Lena Spencer and her husband, Randall, have two children, Kendrick and Camille. Neither of whom are in diapers. In other words they are nearly ready to make their own way in the world. However, whether they live at home or are away at college children know when their parents are going through ups and downs. All of a sudden after many years Randall decides he wants out of the marriage. His desire to let the marriage die tears Lena apart emotionally. After all, she's always given all of herself as a wife and mother. It doesn't help when Kendrick and Camille seem to understand and side with their father leaving the blame on Lena's shoulders. Lena finds herself alone except for her sister, Bobbie, and her mother, LuLu, and an old friend and last but not least of all a book she is reading titled I, Tina. The book is an Tina Turner's autobiography about Tina Turner as she went through the low points of her life with Ike Turner and found herself fighting the world all alone.
Lena takes the words in the book as practical ways to get her feet back on the ground again. Finally, she ends up leaving California and heading to France. She takes "I, Tina" with her on the plane and everywhere she goes while in France. She listens to the words of Tina Turner's songs closely because each song seems to give her a good point to lead her life back to a reality she can live with again. In the end Lena learns it's alright to depend on only herself. Each walk down a winding cobble path, a taste of wine or a look at the Mediterranean leads her to a new path of learning more about Lena Spencer.
"Goodbye to Randall. Goodbye to Harmon. Goodbye to the deep blue sea and the smell of baguettes baking in rough ovens. No regrets. She has no regrets."
What I liked most about the novel, Searching For Tina Turner by JACQUELINE E. LUCKETT is the wonderful descriptions of France. I also will never forget that life's lessons can come from the most unexpected places and from people we might have never met personally.Life truly is an adventure. The teachers who come our way are like dips of serendipity in different flavors. Who know maybe one day I will have the chance to meet Tina Turner in France. If not meet her, I might get a chance to eat a delicious French meal.
"As if on cue, three waiter place dishes on the table.....thinly sliced meat in round swirls roasted tender enough to cut with a fork, delicate, a triangle of fresh anchovies sauteed in olive oil." http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3bgow_tina-turner-showing-her-house-in-so_music Thank you Oprah for the wonderful video.
