Good-bye and Good Riddance
and good riddance
by
Book Details
Recognition Programs
About the Book
Forward moving, forward thinking. With her Patagonia strapped on her back, and sporting an air of confidence derived from her ambitious undertaking, this unproven hitchhiker strode past all of the indifferent strangers' faces-fearless. Mrs. Gulliver, former prominent socialite, focused on the course ahead of her, invigorated by the refreshing uncertainty of it. She had a commanding presence: five feet, nine inches of indubitable spirit, manifested by a disciplined straight posture and easy, graceful gait.
Following the lead of her eldest daughter, albeit three decades later, the vibrant and curious Madelaine Gulliver embarks on her own European hitchhiking trek. When "good-bye" is all that's left to say to those around her, the disgruntled woman befriends the open road. She sips hot chocolate on a mountaintop in Switzerland, walks through the military cemetery at Verdun, and finds unexpected love. Will the adventure continue beyond summer or will these newfound experiences lead back home?
About the Author
Valerie Hagenbush grew up in Colorado and Germany before her family settled in Ohio. She studied cinematography at Ohio State University, landing a job in Cincinnati as a camera operator for an animation and special effects production company, which led to a position at Disney Studios for its 1982 film TRON. Afterward, she enrolled in the University of Cincinnati's veterinary technology program to pursue a career in research. In 1996, she and her husband and two daughters moved to Naperville, Illinois, where, during a routine evening, the daring thought of writing a novel seemed doable. She began Good-bye and Good Riddance, completing the book at her current home in Surprise, Arizona.