This amusing travel memoir decribes the year that aauthor, Doreen Orion and her husband, Tim Justice, their two cats and their standard poodle spent living in a cnverted bus RV. They traveled through 47 states. It is an interesting and sometimes laugh outloud funny, but occassionally the humor is too New York City or too "American Jewish Princess" to be readily accessible to my midwestern background and taste. ( )

This is one of those books that has a lot of potential yet totally manages to miss the mark. Doreen Orion chronicles the year she spent traveling the country with her husband in a souped-up bus. Her accounts are filled with funny mishaps, interesting tidbits about the locations they visit and great references to her awesome husband. They are also filled clunky descriptions that are meant to be humorous, too-frequent references to being a Princess (we get it already!) and an author who is very difficult to relate to. Both husband and wife are psychiatrists and have enough money to not only renovate a bus but to take off a whole year just to wander. Granted, Orion admits to doing some work while traveling so they would have had some extra cash for spending, but she completely lost me when she wrote about how they just had to have a counter-top made of materials that cost over $320 per square foot.

Despite these annoyances, I managed to finish the book feeling good about the experience. It is an interesting concept and a dream of many to be able to take such a trip, especially with someone you love and respect as much as Orion does her husband. ( )

Oops, thought I reviewed this. I liked the book and I didn't like the book. I thought it was a light summertime read, but at the same time, it wasn't a book I would actually buy. I thought she was a little hard on her husband at times and I couldn't relate to her through the majority of the book. I agree with other reviewers that "There are times when Orion is too flippant regarding her class privilege...but at times slips into forgetting that she is part of a privileged class who is able to afford to take a year off work" and feel the resentment others do.

She doesn't sound like a seasoned traveler to me, wearing shoes and clothes not appropriate to the activites she undertakes. I was raised a tomboy, and I still am, and found myself mumbling at the book about the "girl" things she does.

I won't say don't read the book, because I don't feel that way. I would say the book has a limited audience. Some will enjoy this book, but I don't count myself among them. ( )

Queen of the Road is a wonderful book to read. It's uplifting, inspiring, and entertaining, dashed with a proper dose of sarcasm and humor. Doreen Orion's travel memoir records her and her husband's decision to take a year out of their lives and travel while they were still in their 40s. However, Doreen is a self-described hermit, and her husband is a tidy nerd. Neither personality would seemingly fit into the RV life, but Orion describes how they come to learn more about themselves than they expected.

There are times when Orion is too flippant regarding her class privilege. She's writing about taking control of one's life and living in the present, but at times slips into forgetting that she is part of a privileged class who is able to afford to take a year off work, and spend freely on a year's vacation. She acknowledges this in a few places, but not enough to fdampen a bit of resentment. She also tends to overdo the Princess role she takes for herself. It's not so much that she writes about being a Princess, but just mentions it constantly. It didn't seem necessary to write about it quite so often.

Those were the only two flaws in the novel, though, and what was left is still wonderful to read. The story of her husband and herself is entertaining. She describes the places they visit quite insightfully. Interestingly, she also includes a lot of history, especially female figures, in the novel when writing about the historical places they visit. Overall, this book is a welcome addition to anyone's library and seemingly has something that will interest and delight just about everyone. ( )

Doreen and her husband Tim decide to travel America for a year in a converted bus. Well, it is Tim's dream and Doreen reluctantly agrees to go along with it. They are both psychiatrists, though Doreen usually works at home processing insurance cases. She freely admits that she is lazy and practically a shut in. She enjoys sleeping in, watching TV, and has a fetish for designer shoes. When departure date arrives they load into the fully decked out bus; pets, shoes and all. After embarking on their epic adventure Doreen realizes that she has a bus phobia, probably brought on by the bus door flying open every time they reach 60 mph. Driving under low bridges, on skinny out of the way roads and winding mountain grades also contribute to Doreen's discomfort. Then there is also the challenge of parking and navigation.

The book traces Tim and Doreen's travel adventures all over America and tells the story of Doreen's transformation from couch potato to mild outdoor enthusiast. They go to theme parks, go hiking, visit tourist attractions and visit friends and family. All this while dealing with the unique challenges of living on a converted bus. By the end of the book, they have both made changes in their outlook on life. Doreen overcomes her bus fear and learns to enjoy getting out and experiencing life first-hand. Tim has calmed down and decided to make some career changes. Their marriage relationship is strengthened by all the time spent together. They learn to work with each others strengths and make allowances for each others weaknesses.

Queen of the Road is a hilarious book. Doreen's self-deprecating humor really suited the topic and set the tone for the entire book. Her writing style is very engaging. Don't expect much seriousness, depth or detail about their travels. This is definitely a lighthearted, humorous tale of a trip around America. It does not give a lot of detail about places or go into any deep spiritual transformations that take place for the travelers. It is quite an enjoyable read so long as you don't come to it with serious expectations. It is Doreen's interesting personality that carries the story along more so than the travel destinations. She does not shy away from revealing her own faults and idiosyncrasies. Personally I found that I just loved Queen of the Road for the first third or so but after a while I got used to the humor and found a little boredom setting in because it did not develop or change as it went along. I would still recommend it as a light read that gives a surface introduction to some of the interesting places in America. ( )