-Year material. After granddaughter April has a tiff with her mother and moves in with him, the unlikely pair set off on a cross-country trip to meet their goals.
Kudos to the author for doing such a great job capturing two such polar opposite voices and portraying them so realistically.
September 19, 2010
What a sweet, poignant story. Bill Warrington's is having more than his share of "senior moments" and seems to be at war with his offspring. A tentative link with a grand child sends Bill and his granddaughter on an adventure which will be the catalyst that will go towards mending the rift between Bill and his children.
April 24, 2018
This is not a good book. It’s saved from getting only 1 star only because it rises to the level of mediocre chick-lit, rather than the absolute dreck of a James Patterson thriller you see at airport book stores. The characters are wooden, the dialogue unrealistic (though funny at times), and the relationships ridiculous. A sweet, surprise ending redeems it slightly, helping to bring it to 2 stars.
The book is about a curmudgeon named Bill Warrington, who served as a Marine in Korea. He came home, became a salesman, and built a family with the woman of his dreams (married to her before he went to Korea). They had three kids, but she died when the youngest was in elementary school. Bill’s life spiraled down from there, and he became a mean alcoholic who scared his children and eventually drove them each away from him. The book opens with Bill slipping into senility and those kids as adults, each with their own problems. Bill’s daughter Marcy helps him out when she can, but she has limited time, as well as limited affection for her dad.
Through his fog, Bill hatches a scheme to get his three kids together one last time. His plan is to make a confession to them, or to clarify an issue that he believes is at the root of their anger with him. But Bill can’t do it alone, and he gets lucky when his 15-year-old granddaughter April, who is Marcy’s daughter, asks to live with him for the summer. April is as angry at her mom as her mom was at Bill 25 years earlier. Instead of having her just live with him, Bill takes April on what’s intended to be a cross-country driving tour (April can’t legally drive, and Bill is too senile to drive safely), while trying to force the three kids to meet him and April somewhere on the road so that he can have this truth-meeting with them.
Things go awry, as would be expected. The book is effective at showing that things will go awry in that type of situation, and the incidents can be scary things in real time, though perhaps funny in retrospect. Bill is in a fog most of the time, thinking back to his loss of his beloved wife Clare, and confusing her with both Marcy and April. Some of that interior monologue is pretty effective, but a lot of it is very obvious and labored. April is just trying to get through the day without being too embarrassed by this old man, but also, of course, becoming more protective of him as she realizes how lost he is.
While I liked the snappy comebacks that members of the family use with each other and the other people they encounter, their talk doesn’t seem real. Nobody can get away with being as much of an a-hole as Bill, unless they’re rich enough to pay people to put up with it (are you reading this, President Trump?). Same with Marcy, who yells at people at the drop of a hat, or April, who lets her inner-Marcy emerge during the road trip with her dad. And there’s a ton of sex talk between people that has zero realism: brothers don’t talk that way to sisters, moms don’t talk that way to daughters, and grandfathers don’t talk that way to granddaughters, and vice versa. Those sections remind me of a few current plays I’ve seen in which the author seems to delight in sex talk and cursing, just for the sake of trying to shock the audience. In my opinion, it’s a lazy way to try be memorable as a novelist or playwright.
Finally, the entire story lacks any depth of meaning or understanding, despite this big issue of decades of family estrangement overarching the entire plot. The whole book is about personal interactions, and yet the author is basically tone-deaf about them. It’s not just Bill and his kids and granddaughter that are weirdly handled. There are a bunch of other interactions that get a lot of space in this short book, all badly. One son is widowed, and he has a weird thing with a woman he’d like to date. The other son has an affair that’s uncovered and ruins his marriage. The daughter starts dating a guy who she’s not sure about. And April, the girl, is pining over a guy in her class. Each of these is a distraction from the main story. If that other stuff was stripped out and more attention was placed on the main story, maybe this book could be salvaged.
The book is about a curmudgeon named Bill Warrington, who served as a Marine in Korea. He came home, became a salesman, and built a family with the woman of his dreams (married to her before he went to Korea). They had three kids, but she died when the youngest was in elementary school. Bill’s life spiraled down from there, and he became a mean alcoholic who scared his children and eventually drove them each away from him. The book opens with Bill slipping into senility and those kids as adults, each with their own problems. Bill’s daughter Marcy helps him out when she can, but she has limited time, as well as limited affection for her dad.
Through his fog, Bill hatches a scheme to get his three kids together one last time. His plan is to make a confession to them, or to clarify an issue that he believes is at the root of their anger with him. But Bill can’t do it alone, and he gets lucky when his 15-year-old granddaughter April, who is Marcy’s daughter, asks to live with him for the summer. April is as angry at her mom as her mom was at Bill 25 years earlier. Instead of having her just live with him, Bill takes April on what’s intended to be a cross-country driving tour (April can’t legally drive, and Bill is too senile to drive safely), while trying to force the three kids to meet him and April somewhere on the road so that he can have this truth-meeting with them.
Things go awry, as would be expected. The book is effective at showing that things will go awry in that type of situation, and the incidents can be scary things in real time, though perhaps funny in retrospect. Bill is in a fog most of the time, thinking back to his loss of his beloved wife Clare, and confusing her with both Marcy and April. Some of that interior monologue is pretty effective, but a lot of it is very obvious and labored. April is just trying to get through the day without being too embarrassed by this old man, but also, of course, becoming more protective of him as she realizes how lost he is.
While I liked the snappy comebacks that members of the family use with each other and the other people they encounter, their talk doesn’t seem real. Nobody can get away with being as much of an a-hole as Bill, unless they’re rich enough to pay people to put up with it (are you reading this, President Trump?). Same with Marcy, who yells at people at the drop of a hat, or April, who lets her inner-Marcy emerge during the road trip with her dad. And there’s a ton of sex talk between people that has zero realism: brothers don’t talk that way to sisters, moms don’t talk that way to daughters, and grandfathers don’t talk that way to granddaughters, and vice versa. Those sections remind me of a few current plays I’ve seen in which the author seems to delight in sex talk and cursing, just for the sake of trying to shock the audience. In my opinion, it’s a lazy way to try be memorable as a novelist or playwright.
Finally, the entire story lacks any depth of meaning or understanding, despite this big issue of decades of family estrangement overarching the entire plot. The whole book is about personal interactions, and yet the author is basically tone-deaf about them. It’s not just Bill and his kids and granddaughter that are weirdly handled. There are a bunch of other interactions that get a lot of space in this short book, all badly. One son is widowed, and he has a weird thing with a woman he’d like to date. The other son has an affair that’s uncovered and ruins his marriage. The daughter starts dating a guy who she’s not sure about. And April, the girl, is pining over a guy in her class. Each of these is a distraction from the main story. If that other stuff was stripped out and more attention was placed on the main story, maybe this book could be salvaged.
December 22, 2018
This book had a very interesting premise/ jacket summary- man with dementia kidnaps granddaughter on a cross-country road trip to bring his family together. This idea immediately hooked me and I was excited to see where King would take this. I don't think he really took advantage of this very eye-catching and unique idea. The characters, while complex, were lackluster and they blended into one another. The scenes between Bill and April in the car were rather dull and Bill's memories of the past dragged out the timeline and made the whole thing read a little slow. It had a very domestic air about it, which is fine, but it dulled the whole plot. I also feel like King didn't handle Bill's alcoholism well- there were a lot of excuses provided for it and his children never really reconciled with their father in that department. I wasn't a huge fan of this book, though there was nothing majorly wrong with it. It just wasn't anything special. It held a lot of potential, but the way the plot was handled seemed like a missed opportunity.
June 8, 2023
This book contained several elements that make a novel compelling and engaging: multiple narrators, a cross-country road trip, and strained family relationships made more clear through the use of flashbacks. High-schooler April goes on a road trip with the grandfather she barely knows, Bill Warrington. Bill, whose memory is starting to fail him, has a strained relationship with April's mother and his two sons. Narration rotates between all five family members as we follow April and Bill's journey. This novel was an impressive debut. A quick read (or listen), and full of heart and complicated but empathetic characters.
July 27, 2019
Sweet grandfather/granddaughter road trip story, the purpose of which is to reunite the grandfather Bill's three children by leaving clues for them to try and find the pair before he slips completely into age-related memory loss and confusion. I loved the evolution of granddaughter April's character from being a selfish teenager to gaining insight into events in the family's history that led to their fractured relationships, the severity of her grandfather's condition, how to best interact with him, and how to facilitate the reunion.
May 12, 2018
It's not very often, but there are stories that speak to me, and this is one of them. Alzheimer's runs in my family on my mother's side, so this book had a major significance to me. I'm terrified that I may end up like Bill. It happened to my grandparents and all I can do is hope it goes no further. We shall see.
I was thrilled that Michigan State University and East Lansing made it into this book, one that I was reading. They are my hometown and favorite college!
I was thrilled that Michigan State University and East Lansing made it into this book, one that I was reading. They are my hometown and favorite college!
October 6, 2018
What a great story. It felt very familiar -- Bill Warrington trying to get his adult children to speak with one another and come to see him -- by taking his granddaughter on a road trip to where she insists she needs to go to become a singer/song writer. They have to talk in order to figure out the clues they're receiving about Bill and his granddaughter April's whereabouts. Through it all, the characters are very well drawn, and the story is about human failings and forgiveness.
December 10, 2019
I resonated with the foible of enjoying the reception of calls yet so distressing to send out calls.
and yet I know that God is allowing me to improve in my communication endeavors, thank God!
February 19, 2019
Audiobook. As a daughter of a 98 year old father, I found this to be a sweet, charming book.
Want to read
July 19, 2020elibrary
September 7, 2020
I enjoyed the premise of this book. It was a good story and I think with slightly more development I could have given a 4 or 5
February 22, 2026
More of a thoughtful book than strictly a beach read but in a similar vein. The family is pulled apart after the death of the mother then to be reunited by the granddaughter.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2017
Too much unnecessary language. The story is ok, but the language is distracting.
March 16, 2014
This is the tale of a family that becomes dysfunctional & start to go their own ways in life after the death of their mother. Two of the kids, (Mike & Marcy) grow-up to have dysfunctional family life’s themselves; the other one: (Nick) has a short lived marriage that ends when his wife die’s of cancer. Well I, am sure that stuff like this happens in the USA all the time with families that become distant; a grand-daughter wanting to get to know her grandfather when he is coming close to death… I was-just-never-really overwhelmingly grappled by this book tho I did not dislike it. The main characters to me were one dimensional & the plotting to the climax predictable. It did not surprise me that the main title of bill’s last chance which is to make amends with his kids for something that happened to their mother was never explored but rather remained a mystery.
Bill is, a troubled man that for the most part only found happiness with his wife that dies well the kids are all still young. His kids, hardly ever talk to him or come around to see him & for that matter they never even talk to each other. His granddaughter, April is a straight A student but seems to lack analytical common sense: hating her mother & giving saint-hood to her dead-beat loser dad that walked out on her & her mom. His daughter Marcy is a troubled woman that is always trying to move up in the world well raising a teenage kid that is constantly displeased with her wanting to get away from her, thinking the grass will be greener on the other side. His son Nick is a widowed journalist that is trying to start dating again; he starts with a ruthless twit that makes an idiot out of him & that will be the end of him trying to get a date in the story... His oldest, son Mike is a slime ball alcoholic salesman that commits adultery & slowly sees his life ruined. He shows all the signs of an alcoholic from delusion to evil self-centered cheating.
The main characters of this book are: Bill, Marcy, & April, Nick & Mike are more like supporting characters that are mostly seen in Bill’s flashbacks (like Highlander) that he has in the present.
~
This would make a better miniseries rather than a movie because the characters need to have time to be built up.
I give this novel a C + (Common) & I’m being generous.
Bill is, a troubled man that for the most part only found happiness with his wife that dies well the kids are all still young. His kids, hardly ever talk to him or come around to see him & for that matter they never even talk to each other. His granddaughter, April is a straight A student but seems to lack analytical common sense: hating her mother & giving saint-hood to her dead-beat loser dad that walked out on her & her mom. His daughter Marcy is a troubled woman that is always trying to move up in the world well raising a teenage kid that is constantly displeased with her wanting to get away from her, thinking the grass will be greener on the other side. His son Nick is a widowed journalist that is trying to start dating again; he starts with a ruthless twit that makes an idiot out of him & that will be the end of him trying to get a date in the story... His oldest, son Mike is a slime ball alcoholic salesman that commits adultery & slowly sees his life ruined. He shows all the signs of an alcoholic from delusion to evil self-centered cheating.
The main characters of this book are: Bill, Marcy, & April, Nick & Mike are more like supporting characters that are mostly seen in Bill’s flashbacks (like Highlander) that he has in the present.
~
This would make a better miniseries rather than a movie because the characters need to have time to be built up.
I give this novel a C + (Common) & I’m being generous.
December 13, 2011
I'll admit, I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. The plot sounded fun and interesting on the back, but upon reading the first few pages, I found that I could not stand the writing style. It felt like reading one of those teen chick-lit books from Limited Too that my sister and I used to keep in our bathroom. However, as I continued reading, I found that the writing style grew on me. I think I might have been turned off initially because I just finished a book by Joyce Carol Oates, who has a completely different style. How many times can I use the word 'style' in this review?
Anyway. I felt less and less like I was reading a trashy bathroom novel and more and more like I was seeing real people in a real family with real feelings. The snide attitude that I felt from the characters drifted away as their memories and emotions surfaced, and I became entranced by their dysfunctional yet humorous familial relationships.
This book really is talking about love, I think. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I think the ending really makes that clear. And I think each of the characters made at least profound realization about the way they express love and connect with others.
Also I like that the characters didn't make any big hopeful cliche changes in the end. I liked that they stayed the same, even as the relationships changed. There was no dramatic revelation, which I thought was true to who the characters were. None of them had to change in order to be able to function more healthily in their relationships with each other.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that the author knows how to build up a good suspense story. The book is riddled with cliffhangers that kept me turning the pages just to see what would happen next. I guess that could be annoying to some people, but for me, the little "life lessons" sprinkled throughout the book outweighed the typicality (is that even a word?) of the plot setup.
All in all, an enjoyable read. Contrary to what I expected, it got me thinking, which is always awesome.
Anyway. I felt less and less like I was reading a trashy bathroom novel and more and more like I was seeing real people in a real family with real feelings. The snide attitude that I felt from the characters drifted away as their memories and emotions surfaced, and I became entranced by their dysfunctional yet humorous familial relationships.
This book really is talking about love, I think. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I think the ending really makes that clear. And I think each of the characters made at least profound realization about the way they express love and connect with others.
Also I like that the characters didn't make any big hopeful cliche changes in the end. I liked that they stayed the same, even as the relationships changed. There was no dramatic revelation, which I thought was true to who the characters were. None of them had to change in order to be able to function more healthily in their relationships with each other.
Of course, it doesn't hurt that the author knows how to build up a good suspense story. The book is riddled with cliffhangers that kept me turning the pages just to see what would happen next. I guess that could be annoying to some people, but for me, the little "life lessons" sprinkled throughout the book outweighed the typicality (is that even a word?) of the plot setup.
All in all, an enjoyable read. Contrary to what I expected, it got me thinking, which is always awesome.
May 18, 2012
Wow! This family has a lot of anger. I can see why they avoid each other so much, cuz they sure have a hard time honestly communicating with each other! Seems like all they do is yell at each other. The family includes Bill, who is approaching his 80th birthday and has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's; his son Mike, a philandering salesman; his son Nick, unable to move on after his beloved wife's death three years ago; and his daughter Marcy, a bitter divorcee trying to embark on a new career in real estate and feeling unappreciated by her teenage daughter April. Bill was not the most nurturing of father's, but his memories of his kids' childhoods is vastly different from theirs. He loved his wife Clare so much, but his and Mike, Nick, and Marcy's memories often get tangled up in the painful years when she was dying of bone cancer, and in the sad years that followed her death. Marcy and her 14-year-old daughter April, like many other mothers-and-teenage-daughters, are often angry with each other. Slammed doors, silent treatments, invasions of privacy, accusations of disrespect, etc. are rampant, until April can't take it any more, and she escapes to her grandfather -- whom she had only recently spent any time with. In his confused state, he takes her on a road trip with the idea to get all three of his kids to meet up with him and "clear things up." He sends them letters with clues of where they can meet, but his increasingly fuzzy memory creates havoc. Can this family be saved? From themselves?
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