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Driving Miss Norma  By  cover art

Driving Miss Norma

By: Tim Bauerschmidt, Ramie Liddle
Narrated by: Christopher Grove, Nan McNamara
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Publisher's summary

When Miss Norma was diagnosed with uterine cancer, she was advised to undergo surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. But instead of confining herself to a hospital bed for what could be her last stay, Norma - newly widowed after nearly seven decades of marriage - rose to her full height of five feet and told her doctor, "I'm 90 years old. I'm hitting the road."

Packing what she needed, Norma took off on an unforgettable cross-country journey with three professional nomads - her retired son, Tim; his wife, Ramie; and their standard poodle, Ringo - in a 36-foot RV. Driving Miss Norma is the charming, infectiously joyous chronicle of their experiences on the road - a transformative journey of living life on your own terms that shows us that it is never too late to begin an adventure, inspire hope, or become a trailblazer.

As this once timid woman says yes to living in the face of death, she tries regional foods for the first time, zip-lines through a former stranger's yard, and reaches for the clouds in a hot air balloon. With each passing mile (and one educational 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 had never done before, and their definitions of home, family, and friendship expand. Stop by stop, state by state, they meet countless people from all walks of life - strangers who become fast friends and welcome them with kindness and open hearts.

Infused with this irrepressible nonagenarian's wisdom, courage, and generous spirit, Driving Miss Norma reminds us that life is beautiful and precious and that family, fun, and self-discovery can happen at any age.

©2017 Tim Bauerschmidt and Ramie Liddle (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

What listeners say about Driving Miss Norma

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Inspirational

“And when I die and when I’m dead, dead and gone, there’ll be one child born in our world to carry on, to carry on.”

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  • Overall
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A MUST READ!

Loved this book. As someone that loves traveling in our motor home, I thought it would be a fun read, instead it changed my life. Well worth a read at any age!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Norma's bravery

I loved it all. what a beautiful family. I wish more people would decide to truly live!

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Miss Norma, your journey inspires mine. TY.

I loved the story and lessons. Tim and Ramie deserve amazing kudos for allowing us all into their sacred time. Thank you for taking us along and for sharing Miss Norma with us. Thank you for saying YES when you barely knew the question you were being asked! A true sign of faith and love in action.

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2 people found this helpful

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Read it!

A beautiful warm hearted story that will make you laugh and make you cry. It’s a lovely story of how to truly live your life whether it’s for you or helping a loved one live their’s. All had lessons learned and memories of a lifetime! Truly a lovely book that I held up to my heart and embraced it when I finished it; a lovely read.

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Thought provoking

I found this to be a very personal and thought-provoking story. Having previous experience as a nurse, so many stories are different from what I would choose for myself. I applaud all of them for creating their own beautiful ending.
I’m sure there are many books Mr. Grove’s narration would be suited for, I did not find this to be one of them.

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Such an inspiring story

I absolutely loved this book I've read it 3 times now over and over and over again I laugh at all the wonderful stories you guys tell thank you so much for sharing your story and helping us realize that it's so important to say yes to living when it's that time and a family member's life

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very detailed book

Tim and Raime thank you for sharing this detailed book about Norma. I had the pleasure of meeting Miss Norma at Bear Run Campground.

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1 person found this helpful

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Sweet story

Loved this. book. Makes one think about how to live the rest of our life.

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  • KM
  • 08-07-21

Loved Miss Norma

What a wonderful story! We all should be so lucky to be so loved and cared for - throughout our lives!

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