Joyce B. Hicks
After a university career in the Midwest, Joyce joined the many of the Boomer generation who write, do improv, blog, or found non-profits. Her novel Escape from Assisted Living, grew from her interest in the minutiae of family life, particularly at gateways to new stages. Joyce is an observer in public spaces of the serious, mundane, or hilarious interchanges of strangers. She also likes the first person narrative story-telling and has joined in a few performances. Quilting, knitting, weaving and gardening are her other pursuits along with spending time with her grandchildren and husband–the best times of life.
http://www.joycebhicks.com
Joyce’s novel Escape from Assisted Living will be available for purchase during the Book & Zine Fair!
–About Escape from Assisted Living—
Sharon thought it was a solid plan to move her mother Betty Miles into a senior care facility, but after just three weeks at Shady Grove, the octogenarian is already planning her escape. Sharon is devastated to find her mother gone. A good daughter wouldn’t lose her mother like this!
What is Betty up to on this unauthorized trip and how will it impact her relationship with Sharon and indeed Sharon’s shaky marriage?
From the landmarks of Chicago to the wrong side of the law, Betty’s trip and Sharon’s quest to bring her home will test everyone’s assumptions about old age, family, and the kindness of secrets.
Available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle and from Barnes & Noble.
REVIEWS
“Escape from Assisted Living is a wonderful read, extremely funny yet perceptive and moving about families and aging.” Deirdre Donahue, Contributing Book Editor, AARP.
“Coming-of-age fiction for the older crowd, in which debut novelist Hicks explores the burdens of secrets and guilt. . .A sensitive story of intergenerational stresses.” Kirkus Reviews
“There is much to love about this book, starting with the elegantly drawn character of Betty who brings a 1950s sense of etiquette and attire into the current day Chicago, and shows us that personal growth can occur just as surely late in life as any other time to those who are willing to explore life’s possibilities. Equally compelling, if not always as lovable, is daughter Sharon who personifies oldest-child syndrome—” Renee James, Windy City Reviews and in “ChicagoLife” for the midwest New York Times.
“Author Joyce Burd Hicks is a 1963 graduate of Cortland High School. She has had a university teaching career in addition to a successful career as a freelance writer. Escape from Assisted Living, her first novel, grew out of a published short story and became this tender book. Her prose bubbles with hilarity and warms the sad and happy dreams of truly friendly and intriguing characters. Joyce Hicks lives in northwest Indiana with her husband and is currently working on a sequel to the novel. This is a refreshing read, so relax and engineer your own escape with this surprising tale of insightful aging and family love!” Lynn Olcott, Cortland Standard
“Funny and understated, Escape from Assisted Living is a great read for people of all ages.” Stephanie Medlock, The Lives of Things
