Mary Kate Dupree has been spinning her wheels for too long. Trapped in an abusive marriage to an overbearing good ol’ boy, she finally decides break the cycle when she heads out to pick up her husband’s dry cleaning and instead picks up a handsome hitchhiker. They impulsively set off on a road trip of self-discovery, peeling away layers of their dark pasts en route to Niagara Falls, but once there will they take the leap?
I totally enjoyed Anywhere But Here. In some ways, Mary Kate reminded me of myself – a controlling husband and a rainy day fund – but Mary Kate made a much better job of escaping! I made it to the other side of town, Mary Kate picks up a hitchhiker and escapes into the big, wide world.
Mary Kate’s husband, Richard (or Dick as she calls him to herself, because he is one!), makes all the decisions in their marriage. He expects the same meals on the same day every week, orders food for Mary Kate when they go out (and even feeds her), gets irate if she opens a letter without using a letter opener and keeps her strictly under his control. One day, on her way to collect Richard’s dry-cleaning, Mary Kate picks up a hitchhiker instead, and then just keeps on driving.
Randy, or Smoothie as he prefers to be called, is not quite like Mary Kate’s mother warned her hitchhikers would be. He is a handsome young man, clean and tidy, and great company. As the two travel towards Niagara Falls, their friendship grows and they share lots of secrets. Smoothie introduces Mary Kate to lots of things that Richard had forbidden and she embraces the freedom she now has. Smoothie has his own secrets that Mary Kate helps him to confront.
Anywhere But Here was a light-hearted read, with several laugh out loud moments. It showed that it is possible for women to have a life after a loveless marriage, and to show their true selves to the world instead of just what their husbands wanted. Anywhere But Here was a warm and funny story, Richard really reminded me of my ex and I wish I was as adventurous as Mary Kate!
