Paradise 62

Book excerpt: In a small Texas town, the elderly residents of a sixty-two-plus active apartment complex enjoy affordable rent, a daily continental breakfast buffet, and a Wednesday evening happy hour. While the complex’s brochure sells a paradise atmosphere, in reality it feels more like a satire. While some of the residents rebel against the strict rules such as no smoking, no burning candles in the apartments, no children in the gym area, and more, others adjust and are considerate of others. As the retirees go about their days, one trips and falls unconscious while on his way to buy beer. When a deputy stops to help, the resident only wants to know if his beer bottle is broken. A female resident in her prime at ninety years dresses up in her finest to kiss random older male residents on the cheek. When the activities director approaches her about the kissing, she plants one right on his lips. As prospective residents are solicited and tour the facility, the retirees, always up for a new adventure, must endure unthinkable occurrences and a conclusion no one saw coming. Paradise 62 follows the lives of the residents of a Texas retirement apartment complex as they navigate through the challenges and fun that a new adventure brings.