Description
Book SynopsisAt age forty, Parker surrendered to her Swept Away meets Swiss Family Robinson fantasy of running an inn far from her home in the Pacific Northwest. For the next twenty-plus years Parker ran La Finca Caribe, an eco-lodge in Vieques, Puerto Rico. What started as a rough-and-tumble dream grew into a paradise enjoyed by guests from around the world. Sketchbook in hand, Parker chronicled her daily adventures living with the land. La Finca is a lively graphic memoir about a woman creating a new life amid countless challenges, including hurricanes that led her to reconsider everything. It is a story about trusting oneself, self-discovery, accepting disappointment and loss, and falling in love with a place.
Trade Review“Lively, touching, and utterly original!” — Rebecca Wells, author of Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood “Enchanting. The beauty of Vieques and La Finca Caribe shines brightly. Corky Parker’s passion for the land, food, and culture of this Puerto Rican island is infectious.” — Alice Waters “From laughing out loud to shock and tears, La Finca is a colorful, chaotic, tropical tale of human experience.” — Charlotte Kilcher, Discovery’s Alaska: The Last Frontier “Part memoir, part graphic fantasy, but 100 percent heartful adventure.” — Elizabeth Cohen, author of The Family on Beartown Road “A frank, sometimes heartbreaking account of what it means to nurture a childhood dream. Filled with delightful doodles, this playful yet humbling story takes you to a magical place.” — Summer Brenner, author of My Life in Clothes“An inspiring story of carving your own path, embracing crazy adventure, and rolling the dice on something you love.” — Doug Berman, NPR’s Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me! “Corky Parker gives new meaning to the word ‘resilience’ in her gripping tale of running an inn on a remote Caribbean island. It’s a story of enchanted whimsy with a positivity that inspires.” — Mimi Pond, author of The Customer Is Always Wrong “An enchanting, sun-and-storm-filled paradise of a book.” — Erica Bauermeister, author of House Lessons
Table of ContentsContents Introduction Property Map Guide to Key Characters 1. Livin’ the Dream 2. Hatching the Plan 3. Exploring the New World 4. Finding New Dawn 5. On our Own 6. A Month of Firsts 7. At the Helm 8. Happy Travelin’ 9. The Losing End 10. Solo 11. Aftermath 12. Meanwhile Back at La Finca 13. On the Job Life Lessons 14. Bill 15. Chaos of Construction 16. Another Day in Paradise 17. No Stopping this Carnival 18. Smooth Sailing 19. When Alice Comes to Visit 20. Being Here Now, Finally 21. The Winter Things Couldn’t Get Right 22. How & ¿por qué? Epilogue Acknowledgements
