“Evie Walters Takes The Wheel” by Kathleen Fox – #AudiobookReview #KathleenFox @BrilliancePub #BrillianceAudio #EvieWaltersTakesTheWheel

Evie Walters, who lives in North Carolina, is a septuagenarian and a recent widow. Her adult children, abiding by their late father’s wishes to ‘take care‘ of Evie, want to move her into an assisted living community. Evie, being physically spry, intelligent, and of sound mind, thinks that moving to a retirement community is the LAST thing she’d like to do.

On the day of her husband’s funeral, a flower is delivered anonymously. It is an egret orchid, a bloom that conveys a strong message to Evie. A message from her first love – a ranch hand back in her home state of Montana.

Shortly after, Evie is driving in her neighborhood with her granddaughter when she spies a camper van for sale. Impetuously she purchases the van, much to the consternation of her daughter and son. Shortly afterwards she sets off on the adventure of a lifetime. Supported by emails and texts from her granddaughter and a couple of young women who are also exploring the country by van, Evie meets new people and has plenty of new experiences. She meets and adopts a stray dog from one of the camp sites she has stayed in, and together, Evie and Mrs. Brown set off on a roundabout route to Montana.

Written with humour and empathy, Evie’s character is one you root for all through the novel.  Her children come across as quite odious and controlling, going so far as to cancel her credit card and forge her name on a check so that Evie has to use her ingenuity to keep her van and herself on the road. Evie’s present day story is interspersed with flashbacks to her youth in Montana, and her relationship with Novel Daniels, her first love.

This expertly narrated audiobook was adeptly performed by Janet Metzger. She relays the ups and downs of Evie’s journey so vividly, you think you are in the van’s passenger seat.

I loved spending time with Evie and Mrs. Brown. An uplifting story about retaining your agency while aging, it was also a story of ‘found family’, and having the courage to meet change head-on in later life. This was a warm-hearted and entertaining debut novel that I can heartily recommend. I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

This review was written voluntarily and my rating was in no way influenced by the fact that I received a complimentary digital copy of this audiobook from Brilliance Audio via NetGalley. I listened to the novel on audiobook via the NetGalley Shelf app. Published by Brilliance Audio. Unabridged. Published October 6, 2026

Listening time approximately 8 hrs. 10 min.    ISBN: 9781522617037

Kathleen Fox is an author who writes like she believes life is best lived — with a full tank, a slightly chaotic playlist, and unexpected detours. She is the author of Evie Walters Takes The Wheel, a spirited, character-driven novel about courage, reinvention, and what happens when you finally stop letting other people choose the route.

A former teacher, school librarian, and corporate trainer, Kathleen also developed games, children’s books, and music for the school library market, and built an art school in her community.

Kathleen can be found cruising around the country in her Sprinter van with her husband and two dogs. She’s navigated her van “Gracie” through most of the continental US, the Canadian provinces, and Alaska. Kathleen calls the coast of South Carolina home.With nearly 200 audiobooks to her name, Janet Metzger is a professionally trained actress and winner of five Earphone Awards. With decades of experience on stage, film and TV,  she has worked with Denzel Washington, Harrison Ford, and Kevin Hart, among others. A nonfiction and political junkie, she was the voice of CNN and Headline News for over 5 years and the narrator of a blue ribbon-winning documentary at the New York Film festival.