Driftwood: Stories from the Margarita Road
About this ebook
WINNER "BEST FIRST BOOK 2021" ~ INDIE REVIEW DISCOVERY AWARDS
If You’ve Ever Dreamed of Running Away to Paradise, Driftwood Will Spark Your Secret Wanderlust
This captivating book follows modern-day nomads escaping the rat race in search of a fresh start. Fleeing boredom, bad marriages, and dead-end jobs, these adventurers wander south to Playa Paraiso—a lush, unspoiled village on Mexico’s idyllic Caribbean coast. There they find the unpredictable, hedonistic, and sometimes frightening world of the tropics.
At the center of this extraordinary group is Poppa, the irreverent and savvy owner of the local beach bar. As he tries to make sense of his own vagabond existence, he offers his fellow expats booze, advice, and the occasional helping hand. It is Poppa who tells the tales of these intriguing runaways, as together they encounter true loves, vicious drug dealers, charming rogues, clueless do-gooders, and a devastating hurricane.
Against a backdrop of stunning blue water and endless white sand, they experience the heart’s tug of war between the need for a place to call home and the desire for the freedom to roam.
Author Anthony Lee Head is very familiar with the dream of living in paradise portrayed in Driftwood: Stories from the Margarita Road. After leaving a long career as a San Francisco trial lawyer, he moved to Playa del Carmen, Mexico where for ten years he and his wife ran a small hotel and margarita bar near the beach.
Travelers, wanderers, explorers, and dreamers alike will see themselves in these unforgettable characters, all the while craving an icy boat drink on a sprawling beach. But be careful: if you stick your feet in the sand and come along on this journey, you may not want to go home again.
"... Joseph Conrad collides with Jimmy Buffett in a journey through the dark heart of Mexico's Riviera Maya."
~ Bob Calhoun, bestselling author and journalist
"Truly wonderful and moving tales; the author is a writer to watch."
~ Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Beneath the 'palm and balmy breezes' tone, a deep, empathetic humanity affords each character and event vivid authenticity."
~ Peter Coyote, bestselling author and actor
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About the author
Anthony Lee Head was living in San Francisco with an established career as a trial attorney, history teacher, and martial arts instructor when he unexpectedly fell in love with the tropics.
Unable to resist the call of warm breezes flowing south, he and his wife Cheri began to travel. They started exploring America’s Gulf Coast, Hawaii, Key West, New Orleans, the Caribbean Islands, Belize, and different parts of Mexico.
Finally, in a fit of middle-aged madness, they decided to make their escape from the rat race. They moved to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico where they opened a small hotel and margarita bar a few blocks from the Caribbean Sea. Living in a paradise of white sand and blue water, they poured drinks, rented rooms, and listened to the stories of other kindred souls drifting south of the border.
After a decade, their wanderlust spirit again pulled them away to seek another adventure—this time back on America’s west coast. They returned to the United States with countless memories as well as ten dogs and cats rescued from the streets of Mexico.
In California, Anthony began a formal practice as an ordained lay Zen Buddhist while at the same time beginning to indulge his inner storyteller. His first book, Driftwood: Stories from the Margarita Road, is inspired by his adventures in Mexico and the tales he heard from fellow expats, travelers, and drifters there. His short fiction and memoirs can be found on Medium.com.
Driftwood: Stories from the Margarita Road was named one of the "Best Books of 2020" by Kirkus Reviews magazine. It also received a coveted Kirkus Starred review. The Kirkus Star marks books of exceptional merit and is awarded to only 2% to 3% of the books reviewed each year. In addition, it won an Indie Reader Discovery Award for Best Book-Fiction 2021.
Anthony and Cheri currently live with their menagerie in San Rafael, California, where he is working on his next book.
