Janet Hepburn’s first novel could be dismissed as simply Thelma & Louise for the Canadian geriatric set: two elderly women escape from their nursing home in Ottawa, pick up a young male vagrant, and embark on a cross-country road trip in search of freedom and adventure. Hepburn’s skilled and often humorous development of her octogenarian protagonists, however, and the novel’s subtle nod to issues involving the treatment of those with dementia, infuse the story with a surprising complexity.

Lillian, the novel’s narrator, and her flirtatious friend, Audrey, suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. They struggle to maintain their tenuous grip on the present, but resent the restrictive world of Tranquil Meadows Nursing Home with its endless pills, condescending staff, and rigid schedules. “I eat when they tell me, sleep when they tell me, play bingo when they tell me,” says Lilian. “Jeez, I even have a poop when they tell me.”

As the unlikely trio heads west toward their ultimate destination, B.C.’s Rocky Mountains, memory lapses, incontinence, a stolen car, an injured stray dog, distraught family members, and a missing persons report impede their progress. When the young man, Rayne, who has been placed in charge of driving, decides to abandon the trip, the two women carry on alone. Their vulnerability becomes apparent when they are mugged in a parking lot and Audrey’s purse is stolen.

Hepburn is careful not to romanticize Lillian and Audrey’s journey: this is no joy ride, though there are certainly moments of delight and laughter. The unexpected relationship that unfolds between the women and Rayne, as he becomes their caretaker and, ultimately, genuine friend, is especially moving. As she marvels at the intricacy of a sunflower, Lillian observes, “Things are so different when you look more closely at them.” This applies not only to these two remarkable women, but to the elderly in general, and certainly to this fine novel.