Driftwood

A Novel

By: Elizabeth Dutton

Narrated by: Elizabeth Dutton

Los Angeles, California: Clem Jasper is a trust fund kid with a world famous rock musician for a father. When he dies suddenly (playing ping pong) she discovers he's left her a strange legacy: a series of letters that take her on a mysterious road trip around California. Ignoring her aunt's suggestion that she pitch the trip as a reality show, she embarks on her own to discover just what it was that her father meant her to find. What secret could be so powerful that he had to die before telling her?

With a voice reminiscent of Rainbow Rowell, Dutton's Driftwood is a surprising, poignant, and funny debut. Dutton perfectly captures the mythology of California with this bright and unusual take on the freedom of the open road, the power of music, and what it means, even in the midst of grief, to be a family. Fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Run River, and Killing Yourself to Live will find much to savor here.

©2014 Elizabeth Dutton (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Loved this story !

When I saw trust fund kid in the description I thought NOPE, but it's included so nothing to lose. I LOVED it! Clem is the opposite of my expectations and I adored her character. Wish I could have known her dad because he sounds charming and goofy and full of love for everyone in his life, most especially his family. There are some truly beautiful lines in this story - hoping for more from the author who is also the narrator .

Light listening

I enjoyed this book for the story and the descriptions of the many places in California. I learned about a few little known places in California that would make fun day trips or stops along the way to somewhere else.
The story was interesting and an easy listen.

I cried with this one,

a lot. I’m a momma to a daughter that reminds me so much of Clementine, the main character, so her journey resonated with me. The sense of place in this book is lovely and each character is finely crafted and well-rounded. Yes, there were sentences that read more as mantras than fiction but it didn’t matter. It made sense for the voice of Clem. Speaking of voices, the narrator (author) read this so perfectly. Her affect was flat and unemotional which is exactly as it should have been read. Thank you Ms. Dutton for a lovely listen and I’ll be purchasing a copy to give to my daughter for Christmas. You also inspired me to do what I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, write letters to my girl for when I’m gone.

Would have liked it more without....

Unnecessary use and overuse of the f word. Story was very good but often hard and frustrating to listen to when the f word is used unnecessarily. Distracted from the story and characters.

Interesting journey

Lower score for bad language, which was probably normal for this plot, but unappreciated by me. But, interesting journey for her to learn more about herself.