The Banksia House Breakout – James Roxburgh

Ruth is 81 years old, and already sick of her “new life” at the Banksia House assisted living facility.

With the help of her new daredevil friends, Jean and Beryl, and resident escape-artist Keith, she makes a run for it. Her sights are set on getting to Brisbane in time to say goodbye to her terminally ill best friend, Gladys.

The Banksia House Breakout is the great-escape-slash-road-trip debut novel of Sydney audiologist James Roxburgh, inspired by the lives and stories of his clients. The fine folks at Ventura Press and DMCPR Media were kind enough to send me a copy for review.

It would be impossible to read The Banksia House Breakout without finding your heart warmed and your funny bone tickled. It’s a fun-filled adventure that showcases the very best of the kindness of strangers and highlights the importance of respect and independence.

Roxburgh has done an excellent job of carefully crafting three-dimensional older characters who prove that there’s a lot of life to be lived in later years.

This is a sweet all-ages read that will have you cheering on a rag-tag group of fugitive octogenarians.