This is a truly delightful book! I could not have loved it more. Bernice may be forgetting a few things, but she is the most level headed of characters. Her observations of the world around her and how it is changing are spot on. She is like your favorite auntie, or the lady who lived next door to you when. you were a child. You want to share a cup of tea, or maybe a gin and 7-UP with her. She shows that there is hope for no matter how old, and possibly senile, you may become. I received an ARC from Free Mississippi Press through NetGalley and appreciate the opportunity to read this fun book. This did not influence my opinion of this book.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from One Mississippi Press, LLC and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.


Quirky, definitely unique, a fun take on running away. You're not going to want to put this one down so settle in.

I love the title and concept of the book Bernice Runs Away. I love that the narrator is 81 years old an is running away from home...because, it is never too late to start over! There should be more adventure stories for older people! Highly recommended. Thanks for this ARC, NetGalley!

This book was such a treat to read!
Bernice, Bernie, stepped out of the pages straight away. I love the way the narration follows her thought processes through their meandering ways without making me as a reader loosing the thread.
Bernie’s inner journey is as interesting and exciting to follow as her physical journey.
The story is filled with the big and the small, blisters on toes as well as heartbreak, and it mirrors a life both mundane and extraordinary. As most lives are.
I experienced so many feelings reading this book. I grieved with Bernie, got upset and angry with her, remembered the heartbreaking moments together with her as well as I revelled in her joy at other moments.
Her inner monologue is the best part, because it neither shirks the bad parts nor overcompensates the good.
She’s human, and while she’s more than thirty years my senior I can relate to her.
That is great writing to me!
This is the first book I’ve read from this author but I will definitely look up her earlier titles.

I recieved this book as an ARC and am volountarily leaving a review.i

"Bernice Runs Away" was a surprisingly good book. Bernice is an 81 year old widow who lives alone, with her cat Dolly Parton. Her daughter thinks its time she moved from Arkansas and move to Atlanta, where they are building her a carriage house in their back yard. Bernice does not want to give up her independence so she decides to pack up a few things and run away to a small cabin in Lake Norfork, a place she had so many happy memories as a teenager and where she met her first love, John Marvel. This was a beautiful thought provoking story about an older woman who reflects on her past, the loss of her husband and son, while making new friends, and finding herself again. Thank you for the advance copy netgalley!

Review for Bernice Runs Away Charming and delightful. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for,the ARC.

My favorite thing about this book was that it really didn’t have a villain. There are definitely moments when Bernice isn’t the biggest fan of certain people but she’s never so mad at them that they’re portrayed as evil. At the same time, Bernice herself isn’t perfect and you see plenty of her old fashioned values and judgements. At its heart, this book is about as pure as it gets. The main messages are that there is inherent goodness in everyone and how it’s never too late to learn new things about yourself. The book is about how everyone is a human with their own baggage and backstory and life yet to be lived. It’s a story where you end up rooting for almost every single character you meet.

This book also focuses on more serious topics surrounding aging which isn’t something frequently covered in fiction. As someone squarely in the age group of Bernice’s grandchild, it gave me a new perspective that I admittedly don’t usually think about.

Personally, I didn’t love how long some of the chapters were and how the pacing of the book felt like it was in a weird middle ground that was neither comfortably slow or excitingly fast.

Overall, this book was certainly charming. Its unique focus makes it worth reading and its glass half full perspective makes it a nice escape.

As the title suggestions, Bernice decides to run away from home-but Bernice is not a child, but a delightful and quirky 80 something year old with a family, a home and friends that love her. Why would a senior citizen decide to leave everything and everyone she knows to go on an adventure?

Bernice is a widow and lives alone with her cat in the house she and her husband first moved into when they were married. She has the support of her church friends and her good friend Marlene. Her daughter wants her to move to Atlanta and live in a carriage house she is building on her property so she won't be alone. But, of course, Sarah, her daughter, never thought to ask Bernice if moving in with her was something she wanted to do. And it isn't.

Bernice is tired of her old life. She reminisces about her summers as a teenager spent at Lake Norfork and her first love, John Marvel, who broke her heart. She decides she will move to the Lake and try to change her life.

She uses the techniques set out in Marie Kondo's organizational books (which I personally don't care for) but in a humorous way so it was not preachy like Marie can be, to decide what is important for her to keep and take with her to the Lake. She uses these techniques throughout the book.

Once at the Lake she makes new friends and discovers more about herself and what has been bothering her deep down over the years. She gets a new haircut, gets some answers about her teenage love, and sorts her family issues out. The author does a great job by making the story realistic, not magically giving Bernice all the answers she wanted but having her grow as a person and basically, tidy up her past and present life.

I truly enjoyed this book and read it in a day. It is not a thriller or a mystery book. It is purely a sweet family story starring a plucky 81 year old who reminds me of my own mother. I highly recommend this book. I give it 5/5 stars.

Thank you to One Mississippi Press and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this ARC.

This is the best read in ages. The writing is exceptional. The plot would be mundane were it not for the execution. Boerner elevates this story to an experience not to be missed. But, I can not finish it at this point. Embedded in the story are some bitter-sweet memories that become all to real...and painful for me. It's not anything deserving of a trigger warning.I am simply at that point in my life where Beatrice's journey resonates with my own. I had to step away. I found myself emotionally invested to the point of tears & dreams. I know, this is an incredible gift and there is in all likelihood a cathartic ending. But for now, I just have to step away. I will be purchasing a hardcopy for my personal library as this is the kind of book to be cherished and studied in schools.
Unfortunately, I can not see this story translated to the big screen. The magic of this story is in the words. The crafting & reflections of a life not finished living. Every single word, every single scene is salient. It is there for an exacting reason. And Beatrice is simply fascinating in her dogged pursuit of owning this final stage of her life. This is the greatest read of 2022.

I found myself in the mood for a quick, light read, and the cover of Bernice Runs Away made me think it would fit the bill. I was in for a surprise!

I was drawn to this book because I have often threatened to run away to Bermuda, mostly because I tend to get painfully bored when I don’t feel like I have productive things to do. Also because I have four children, and sometimes that is a lot.

Bernice Runs Away really took me by surprise. Bernice is 81 years old, a widow, the mother of one living child, and the grandmother of one adult granddaughter. She lives alone. She’s starting to forget things.

Her daughter wants her to move to Atlanta to live in her new carriage house, but Bernice has other ideas. Thanks to a gifted copy of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, Bernice starts to realize that she needs to do what sparks joy in her life. So, she resolves to run away.

Ultimately, she returns to a favorite vacation spot from her youth, where she first fell in love, where she has many happy memories with her parents and her husband and kids. She trusts only one close friend with her plan, and she goes.

The book details her escape from the humdrum of her life and how it changes her and her family. Ultimately, Bernice finds herself at Lake Norfolk.

I ended up loving this book! It wasn’t as light and quick as I expected going in, but it was heartfelt and real. It was honest and redemptive.

Bernice is a widow that lives by herself in a small town in Arkansas. Just a few months back, on the day of her 81st birthday, her daughter Sarah, and her husband surprised Bernice with the news that they were building a house for her in their backyard in Atlanta. From that day on Sarah has been urging Bernice to clean up the house and schedule an estate sale. Bernice knows this means giving up her independence and she is not about to do that just yet, so she decides that she will run away and fulfil the promise that she made to her late husband of leaving the town and starting fresh.
After much deliberation, Bernice resolves to go to a place dear to her heart, the site of many happy moments during her youth and through part of her married life. Her escape, more than a change of view, becomes an emotional journey that will propel her to gain a new perspective on life, grief, happiness, and hope. Bernice will reconcile her past and her present, will seek and get closure, and will show us that it is never too late to start living your best life.

This is a thought-provoking, uplifting book. Even the beautiful but simple dedication invites us to reflect. The author has tackled the issues of aging, independence, coping with loss, grief, loneliness, and finding purpose, among others, in a manner that deeply resonates with the reader. I enjoyed how she gave a voice to Bernice’s worries and concerns without taking away the point of view of younger generations. I also appreciated Bernice’s opinions on almost everything; some hilarious, others frustrating, but laced with the candor that aging grants human beings.
Most of all, Bernice is inspiring. Even at her age, she resolves to make small positive changes to her life, to notice life, and to find happiness, even though she has had great losses and has carried great pain through her life.

I laughed at Bernice’s antics, I worried about her, I hoped and cried along with her, and I suspect she will remain in my heart and in my mind for a long time. I could not recommend this book more.

Thanks to NetGalley and to One Mississippi Press for providing me with a free digital copy to review this book prior to its release.

“Bernice Runs Away” isn’t the type of book I normally gravitate towards. So imagine my surprise when I am pulled into this 82 year old woman’s story and delighted the entire time. It was such a fun book, and I really loved Bernice. It was fun to see her get out, experience life, and really find herself again.

Talya Tate Boerner's Bernice Runs Away is a cozy, lively read with a distinct voice and gorgeous prose. Boerner does an impeccable job of delving into grief and explores solitude with a realistic and fresh perspective. This book is a vibrant journey and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a warm and heart-touching read.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This is one of those rare gems that you can't put down, but take your time reading because you don't want it to end! The theme of aging and the struggle for independence is universal, but this story is so much more complex. One might be tempted to describe it as the coming of age tale of an octogenarian. It also deals with grief, forgiveness and loneliness in a way that is both human and relatable. Boerner is a master storyteller who uses humor and genuine Southern pluck to develop the characters and plot in a way that pulls you into the adventure right alongside Bernice. The desire for fullness of life, regardless of age, is dealt with poignantly, leading to fresh inspiration for grabbing hold of today while being mindful of our yesterdays. Hats off to Bernice, a brave - though at times reluctant - champion for an overlooked generation in today's fiction! And kudos to the author for creating a lovely read that simultaneously entertains and makes a lasting impression on the heart!

This is a fun book…I liked this book. I cannot wait to read more about Bernice…a likable quirky character who leaves home and meets other delightful characters…this book was sent to me by Netgalley for review…thanks to the publisher for this electronic copy. From the first page, I was hooked…she reminded me of the Miss Julia books…delightful…curl up on a comfy chair and enjoy a quick read…